Word hangs

[bowser]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have had several instances where Word has hung when tracking changes. Today, however, Word hung when typing a report. Using .docx format. Sent usual report to Apple.

 

[John McGhie]

Track Changes can mangle the insides of a document, leading to these
fainting fits.

I suggest you follow Clive's advice and avoid Tracked Changes. Use Compare
Documents to mark up the changes after you have finished editing.

Same result, without the crashes.

Cheers

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I have had several instances where Word has hung when tracking changes. Today,
however, Word hung when typing a report. Using .docx format. Sent usual report
to Apple.

--
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
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Clive Huggan]

John was probably referring to this post I made to someone else today:

You can achieve the same result as using Tracked Changes while avoiding the
potential for document corruption that Tracked Changes can bring.

Essentially I don't use Tracked Changes at all, but I achieve the same thing
by applying Tools => Track Changes => Compare Documents to a "Saved As" copy
of the document.

A 2-page article about this technique, which also mentions some of the
problems this avoids, is on pages 67-69 of some notes on the way I use Word
for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available as a free
download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html).

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Note: In Word 2008, which I don't use yet, some of this information may not
apply, or may be accessible through a different interface. If that causes
problems, post back and someone will help you further.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the Americas and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
====================================================

 

[bowser]

Thanks very much for this, good advice. I use the track changes when replying to draft reports, knowing that the track changes will have to be visible on windows version of word. I will try your suggestions.

Why would Word have hung today when writing a report? Out of the blue, and doing nothing special except for bullets and numbering and docx format.

Thanks

 

[John McGhie]

Bullets and numbering

If you round-trip bullets and numbering through .doc and .docx, chances are
it will hang every time

The bullets and numbering mechanism is extremely complex under the surface,
the mechanism in the binary .doc format is not the same as the one in the
..docx format, and tracked changes increases the complexity by a whole order
of magnitude. To Word, "bullets" and "numbering" are exactly the same
thing.

Use Compare Documents if you are going to play with bullets and numbering


Cheers

Thanks very much for this, good advice. I use the track changes when replying
to draft reports, knowing that the track changes will have to be visible on
windows version of word. I will try your suggestions.

Why would Word have hung today when writing a report? Out of the blue, and
doing nothing special except for bullets and numbering and docx format.

Thanks

--
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
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Craig Benson]

The problem with Word hanging with Track Changes is very frustrating and a major problem. I did not have this problem on the PC version of Word, and not using this valuable function seems like a poor work around. This function should work properly or be removed from the software. If Microsoft wants to have a cross-platform version of Word, they need to make it work. I hope Microsoft does something about this soon.

 

[Bruce]

Yes I agree thoroughly. This error has seriously hampered my productivity. I need track changing for my work in proofing and translating, and the hanging has become so frequent now that I cannot continue using Word and need to find an alternative.

The problem with Word hanging with Track Changes is very frustrating and
a major problem. I did not have this problem on the PC version of Word,
and not using this valuable function seems like a poor work around. This
function should work properly or be removed from the software. If Microsoft
wants to have a cross-platform version of Word, they need to make it work.
I hope Microsoft does something about this soon.

 

[John McGhie]

Guys, if you have a message for Microsoft, use Help>Send Feedback to send
your comments in to Microsoft.

Please do not vent your spleen on the other users in this forum. We've
heard it all before, we don't work for Microsoft, and no Microsoft staff are
assigned to read this forum.

Cheers

Yes I agree thoroughly. This error has seriously hampered my productivity. I
need track changing for my work in proofing and translating, and the hanging
has become so frequent now that I cannot continue using Word and need to find
an alternative.

The problem with Word hanging with Track Changes is very frustrating and
a major problem. I did not have this problem on the PC version of Word,
and not using this valuable function seems like a poor work around. This
function should work properly or be removed from the software. If
Microsoft
wants to have a cross-platform version of Word, they need to make it
work.
I hope Microsoft does something about this soon.

--
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
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]