1. Microsoft Word 2013 Slow To Open

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Microsoft Word 2013 Slow To Open

Word is slow to open or close. Last updated on January 14th, 2019. One common problem faced on many computers is the slow launching or termination of MS Word. This problem is usually due to a corrupted or problematic 'Normal.dot' template. Oct 10, 2017  The issue was that these users would try to open Microsoft Excel, or Word either just the program or try to open a file that uses the program, the program would take 30 seconds to load, which is unacceptable, after that it may or may not have opened the file.

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Microsoft’s Word program enables complex documents that can eventually load too slowly. Too many images, very long documents and storage problems can result in the slow loading of files, for example. You can help mitigate problems with slow loading by taking steps to manage file sizes and hard drive efficiency.

Break Apart Files

Massive documents of 100 pages or more, even if they include only text, can take many resources to initially open, and even more resource to work within. If your document is large, consider cutting and pasting individual sections, such as chapters, into separate Word documents. You can later use Microsoft’s outline view to merge these documents back into a single, cohesive master document.

Reduce Graphics

Word includes the ability to integrate and manipulate graphics, but these files can rapidly increase the size of a document. This is especially problematic when integrating a large image file and dragging the handles around it to resize it within the document. Though this process shrinks the printable size of the graphic, it still retains its full resolution when saved. When possible, integrate smaller graphics files sizes or eliminate them entirely until the final stages of production. If neither of these options is possible, you can also use the Word’s built-in picture compression option.

Resolve Storage Issues

If the load time is still long, the problem may lie with how the file is physically stored on your hard drive. If your hard drive is particularly full, the file may be fragmented into smaller pieces physically located in different parts of the hard drive. Accessing these different pieces then takes longer to accomplish. One quick way to mitigate this issue is to re-save the document under a different name and work with the new document. You can also use the defragmentation tools found within Windows to optimize all files on the hard drive. Performing a hard drive defragmentation, however, may take longer than re-saving.

Formatting Solutions

Microsoft Word uses a number of resources to affect the formatting of a document, such as when a letter is converted to art when using the drop-cap function. In a document, it’s often difficult to know that these resources are being used. This can occur particularly when content from a non-Word source, such as a Web page, is copied into a Word document. If your document is comprised entirely of text, consider re-saving the document as a plain text file. The plain text file eliminates the proprietary features of Microsoft Word, possibly speeding up file access. You can then add formatting changes to the file later, saving it with a .doc or .docx extension.

About the Author

Jacob Andrew previously worked as an A+ and CCNA-certified technology specialist. After receiving his BA in journalism from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2012, he turned his focus towards writing about travel, politics and current technology.

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Hi

Hoping someone has experienced this issue or logged it as a bug.

I have 2 customers who are running XenDesktop 7.1 for published apps on Server 2008 R2. they have Office 2007 installed. When launching Word, Excel and powerpoint from the apps then run fast, when launched through a file it takes around 10-15 secs to open the app. If I RDP to the server all scenarios run fast (under 3 secs).

It suggests that something in the ICA client is slowing the app opening. I have tried installing Office 2010, which fixes the problem for all, but Excel. I have disabled file validation and also tried a fresh server with nothing but Office on and the problem persists.

The customer did upgrade their DC around this time, could this be a contributing factor, but the fact that 2 customers are seeing this makes me wonder.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks Paul