Mircosoft Word

When Word freezes while saving, it is usually caused by low disk space, paging file growth, or slow/unavailable drives (especially network or removable drives). Use these steps:

1. Free disk space and memory
   • Close other programs that are open, wait a few minutes, then try saving again. This lets Windows adjust the paging file and can free space.
   • Run Disk Cleanup to remove unnecessary files:
     1. Select Start → Programs (or All Programs in Windows XP) → Accessories → System Tools → Disk Cleanup.
     2. In Select Drive, choose the drive where Word is installed or where you are saving (for example, C:), then select OK.
     3. On the Disk Cleanup tab, select the file types to remove.
     4. Select OK and let it complete.
2. Check where the file is being saved
   • If saving to a floppy disk or very small/removable media, make sure it has free space or save to a local hard drive instead.
   • If saving to a network drive, try saving to the local Documents folder to see if the freezing stops.
3. Disconnect problematic network or removable drives Word checks all locations in the Save in / Look in lists. Offline or slow drives can cause it to hang.
   • Right-click My Computer and select Disconnect Network Drive.
   • In Disconnect Network Drive, select any drive letters that point to:
     • Nonexistent or offline network shares
     • Very slow or down-level servers
     • WAN connections that are timing out
   • Select OK and repeat until all offline/problematic drives are disconnected.
   • For any drive you are unsure about, either:
     • Use Start → Run, type \\computer name\\share name, and press Enter. If you see “The network name cannot be found,” that drive is not available; or
     • Try opening the drive in Windows Explorer. If it fails, disconnect it.
4. Avoid persistent mapped drives that go offline
   • When mapping network drives, clear Reconnect at logon so they are not automatically reconnected if the server is unavailable.
   • If using logon scripts, configure them to map drives as non-persistent so unavailable servers do not leave broken mappings that slow Office.
5. If the issue persists only in Word when saving
   • Ensure there is enough free disk space or consider adding more disk capacity or using disk compression.
   • Temporarily disable antivirus software and test saving again. If disabling antivirus resolves the freezing, contact the antivirus vendor for an update or workaround.

If Word still freezes after these steps, test saving a simple new document to a local folder with all network and removable drives disconnected. If that works, reconnect drives one by one to identify which location is causing the problem.

References:

• You receive an error message or the program stops responding when you save a document in Word
• Microsoft Office stops responding when you try to open or save a file