Saving problems with document in docx format

[swetom1952]

Within a project we have established a standard template including the required styles. So far we have written some 30 documents without problem using this template. The sizes of the documents vary from some 50 pages up to 500 pages (size range 1MB to 30 MB).

A few days ago, I suddenly got problem saving one of the documents. Every time I try to save, Word does something and after a while the "Save as" window pops up with the original file name. It doesn't matter if I select the original file name (BC-ASD-DD-00003_Avionics_Design_definition.docx) again or select another one, e.g. trash.docx, word is "turning the handle" and after a while the save as window pops up again with the original file name.

So far, the only way I've found is to save the document as BC-ASD-DD-00003_Avionics_Design_definition.doc. When this document is opened, it comes up in compatibility mode. The save problem is not localised to my computer; our IT service has tried it on a number of computers with the same effect.

I've also tried to copy the content of the document and paste it into a "virgin" template. This doesn't help either.

Does anybody have an idea what can have caused this peculiar behaviour and maybe also have a solution for it.

Tommy

[macropod]

Hi Tommy,

Your problem description suggests the document has become corrupted. Corrupt documents can often be 'repaired' by inserting a new, empty, paragraph at the very end, copying everything except that new paragraph (note that this is different to what you've already tried) to a new document based on the same template, closing the old document and saving the new one over it.

[swetom1952]

Hi Paul.

I've tried your suggestion without success. For the time being, we have to stick to the doc-format. Any other good suggestions would. of course be welcome, but as the time until publication (the week before Christmas) is getting short we need to go on. We have to publish a complete user manual for a satellite by then. We are still in the test phase, but it is likely we move to a content management system (CMS) for this type of document / document collection next year and then the problem will be "history".

Tommy

[macropod]

Another possibility, in terms of corruption, is a corrupt table. The previous method I posted won't work for that.

Corrupt tables can often be 'repaired' by converting the tables to text and back again or by saving the document in RTF format, closing the document then re-opening it and re-saving in the doc(x) format.