Help! Corrupted Word file(?)

Subject: Help! Corrupted Word file(?)
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: techwr-l List <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, arroxaneullman -at- aol -dot- com
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:44:56 -0400

Arroxane wonders: <<MS Word 2003 got the last laugh this time. I
think the file is corrupt, but getting an insufficient memory
error... [AVG antivirus snipped]>>

There's been considerable discussion of problems with the latest AVG
on copyediting-l. Consensus seems to be that you might need to
uninstall it and download a new build to resolve these problems.

<<At this point, I'm stuck with either a) going back to the version
four days before or b) recovering text only and rebuilding the
styles, links, references, index, ToC, and so forth. Perhaps one of
you has a better idea on how to repair this doc without wasting
another week repeating what I've already done to the doc?>>

A couple possibilities, but before you do any of them, make a backup
copy of the problem file; what I'm recommending should be perfectly
safe, but if Murphy happens, you'll be glad you can try again with
the safe version of the file. Alternatively, work on a duplicate/copy
of the file.

First, try this: Open the File menu, select Open, and select the
problem file... but don't click OK by reflex. Instead, click the
teeny little cryptic triangle beside the OK button that indicates the
presence of a hidden menu. From that menu, select "Open and repair".
This wonderful little feature solves an amazing number of problems.
Word tables often become corrupted, and have to be re-entered from
scratch, so you may lose some formatting if you're forced to recover
a file in this manner (it's the corrupted table, not the recovery
process, that causes problems), but it shouldn't be a disastrous amount.

If that doesn't work, try this instead: Create a new file, then open
the Insert menu, select File, and select the problem file. That
sometimes also fixes problems.

If you think the problem might result from a graphic in the file,
open the Options dialog and turn off the display of graphics. Then
try opening the file, and if you can open it successfully, do a "save
as" under a new name. You may need to delete and reinsert graphics
until you find the problem.

<<And please, no lectures about backups or Word or whatever.>>

Sorry to hear you're providing an object lesson of the need for
backups. Sorry if that sounds snarky... I've spent a lot of time
today advising people how to recover lost files that could have been
recovered in minutes from a good backup. It gets kinda old after a
while.

----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
--------------------------------------------------
***Now available*** _Effective onscreen editing_
(http://www.geoff-hart.com/home/onscreen-book.htm)

Print version: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=1505747

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References:
Help! Corrupted Word file(?): From: arroxaneullman

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