Is there a utility that enables you to save a file before an Office
application (Word) crashes? These days I find that after editing a
long document and spell checking it, Word crashes. I need an
application that will enable me to save changes made to the document
before the application shuts down.
Thanks for any tips.
GR
To stabilize Windows in most cases, do the following:
2.1 First back up all important data, and preferably back up your whole
pc.
2.2 If the problem you are having is limited to an application program,
try re-installing that program. Applications are programs you actually
use to do work, communicate, or for entertainment.
2.3 This next step is not available in Windows 95, because Windows 95
does not have the Microsoft msconfig utility; but Windows 95 users
should read this step, and try to accomplish the same thing using the
"Add/Remove Programs" feature described in step 2.4 below.
For Windows 98 users, click the Start Button, select Run, and type into
the box the command:
msconfig
then click on OK
A dialog will pop up that has several tabs at the top. First click on
the Create Backup button in the lower left corner of the dialog window.
After the backup is created, click on the Startup tab in the upper-right
corner of the window. Then you should see a scrollable list of programs
with check boxes next to them. Each program with a check mark starts
every time you start Windows, and one or more of them may be causing
your problem. Uncheck any non-Microsoft utility software that you
suspect may be causing problems, such as large suites of utilities,
crash guards, uninstallers, tune-up programs, speed-up programs, screen
savers, memory utilization improvers, anti-virus software, etc.,
especially programs that you no longer need or use. You can return to
this msconfig dialog later and re-check any programs that you want to.
Some common Microsoft programs that you may see on that list, that you
do not need to uncheck, include ScanRegistry, TaskMonitor, SystemTray
and LoadPowerProfile. But even some Microsoft programs, like
SchedulingAgent, and Microsoft Office Startup, can be unchecked for many
users, unless you use them. Other things, like the drivers for your
optical scanner, cd-writer, or other installed hardware, should usually
be left alone. Applications like juke boxes, and other things that do
not really need to run all the time, can also be unchecked; start them
only when you need them, using their regular program icons (for example
the icons on your Windows Desktop or on your Windows Start button,
Programs menus.
After you make changes to the list, click the Apply button, then the OK
button, and Windows should restart your pc without loading the
potentially trouble-causing program(s) . Use your pc for a while to see
if it is stabilized. In many cases, this will have stabilized Windows.
2.4 For many non-Microsoft utility programs, it is best to use the
"Add/Remove Programs" feature in Windows' Control Panel to uninstall
them, such as programs like suites of utilities, crash guards,
uninstallers, tune-up programs, speed-up programs, screen savers, memory
utilization improvers, anti-virus software, etc.
To do this, click the My Computer icon, then open the Windows Control
Panel, then click the Add/Remove Programs icon. One by one, remove
non-Microsoft utility programs that you suspect of causing problems. You
normally do not need to uninstall application programs. You can
re-install any programs later if you need to.
Restart your pc. Use your pc for a while to see if it is stabilized.
In many cases, this will have stabilized Windows.
2.5 If your pc is then stabilized, install WinFix to keep it stable. If
WinFix is already installed, re-save your Windows setups using the
"WinFix - Save Windows Setup" icon. If it is still not stable, proceed
to the next step.
2.6 Reinstall Windows over the existing Windows installation, to refresh
your existing installation. We are NOT talking about those CDs that
come with some PCs, that wipe out all recent work on your pc, and
restore or take your whole computer system back to its original state.
We are only talking about simply re-installing Windows itself, which can
usually be done only with a Windows installation CD. Check with your
computer vendor to find out if you have a Windows Install CD, and if
not, see if they will provide one for you. Simply re-installing Windows
usually will respect or honor, and not cause data loss from, your
existing installed applications, but to be safe, first do a system-wide
backup anyway.
To re-install Windows:
a. Put in your Windows Startup Disk, power off 5 seconds then power on,
then choose to start your pc "With CD-ROM Support" (If you don't have a
Windows Startup Diskette, you can make one by going to Control Panel,
Add/Remove Programs, then clicking on the Startup Disk tab at the top of
the window.)
b. Run the Windows setup program. For example, if your CD drive is
drive d: then on the command line, type in d:\setup then hit enter
(substitute the letter of your CD drive if it is not d
. As the
Windows installer proceeds, accept all the defaults that Windows
suggests.
c. If you see any dialogs asking you if you want to keep your existing
files, because they are newer than ones the CD is trying to install, say
Yes, to keep your existing files.
d. After re-installing Windows, go to the Windows Update Website. Go to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and choose Product Updates, then take
the Critical Updates, plus any non-critical updates that you really
want.
Note: We are no longer recommending Microsoft RegClean, because we
suspect that there are bugs in it, plus it only makes tiny reductions to
the size and complexity of the Windows registry anyway. If you
installed RegClean for WinFix to use it, the new WinFix will simply
ignore RegClean, and not use it.
3. Use a major brand, current model PC, for example Compaq, Dell,
Gateway, IBM and HP, because they are so thoroughly tested.
4. Do regular, system-wide backups, using top brand hardware and
software, for example HP, Sony, Onstream and Seagate. You should always
have at least one, and preferably two or more, full backups, spaced for
example a week apart, plus enhancement with WinFix.
Note: Seagate backup hardware is excellent, but we think that their
older backup software has bugs that can destabilize Windows; so for
safety we recommend rebooting immediately after each time you use their
1996 through 2000 software, including the version of Seagate's software
that is built into Win98. The newer 2001 versions of this Backup Exec,
now owned by Veritas, do not have this problem.
5. Use an uninterruptible power supply, for example APC brand; the
larger the battery, the better. Power sags, spikes, and blackouts cause
much more trouble than most people realize.
6. Avoid ISA-type plug-in cards whenever possible. PCI cards, AGP
cards, and USB peripherals, all have much lower potential to destabilize
Windows.
7. Install all the Critical Updates from Microsoft's new Windows Update
Website, at windowsupdate.microsoft.com
8. Only if you open email attachments without knowing in advance both
the sender and the exact contents of the attachments, or if you download
software from sources you cannot completely trust, then you should use a
good anti-virus program, for example IBM's.
Also, consider using the following approach. Turn off the
always-running part of the anti-virus software, which until Microsoft
definitively addresses this problem, often has some potential to
destabilize Windows. But keep turned on, the part that runs only at
boot-up time. It checks and cleans viruses, but then finishes and goes
away until the next boot up. Turn on the always-running protection
feature only at those times when you are doing things that can be risky,
such as opening email attachments, or trying out new software from
non-major brand companies.
In the case of McAfee anti-virus, we have had several cases where it was
necessary to entirely uninstall the anti-virus software, not just
temporarily disable virus protection.
9. Don't run beta versions of software on your main PC.
10. Don't install software that you don't really need.
11. Use the latest version of Windows 98, or use Windows ME.
12. For programs that you know cause even small problems, but which you
need to use, run them by themselves if possible, and reboot after you
use them.
13. Save your work frequently.
14. Save your work and restart your system at the first sign of any
unusual behavior.
15. If you are having unexplained system-hangs or other problems, and
your PC is using Power Management settings set in Windows Control Panel,
make a note of what those settings are, then try temporarily disabling
power management by setting the "Power Scheme" to "Always On", and the
"Turn off monitor" and "Turn off hard disks" settings to "Never". See
if this cures your problem. If that works, and your system stops
hanging, then you could try adding back the old settings you had, one at
a time, to see what was causing the problem.
