Word problem

[marc_chagall]

When I write in French using Word (2002), I sometimes get this odd effect where the document looks fine unti I print it, whereupon some of the letters start overlapping and the effect is somewhat garbled. When I look back at the computer, I see the document is indeed showing overlapping letters, where before it wasn't. There seems to be no way to reverse the process. 'Clear formatting' doesn't do anything. Running it through a clean up programme to get rid of the html does nothing either.

The only solution I've found is to copy and paste into Open Office Writer, where it looks fine, prints fine, and has no problems. But people don't necessarily have Open Office, so whilst it's okay for my own purposes, it's no good for sending stuff out.

Anyone have any ideas why this is happening or what I can do about it?

[Pharosian]

Does changing the font help?

[leatherdykeuk]

I use Open Office and save documents in Word 6 (.doc) format by default. Wouldn't that solve your problem?

[marc_chagall]

Changing the font to courier worked. Printed fine. Changed back to Times New Roman, back to being garbled.

Saving the Open Office file as a Word 6 file in Times New Roman worked. Printed fine.

So both those fixes worked (thank you ladies!) but I still haven't a clue why the original file didn't.

[LashSlash]

i also use open office -- have no probs with forrin languages --- but have never written in french --- [what does the comp care what language you use if its the same keyboard?? -- i have 2 letrters on each key - hebrew and english and my open office works fine in both  --- even though i start from different sides of the page]  ........ your problem is a mystery to me --- good-luck solving it!
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[Ed]

It's all to do with the normal.dot template being corrupted, I expect. Do a google search on 'corrupt normal.dot' and you'll find loads of articles. The advice used to be to delete or rename it, but if you do you will lose anything you have set up on the template. For me that's not a problem, so I just do it and the next time word starts up, it starts a fresh normal.dot, and the problem is solved.

What it's down to is, each time you change anything on the normal template (could happen when you open somebody else's file and work on it) the normal template gets changed. Keep doing that, and it ends up as a massive file with a bunch of errors on it. If you delete or rename it, Word automatically creates a new blank one.

See instructions here -- http://www.officearticles.com/word/about_normal_dot_in_microsoft_word.htm

[marc_chagall]

Thanks Ed. I'll attempt to do that when I can find it. (The instructions unfortunately didn't help me locate the pesky blighter.). If all else fails, I'll do a detect and repair, or even re-install. Doesn't take long to do, and I've done it before.

... found it and got rid of it. Will see next time I attempt to write in French if it misbehaves again. Not trying now. Off to bed.

[Ed]

Just go Start>Search>All Files and Folders then enter the name of the file. If that doesn't work, refine the search and check that you've selected to search hidden files as well. Mine is located at C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

Good luck

[marc_chagall]

Thanks Ed. Found it eventually last night, down a similar path to yours.