Word 2003 'hourglass' Cursor ?

Problem...

1. When open an existing doc file with Word 2003 (and all created with Word 2003) the cursor has changed to an 'hourglass' (HG) and selections/clicks are slow.
2. When open 'new doc' from Start menu, there is no HG and clicks/selections are ok.
3. When open existing doc while 'new doc' is still open get HG and when go back to the 'new doc' window it has the HG.
4. Other Office 2003 applications seem ok, although the Excel cursor has changed from 'arrow' to 'plus-sign' cursor and clicks are also slow, but the Outlook 'cursor'/'finger' is still the normal and not slow.
5. No problem with HG in 'Safe Mode'.
6. Open the existing doc with MAC OpenOffice and get auto message 'This document contain macros... Execution of macros disabled...', and no HG.

Fixes tried (but not helped)...

1. Have 'Repaired' Office 2003 with original installation cd.
2. Have run 'Detect and Repair'.
3. Have tried opening different size existing Word files, all have HG.
4. Something 'busy'? Took a look at 'Task Manager' and 'Processes' and 'Performance' just flipping around. No odd 'Applications'.
5. No new program installations before or after HG.
6. Tried disable and enable macros in Word 2003 and still get HG.
*7. Ran updated 'Malwarebytes' (Custom Scan of all C:\ files in safe mode, 475,000 'objects') and nothing was found. Then after restarted PC, started a new Word doc from Start menu and it seemed to be ok with no HG. But, when clicked on 'Print Preview', the HG came back. Something to do with printer ?

How to get back to 'normal' cursor/s in both Word 2003 (and if possible in Excel 2003) ?

Thoughts ?

* The closest thing to a 'clue' that we have seen so far.

 

Ps:
8. Also ran C:/Properties/ScanNow.

 

'reply' mistake, anyway to delete ?

 

Ps2:
9. Also ran CommandPrompt... sfc/scannow and no help.

 

Did you put a space between sfc and the forward slash?

 

Good question, thanks !
Think we did use the sfc /scannow space (forgot to show it in the post), seemed to start running, but just for the sake of the old grey cells, we ran it again with the space.
But, nothing changed with the Word 2003 HG cursor.

 

Yes, macros will slow down Office dramatically. A little puzzling why it's happening with your .doc files. If your documents contain media such as flash content or audio content, that can slow down Office too.

I am using Office 2007 on a couple of PCs, and it behaves uncivilly sometimes. Sometimes I think that a-vs can cause this type of issue. What a-v are you using? I know Avast can be set to scan all files, and the Avast scanner is heavy when it is running. With certain settings the scanner will run through an entire video until the video stops.

One other thing. You might try closing programs running in the system tray to see if there is a conflict with Office and one of them. I have seen this numerous times. Based on what I have experienced, I think there is a pretty good chance something running (visible in Task Manger) is the cause.

 

Thanks to all for the replies and info.
It seems, after some time, the problems seems to be related to the 'printer' with Word and Excel.

Browsing info lately re an Excel 'flickering' and 'slowness' problem seemed to connect with the Word 'hourglass' problem... ie the 'printer' (with also an attached screen-shot of a related Word popup earlier).

An interesting info site (even though we are using Office 2003) was...
https://social.technet.microsoft.co...-screen-flickerrefresh-constantly?forum=excel

Not sure what kind of a workaround solution this is, but...
1. Went to 'Devices and Printers' and changed default printer to Adobe PDF
2. Word & Excel back to ok
3. Changed default printer back to Canon and Word again ok
4. Changed a default printer setting to 'Print Preview'
5. Word problem back
6. went to 'Devices and Printers' and changed default printer back to Adobe PDF
7. all, a week or so later, ok again with Adobe as default printer... just select Canon etc as 'printer' choice when printer options pop up

Thoughts on another (given the above) more 'practical' way to solve ?
Thanks again.

 

Have you installed Service Pack 3 for MS Office 2003?

 

Thanks, good question.
Yes, we did 're-install' the 'Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 3 (SP3)' soon after we did some Office 2003 'repair' work (to see if that might solve the problem) from the install CD as noted in the May 18 initial post above.
And Word & Excel 2003 are still working fine with Adobe as the 'default printer'... will try changing the default printer back sometime in the near future and see how/if it goes.

 

This is not Service Pack 3 for MS Office 2003.
It's the 'file format converters' for MS Office 2000, 2002 & 2003 that allows to open, edit & save to, the newer formats introduced with MS Office 2007.

Here's Service Pack 3 for MS Office 2003.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dow...rue&e6b34bbe-475b-1abd-2c51-b5034bcdd6d2=True

 

Thanks for the info !
We did also downloaded and installed Office2003SP3-KB923618-FullFile-ENU.exe prior to the original post.
How do we find that it is actually installed ?

 

From what I can see the need for a space after sfc seems to have been removed in 7 and later.

 

That's interesting although, I always include the space just like with chkdsk.

 

That's wrong - sfc /scannow wont work without the space in any OS from Vista to 10:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-sg...er-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system
This image shows what happens if you don't use the space:

 

Here in 8.1 it loaded and is running as stated - no space- is up to 22% now while I made the screenshot and posted




Note : This was done from an administrative command prompt.

.

 

And that may explain things. I use an elevated Command Prompt instead of PowerShell as well.

 

Maybe Microsoft have made a SNAFU in their official current guides to using SFC
In all three OSs they say clearly and (reiterate it) to leave a space between sfc and /scannow

Win 7
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/search?query=System File Checker in Windows 7

Win 8.1
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/search?query=System File Checker in Windows 8.1

Win 10
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...a40be/using-system-file-checker-in-windows-10

 

I did test it before posting. Some reason you didn't?

 

Read post #16. I tested it on the lappy I was using - Win 10 and included a screenshot.
Powershell replaced command prompt in the windows icon context menu in Win 10, and without the space it doesn't work.
Either way MS says leave a space even when using a conventional command prompt, so that's the correct advice currently until or if MS changes that advice to users on their official support site guides.
It is MS saying leave a space - not me, or you.
Is that an MS snafu?
Who knows.

 

The link in #19 above for 8.1 leads me to a generic search page which has at the top of the results this link -

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...er-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system

-and on this page is a section for 8.1 and also a section drop down shown as '10' but in '10' it says works for vista 7 and 8 also.
Anyhow all it shows it screenshots. It never addresses hot to type the command.

But in all cases it starts by ' opening an elevated command prompt ' and gives directions on how to do so.
I didn't follow the other 2 leads as I saw this one covered everything except xp and under.

 

When I click on it it - which is a link to SFC in 8.1 specifically - describes how to use SFC in 8.1 and says THIS:

Pretty clear to me. I'm not going to tell anyone who needs help any different until MS changes the advice. I'm not going to tell users 'Microsoft says leave a space but I don't think you should'. I run SFC 100s of times in a year with people I help. I'm not changing the way I do it or advise how to do it, because of the comments here
You can do whatever you like. And you or anyone else can contact MS and tell them they are wrong, and if they say 'yes we've been wrong all the time' they may well make you MVPSs

 

Well, for my first statement here's what is links to -

 

I don't really care. I'm not changing they way I run SFC or advise people about it.

 

And on the rest of my comments here is the main gist ---
---Quote --- Copied---
At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
sfc /scannow
https://msegceporticoprodassets.blob.core.windows.net/asset-blobs/4016698_en_1

---end quote---end copy---

 

Yes. Your screenshot has a space between sfc and /scannow. That's as clear as the nose on a face.

 

And will you advise to use cmd or ps?

 

I suggest you read my post above again which answers your superfluous question.

 

Enter sfc /scannow (note the space between "sfc" and "/")."

That's not on the page

 

Did you add your own words between the ( ) 's. That would be mis-leading!

 

Here is the United States MS page on SFC in 8.1
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/search?query=System File checker in Winbdows 8.1 Windows

Now read it.
The screenshot is of MICROSOFT's words about the space in that USA link.

 

Still just a search query here -

Search all of Microsoft
Search results for "System File checker in Winbdows 8.1 Windows." Found 97 results.

System file check (SFC) Scan and Repair System Files ...
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-update/...
System file check (SFC) Scan and Repair System Files ... If you have modified your systemfiles (including Windows ... System file check (SFC) Scan & repair System ...

And I select the first one shown. Nothing different from what I stated and shown.

The terms "search" and "query" are in your link so I suppose it will always show a search result. Give the page proper link.

 

Good luck managing a simple search on MS Support for 'SFC in Windows 8.1'.

 

Follow the link I posted. Where does it go and what is seen there?

 

This is what's wrong, though I won't hold my breath waiting for you to admit it. Almost everyone using Vista, 7 or 8.1 is using command prompt, and it does work without a space in those OSs, even in Vista. It also works in 10 when using command prompt. It's only when using Powershell that it does not work. It's just a little thing worth knowing when answering posts about sfc and certainly doesn't mean changing advice.

 

Max can advise however he wishes but, I just ran sfc in Win 7, 8.1 AND 10 WITHOUT the space in an elevated Command Prompt (not PowerShell) and it worked (see attd.).





I did not replace Command Prompt with PowerShell in Windows 10.

I've said it before and I'll say it again — Microsoft is neither God nor Gospel.