If reinstalling Office doesn't help, I can't see that upgrading would, either. The fact that you're having extensive problems really does suggest there is a stability issue with your OS X setup or the Office installation itself. Until you resolve those issues, whatever you work on is at risk. Changing applications at this stage is rather like changing horses in the middle of a river ...

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]