Document Open Crashes Word (Word 97/2k/XP)

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I have a user that’s seeing a rather severe crash upon opening certain documents.

Here’s what I know:
1) Word 2000, WinXP, service packs applied, virus scanner turned off; no startup-add-ins that are unknown (ie. all mine)
2) new document based on my application are created/saved/opened fine.
3) opening an older document (created with my application under Word 97 on a different machine) by double clicking in Explorer:
MICROSOFT VISUAL C — Runtime libray
Program:C/Program files/microsoftoffice/office/WINWORD.EXE
This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the applications support team for more information.
4) if a new document is created and they attempt to Insert the “old” document into the new document OR simply OPEN the document from the Word File Open Dialog (rather than double click in explorer), the error is slightly different “Word has terminated abnormally…” a GPF.

Any idea how to clean up this older Word 97 documents for importation into Word 2k?

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Replies

– Does your application put unusual things in the Word 97 document?
– Does Word on this user’s PC also crash if you try to open such a document from within Word (seems probable, but can’t hurt to try)
– Does Word on this user’s PC also crash if you try to open such a document while all add-ins have been disabled?
– Does Word on this user’s PC also crash if you try to open other documents created in Word 97 (not through your application)?
– Does Word 2000 or 2002 on another PC crash if you try to open one of the problem documents created in Word 97?

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– Does your application put unusual things in the Word 97 document?
– Does Word on this user’s PC also crash if you try to open such a document from within Word (seems probable, but can’t hurt to try)
– Does Word on this user’s PC also crash if you try to open such a document while all add-ins have been disabled?
– Does Word on this user’s PC also crash if you try to open other documents created in Word 97 (not through your application)?
– Does Word 2000 or 2002 on another PC crash if you try to open one of the problem documents created in Word 97?

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My most common crash with Word97Sr2 documents seems to be linked too too much text in the keywords (File, Properties, Summary, keywords), and that’s mainly because I have automated the process of extracting Interesting Words, so my documents tend to get keywords filled. More than 250 (255?) characters seems to tip the scales. This could, of course, be a similar problem with any other document-properties that overflow space.

My solution here is to void the keywords entries, save the document under a new name, then trim the keyowrds list from the old document.

My most common crash in Word/VBA/VBE seems to be related to inserting text while the code is running, albeit temporarly suspended, with projects that have at least one UserForm.

My solution here is to export all the modules to source form (Bas, Frm, Cls) and rebuild the template from a new template. I recreate toolbars manually.

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My most common crash with Word97Sr2 documents seems to be linked too too much text in the keywords (File, Properties, Summary, keywords), and that’s mainly because I have automated the process of extracting Interesting Words, so my documents tend to get keywords filled. More than 250 (255?) characters seems to tip the scales. This could, of course, be a similar problem with any other document-properties that overflow space.

My solution here is to void the keywords entries, save the document under a new name, then trim the keyowrds list from the old document.

My most common crash in Word/VBA/VBE seems to be related to inserting text while the code is running, albeit temporarly suspended, with projects that have at least one UserForm.

My solution here is to export all the modules to source form (Bas, Frm, Cls) and rebuild the template from a new template. I recreate toolbars manually.

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Hi Guy:
And one more question. Does it occur if you start Word from the command line with winword.exe /a & then try open the Win97 doc from within Word?

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Thanks everyone for giving this one a thunk.

The mystery was pretty odd.

Yep, Winword /a still crashed these documents. I don’t think it had anything to do with my application. I don’t do anything to normal, but do put in a couple of startup items. Even when disabled, still crashed.

The problem SEEMS to have been that this was a new computer. It had Works Suite with Word 2002 pre-installed (but not activated). But the user didn’t know that. She then installed Word 2000.

When she uninstalled Word 2000, activated the Works suite, the problem went away…

Go figger.

Reply | Quote

Thanks everyone for giving this one a thunk.

The mystery was pretty odd.

Yep, Winword /a still crashed these documents. I don’t think it had anything to do with my application. I don’t do anything to normal, but do put in a couple of startup items. Even when disabled, still crashed.

The problem SEEMS to have been that this was a new computer. It had Works Suite with Word 2002 pre-installed (but not activated). But the user didn’t know that. She then installed Word 2000.

When she uninstalled Word 2000, activated the Works suite, the problem went away…

Go figger.

Reply | Quote

Hi Guy:
And one more question. Does it occur if you start Word from the command line with winword.exe /a & then try open the Win97 doc from within Word?

Reply | Quote