Word 97 file size - won't reduce

[larry]

I have a large (about 40MB) document. Part of the reason it is so large is
that it has some bitmap images (ya, I know I should have used jpegs. Next
time.)

I deleted about 3/4 of the text and all the remaining images and the saved
file was still about 40MB. I copied all the text into a new document and
that was saved to a 76KB file.

Is there a way to force Word to release all that space that it was no longer
using, besides doing a cut and paste?

Larry

 

[PTT, Inc.]

Click "Tools", "Options", and on the "Save" TAB uncheck the "Allow fast
saves", and resave your file and see how it did.

Bill Foley
www.pttinc.com

 

[larry]

Thanks. It got alot smaller, though not as small as the cut & paste method.
You also have to make another change or Word won't save anything (too smart
for its own good?)

Larry

 

[Beth Melton]

Hi Larry,

Yep - you need to modify the document in order to invoke a save.

As for documents saved used Fast Saves, I personally do not think
everything is removed even after Fast Saves have been disabled. I've
tested this from time to time and have found remnants of metadata
still contained within the file. Metadata such as previously deleted
text and such.

The best method is to create a new document, either copying and
pasting as you have already done, or creating a blank document and
using Insert/File to insert the contents of the document saved with
Fast Saves enabled. Using the latter method you can easily replace the
original by saving it with the same name and if you do not modify the
new document in any way the Header/Footer information will be inserted
as well.

Until Word 2002 came out with the option to remove personal
information from a file on save I would use to use the Insert/File
method for any document prior to sending it via email (I'd then save
it to a 'generic' subfolder below the C:\ drive). I never liked the
idea of the previous file locations, file names, authors, AutoRecovery
Saves, etc being sent out with my documents. <g>

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
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