Do temp file issues cause lockup in Word 2007?

[George T]

I have 20-some identical new high end Dells running Office 2007 on Windows XP
over a Novell network.

I have a set of four users who share a lot of files with each other crashing
continuously while in Word.

I have been down the full diagnostic garden path for weeks. There is no
add-in, printer blah blah issue. Redone the normal template blah blah. No
event viewer info.. These machines differ not at all in config from all the
others that do not crash.

All I can figure is that the fact that two of the troubled users routinely
keep 6-12 word docs open at all times must somehow be creating a temp file
problem. Maybe something in the copy cache, maybe some file rights issue...
I would appreciate any guidance on this because I have tried everything else
for a long time and I have about two weeks more before I have to do an
office-wide rollback due to general consumer dissatisfaction.

I have never had an app problem as persistent and amorphous as this in 20
years. I would like to solve it but if the only solution is to roll
Microsoft out of the Office, I am no longer averse to that.

 

[rick m]

I have 20-some identical new high end Dells running Office 2007 on WindowsXP
over a Novell network.

I have a set of four users who share a lot of files with each other crashing
continuously while in Word.

I have been down the full diagnostic garden path for weeks.  There is no
add-in, printer blah blah issue.  Redone the normal template blah blah. No
event viewer info.. These machines differ not at all in config from all the
others that do not crash.

All I can figure is that the fact that two of the troubled users routinely
keep 6-12 word docs open at all times must somehow be creating a temp file
problem.  Maybe something in the copy cache, maybe some file rights issue...  
I would appreciate any guidance on this because I have tried everything else
for a long time and I have about two weeks more before I have to do an
office-wide rollback due to general consumer dissatisfaction.  

I have never had an app problem as persistent and amorphous as this in 20
years.  I would like to solve it but if the only solution is to roll
Microsoft out of the Office, I am no longer averse to that.

I've been having the exact same problem with Office 2003. Mostly Word,
sometimes Excel. Temp files aren't being deleted. I've reimaged the
machines and the problem still happens. Went through the links that
Terry posted, we're still having crash problems. Removed Office,
rebooted, reinstalled with NO service packs - it's still hanging up.

I called Novell (I have a contract with them) and the rights/
permissions were all ok. Drivers on the server were ok, NO patches
have been applied to the server in question since December. Mid
March? Boom, all heck has been breaking loose.

 

[Terry Farrell]

The most likely problem in this scenario is the printer driver. As a test,
try connecting a printer locally and install a local printer driver set as
the Windows Default. Word has to see a compatible locally installed printer
driver to work correctly. As you seem to have removed all the other
possibilities such as normal.dot or add-ins, it doesn't leave much else.

The abandoned temp files are caused by Word crashing. Temp files are only
killed when Word closes correctly and some temp files (usually those created
by the Office clipboard during cut and paste operation) may not be removed
until all Office applications have closed. (Note that because Outlook or
Word may stay memory resident, this may not occur until the computer is shut
down.)

Terry

I have 20-some identical new high end Dells running Office 2007 on Windows
XP
over a Novell network.

I have a set of four users who share a lot of files with each other
crashing
continuously while in Word.

I have been down the full diagnostic garden path for weeks. There is no
add-in, printer blah blah issue. Redone the normal template blah blah. No
event viewer info.. These machines differ not at all in config from all
the
others that do not crash.

All I can figure is that the fact that two of the troubled users routinely
keep 6-12 word docs open at all times must somehow be creating a temp file
problem. Maybe something in the copy cache, maybe some file rights
issue...
I would appreciate any guidance on this because I have tried everything
else
for a long time and I have about two weeks more before I have to do an
office-wide rollback due to general consumer dissatisfaction.

I have never had an app problem as persistent and amorphous as this in 20
years. I would like to solve it but if the only solution is to roll
Microsoft out of the Office, I am no longer averse to that.

I've been having the exact same problem with Office 2003. Mostly Word,
sometimes Excel. Temp files aren't being deleted. I've reimaged the
machines and the problem still happens. Went through the links that
Terry posted, we're still having crash problems. Removed Office,
rebooted, reinstalled with NO service packs - it's still hanging up.

I called Novell (I have a contract with them) and the rights/
permissions were all ok. Drivers on the server were ok, NO patches
have been applied to the server in question since December. Mid
March? Boom, all heck has been breaking loose.

 

[rick m]

Terry:

Ahh...question. When you install Office if seems to create a default
printer that might or might not be a network printer, am I right, like
a "print to file" object? Would deleting that cause this?

I'll be back in this office Wednesday, I'll try below out. Is it ok to
setup a local printer and not actually have one there? I don't have
any local printers in this building I can use....one person has a CLJ
4700 and I'm not lugging that tank around the building unless I have
to.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Absolutely. It is the printer driver that Word needs to see. So just install
any suitable driver such as most from the Windows installation disk like the
HP LaserJet 4 driver (old but reliable). That will suffice as a test to see
if it is printer driver that is the source of your woes.

Terry

Terry:

Ahh...question. When you install Office if seems to create a default
printer that might or might not be a network printer, am I right, like
a "print to file" object? Would deleting that cause this?

I'll be back in this office Wednesday, I'll try below out. Is it ok to
setup a local printer and not actually have one there? I don't have
any local printers in this building I can use....one person has a CLJ
4700 and I'm not lugging that tank around the building unless I have
to.