Word X crash due to carbon registration database file

[D Park]

Word X 10.1.4 crashes with each launch on my powerbook with OS 10.3.3.
Troubleshooting according to McGhie (very helpful) led to discovery
that problems are due to the "carbon registration database" file from
the preferences folder. If I delete this file, word starts and runs
fine (and recreates the problem crd file). Unless I delete it again,
word crashes with the next launch. I wonder why this file is
repeatedly corrupted or otherwise confused. I have uninstalled,
reinstalled, serially updated office X and reset disk permissions
without effect. Any advice?

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur [MVP]]

Word X 10.1.4 crashes with each launch on my powerbook with OS 10.3.3.
Troubleshooting according to McGhie (very helpful) led to discovery
that problems are due to the "carbon registration database" file from
the preferences folder. If I delete this file, word starts and runs
fine (and recreates the problem crd file). Unless I delete it again,
word crashes with the next launch.

Yep. This is a know bug. I suspect your user folder is located on a second
partition or on a separate drive. This confuses Word (and the rest of the
Office apps) which then systematically corrupt the CRD.
A ciorrupted CRD makes Word and Excel crash everytime they need to use VBA or
plug-ins (which often use VBA) and also makes the Office apps lose track of
where the helper apps (equation editor...) are installed.

I wonder why this file is
repeatedly corrupted or otherwise confused. I have uninstalled,
reinstalled, serially updated office X and reset disk permissions
without effect. Any advice?

There is an option of indeed your user folder has been relocated to a
separate partition or drive:

- Create a user account on the boot folder
- from this account, launch all Office apps, use the plug-ins, the helper
apps...
- copy the CRD in the other user accounts on the other drives (and keep a
backup for the next time ;-)) ).


The CRD created in these conditions is "clean" and Word/Excel... don't mess
with it.
This fixed the issue on all machines I saw with this problem (including
mine).


Corentin

 

[D Park]

Thanks. The borrowed carbon registration database trick appears to
have fooled it. For others' information, my single drive is not
partitioned; users and office folder are in same partition.
Nevertheless, copying the CRD file from another user's
library/preference/microsoft folder into mine seems to have fixed the
problem.

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word]]

In which case, so will a Remove/Replace, and that's a better option. Use
the Remove Office tool from your CD, run Disk Utility and Repair
Permissions, then re-install Office and apply all the service packs in the
correct order, then Repair Permissions again.

Do that next time you get a problem: it gives you a much cleaner job. The
Carbon Reg database functions like the Windows Registry as a street
directory to where all the needed things on your computer are. If it's 100
per cent accurate because it was generated from your user ID, MS Office will
run a lot cleaner and more stable.

Cheers


This responds to article <[email protected]>,

Thanks. The borrowed carbon registration database trick appears to
have fooled it. For others' information, my single drive is not
partitioned; users and office folder are in same partition.
Nevertheless, copying the CRD file from another user's
library/preference/microsoft folder into mine seems to have fixed the
problem.

--

Please respond only to the newsgroup to preserve the thread.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. GMT + 10 Hrs
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]