In the last decade, people have become completely dependent on computers. Before that, communication was mainly pen-and-paper and over the phone. Typed communications were a big deal; they required a professional. Today, anyone has access to even more advanced communication tools and can create professional presentations using Microsoft Office software like Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Nearly every computer is composed of hardware with a Microsoft operating system and a Microsoft Office Suite interface doing the grunt work.
Unfortunately, no one is infallible, not even the programmers over in the Microsoft Office think tank. It’s important to approach Microsoft Office errors with patience, and try to focus on the problem instead of the symptoms. So what is really occurring when these popular Microsoft Office programs go wrong?
One of the biggest issues with the Microsoft Office suite is the amount of processor power required to run each program. It’s considered a “heavy” program, and this can cause issues when the program is opened. Sometimes it may not open at all, making it necessary to restart the computer. The more programs a user are tries to run at once, especially when attempting to run multiple programs from the Microsoft Office suite, the more problems they encounter. These may include slow opening, internal freezing, and even external freezing to the point where an understandably frustrated Microsoft Office user will have to restart their computer.
Another common error is the, “Unable to open file.” Usually this signifies that the file is damaged or corrupt, but it also can occur if the user is attempting to open a file which is not supported by a program from the Microsoft Office suite. Try converting the file to a .txt, find another copy, or verify that the appropriate Microsoft Office program is checking under the correct filename and directory path. If the user tried to open the file directly from a hyperlink off the internet, try to right click and save to the hard drive and then open directly from the relevant Microsoft Office program.
Perhaps the most irritating error is when a user tries to load or save a document, the Microsoft Office program locks up, and they receive the message, “If problem persists, contact the program vendor.” Messages within the Microsoft Office suite like this are called invalid page fault (IPF) errors. They essentially force the user to close down the Microsoft Office program, and may be resolved by updates. However, the only way to prevent loss of data is to set your Auto Recover to a short time (even as short as 1 minutes), or constantly save if you are using an earlier version of Microsoft Office.
Whenever a user encounters a problem with Microsoft Office, it’s very frustrating because society has become so dependent on this suite of programs. Many solutions can be found on the Microsoft Office website, or on dedicated forums where professionals not associated with Microsoft Office post their knowledge to help others. It can be helpful to simply Google the Microsoft Office problem; often even the most complex solution is already out there with a little digging. Otherwise, users with problems can easily visit the Microsoft Office support forums that appear the most knowledgeable and post their questions.
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