Word File Size Keeps Growing

[Mark Rix]

Word Version 11.3.8 (070817)
OSX10.4.11

I have a Word RTF file I use to send to my local paper each week and just
save as to create the new weeks version. It started out at 40k but over 6
months has grown to over 1000k yet it is essentially the same document and
content. I tried creating a new document and copy pasting the content. This
helped to reduce it to 600k. I seem to recall this issue many years ago but
cannot remember the workaround (I think it had something to do with the
normal template). I would appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance.

 

[John McGhie]

You too need to do a Maggie

You are a victim of the "Stranded RTF bug" which is inherent in the old .doc
format of Word.

The Maggie:

1. Create a new blank document
2. Carefully select all of the text in the bad document EXCEPT the last
paragraph mark
3. Copy it.
4. Paste in the new document.
5. Save under a new file name and close all, then re-open.

This technique for de-corrupting is known as "Doing a 'Maggie'", after
Margaret Secara from the TECHWR-L mailing list, who first publicised the
technique.

Cheers

Word Version 11.3.8 (070817)
OSX10.4.11

I have a Word RTF file I use to send to my local paper each week and just
save as to create the new weeks version. It started out at 40k but over 6
months has grown to over 1000k yet it is essentially the same document and
content. I tried creating a new document and copy pasting the content. This
helped to reduce it to 600k. I seem to recall this issue many years ago but
cannot remember the workaround (I think it had something to do with the
normal template). I would appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance.

--

Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Following up on John's suggestions...

<snip>

If you have to do multiple editions of the same fundamental document - such
as a newsletter - you'd do well to design a Template for the purpose & base
the new editions on the template. Even Save As doesn't provide a healthy
result when you save revision upon revision because the accumulated flaws
carry forward with the save - each successive document is more unstable than
the last. If you correct *this* document then continue to hack at it week
after week you'll wind up with recurrence of similar problems.

Also, for specific content that needs to be used in a variety of documents
[boilerplate] you might consider creating AutoText items as opposed to
including that content in the template - and using AutoText is *definitely*
preferable to copy/paste for a number of reasons.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac