Word crashes continuously in Tiger

[DCguy]

I am experiencing constant Word crashes now that I've upgraded to Mac
OS X 10.4 (Tiger). I'm using Office 2004 for Mac. I have the lastest
software updates. I'm seeing this problem when I'm in Page Layout mode
but not when I'm in Normal mode. I haven't experienced any problems
with standard word processing documents but docs with a few images are
running scared. I've had to force quit the application no fewer that
15 times tonight and have resorted to changing my preferences to run an
auto save every 2 minutes.

I did not experience any crashes with similar files/tasks under 10.3
(Panther).

If anyone can help, I would be greatful.

 

[matt neuburg]

I've had to force quit the application no fewer that
15 times tonight

If you are force quitting, then Word is not crashing (a "crash" means
that the application has quit spontaneously). So your report makes no
sense. You may wish to clarify what the problem is. m.

 

[DCguy]

I mean that the program stops responding. The multicolored circle
starts spinning and only MS Word ceases to operate. No other
applications are affected. If you're typing documents and suddenly the
program freezes requiring a force quit, I call that a crash.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Such consistent and reproducible problems in Word usually respond to one of
the standard troubleshooting measures, which you will find listed here:

http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/TroubleshootingIndex.htm
(hit refresh a few times in Safari, or use a different browser)

Work through them one by one until something helps. If nothing does, post
back.

Alternatively, test it in a new user account. If the new account works,
switch over to it. If the new user account doesn't work, go straight to the
instructions for Remove and Reinstall.

 

[matt neuburg]

I mean that the program stops responding. The multicolored circle
starts spinning and only MS Word ceases to operate. No other
applications are affected. If you're typing documents and suddenly the
program freezes requiring a force quit, I call that a crash.

Then you're calling it wrong. This is not humpty-dumpty-land: you don't
get to use words just however you feel like it. That's a freeze or
lock-up (or you can just call it "the SCOD", for "spinning cursor of
death") - your first sentence, "the program stops responding", is very
clear and correct - but it is not a crash and that's just the way it is.
m.

 

[DCguy]

Feel better now, Matt? I'm just a guy who went to the microsoft
website trying to find out why his application isn't working. I don't
make my living as a techie and the microsoft page indicated this was an
open forum to ask for help, not rudely dismissed for not knowing the
different between a crash and a non-responsive application. Either
way--the thing stopped working and you, with your geeky eknowledge,
were of no help.

 

[DCguy]

Thank you, Daiya. I appreciate the help.

 

[Marc Bizer]

Such consistent and reproducible problems in Word usually respond to one of
the standard troubleshooting measures, which you will find listed here:

http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/TroubleshootingIndex.htm
(hit refresh a few times in Safari, or use a different browser)

Work through them one by one until something helps. If nothing does, post
back.

Unfortunately, those suggestions have done nothing for me. And to use
the correct terminology, Matt , I'm seeing Word *freeze* several
times a day. The typical scenario is that Word has been running in the
background for a while with a relatively simple document open. I'll
highlight a word in that document, and Word will freeze, or I'll
double-click a Word file in the Finder and Word will freeze. I have
taken some samples and the problem seems to be occurring deep within
ATSUI code, which would tend to point to a font problem, but I've run
Font Doctor and eliminated all the non-MS or non-Apple fonts, deleted
the ATSUI cache and Word/Office preference files -- to no avail.

And I *never* had these problems in 10.3.9.

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

If anyone else is still wrestling with this, I understand that Marc recently
solved his problem by replacing the Microsoft Framework file. Apparently he
somehow got an incompatible version stuck on his system.

The method Marc used would not be available to the rest of us, but running
the Office Remover tool, then reinstalling Microsoft Office, then apply all
of the updates in the correct sequence would achieve the same effect.

I'm not going to go into detail, because if you're not confident playing
around in your computer, you shouldn't try this at home! If you are, you've
got enough information to know what to do Whatever you do, back up
your existing version before you begin.

Hope this helps

Unfortunately, those suggestions have done nothing for me. And to use
the correct terminology, Matt , I'm seeing Word *freeze* several
times a day. The typical scenario is that Word has been running in the
background for a while with a relatively simple document open. I'll
highlight a word in that document, and Word will freeze, or I'll
double-click a Word file in the Finder and Word will freeze. I have
taken some samples and the problem seems to be occurring deep within
ATSUI code, which would tend to point to a font problem, but I've run
Font Doctor and eliminated all the non-MS or non-Apple fonts, deleted
the ATSUI cache and Word/Office preference files -- to no avail.

And I *never* had these problems in 10.3.9.

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410

 

[Marc Bizer]

If anyone else is still wrestling with this, I understand that Marc recently
solved his problem by replacing the Microsoft Framework file. Apparently he
somehow got an incompatible version stuck on his system.

No, it is not true that I solved my problem by replacing the Microsoft
Framework file. The problem seemed to disappear for a while after I
reinstalled Office (I ran the Office Remover tool), but it has reared
its ugly head again.

It would be helpful if people would post "sample" reports for Word while
it is not responding.

 

[mmmmark]

Not me! I'm still playing with Panther and haven't yet tamed the
Tiger.