My wife is using the free Avast on her home computer. Last night, she started getting freezes when she would try loading one of her Word documents. Using the power button for rebooting multiple times led to the same behavior each time. After deleting normal.dot, the document would load, but was very sluggish. I noticed that the Avast database had been updated that day, so disabled Avast, and then all performed as it should. I’ve seen this kind of problem in past years when using two of the major AV softwares, so suspect this is related to yesterday’s Avast update.
Strange but I used Word with avast! and never had a problem related with avast.
On contrary, I had discovered that repairing Office installation, sometimes, cure the problem.
Other possibility, go to your office template folder and delete any temporary file there, that was left after incorrect shutdown of Word.
Generally, C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates or C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office…\Templates or inside C:\Documents and Settings<user>\Application Data\Microsoft and subdirectories.
Are you trying to open a specific document or any .doc generate this error?
She had been using Word and Avast together for some time.
It was a particular document she needed to update for her teaching today. I didn’t try a different document until after deleting normal.dot; the other document did then load, and her needed document did also load at that point, and this when she had the sluggishness.
I’ll take a look at the template folder this evening.
Of course, I may be wrong suspecting the AV database update is related to this on her Win98SE machine. I only suspect this because I have seen this with other AV software following an AV definitions update; and am also aware that many others had those same problems at those times. However, if no one else reports this problem, it may very likely be something else.
Thanks for the response.
Maybe some problem in Normal.dot file.
Bakcup is the better thing to do in these cases. Then restore a clean/working Normal.dot there.
This problem (in Normal.dot) is NOT corrected by Office repair as your Normal.dot file won’t be replaced by the standard (defaul) one.
My understanding is that deleting normal.dot will result in Word recreating the default normal.dot, and that this resolves issues related to a corrupt normal.dot. I guess I could always try restoring normal.dot from a drive image - I wouldn’t be without a backup.
You’re right.
I don’t let the normal.dot in the default folder myself.
I change it to drive D: (second partition) where my data and documents are.
Not in C: (first partition) where programs can get corrupted and I restore the entire bakcup (if necessary).
This is a pleasant surprise. After booting the machine this evening, it appears to be working properly. I notice it does have a new AV database dated today, so perhaps that has made a difference. The only other thought is that I had deleted normal.dot before loading Word, but did not reboot again after the deletion.
What version of Word are you using? I have a dual boot system with Win XP and Win 98SE… on Win98SE with Word 97 and avast – I never have freezes. Sometimes an overheating computer can cause the system to lock up. Are the fans etc., in the computer working okay and dust free?
It is Word 2000. I don’t think overheating is a problem - it is shut down every night, and it was not on long before this problem first showed. Last weekend, I had opened up the case and used compressed air to clean it out. She did not use the machine as much as usual last night, but the problem does appear gone now.
Glad you made sure your system was dust free etc…
Then it was probably some wierd temporary glitch… these things happen… gremlins.