Word shuts down when selecting tools from the menu bar

[Mary Herman]

I am running XP Home and have been using word 2000 for a long time without trouble. Now wheneve I hover over or select tools from the menu bar, I get an error message to send to Microsoft and word shuts down. I have deleted the data file in Hkey, replaces normal.dot, uninstalled and reinstalled Office (and cleaned out directories) and have launched word using the winword /a function (which works until word is shut down but I have the same problem when I start word again. I am running Norton virus scan on this computer. Anything else I can try?

 

[Beth Melton]

Hi Mary,

Try starting Windows in Safe Mode. If the error does not occur then
try updating your graphics driver.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

I am running XP Home and have been using word 2000 for a long time

without trouble. Now wheneve I hover over or select tools from the
menu bar, I get an error message to send to Microsoft and word shuts
down. I have deleted the data file in Hkey, replaces normal.dot,
uninstalled and reinstalled Office (and cleaned out directories) and
have launched word using the winword /a function (which works until
word is shut down but I have the same problem when I start word again.
I am running Norton virus scan on this computer. Anything else I can
try?

 

[Mary.Herman]

Still have the error in safe mode. When starting Word 2000 with winword /a and selecting tools, options, file locations the mapping for tools is c:\progra~1\MI1933~\office. I cannot modify this location. I have tried to delete the location and remap but it sets back to the same location. Tools is the only one with that type of setting.

 

[Beth Melton]

Hi Mary,

I'm not really sure what you are trying to do here.

The Tools path has nothing to do with the Tools menu. As a matter of
fact, IIRC this is used for backwards compatibility when user
preferences were stored in *.ini and *.opt files.

The reason you can not save this change when you start Word with the
/a switch is because the /a switch is a tool used for troubleshooting.
It loads all defaults and any modifications to your Normal.dot or
Registry are not saved.

And just for clarity, the /a switch is similar to Safe Mode, however
Safe Mode for Word (starting Word while holding Ctrl or the /safe
switch for Word 2002 and higher) is a little different. For example
'real' Safe Mode will suppress your list of Global templates and
add-ins found under Tools/Templates and Add-ins. (Not a good option if
you troubleshooting problems starting Word!)

Anyway, back to the problem at hand, now if the error doesn't occur
when you start Word with the /a switch, which I don't think it does
since reportedly you are able to navigate to Tools/Options/File
Locations, then chances are the problem is due to a malfunctioning
global template/add-in since you already ruled out the other possible
causes: Registry and Normal.dot.

Go to Tools/Templates and Add-ins and see if there are any global
templates/add-ins in the list. If so they will be located in either
your Office\Startup folder, located in the Office installation path,
or Word Startup folder. You can find the location of the Word Startup
folder under Tools/Options/File Locations.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

Still have the error in safe mode. When starting Word 2000 with

winword /a and selecting tools, options, file locations the mapping
for tools is c:\progra~1\MI1933~\office. I cannot modify this
location. I have tried to delete the location and remap but it sets
back to the same location. Tools is the only one with that type of
setting.