MS Office Word 2007 multiple problems after update

[perelandra]

Please, please someone help me!

On Tuesday, 11/13/07, I was deeply engrossed in a paper I was editing—everything was going well and I was really appreciating Word 2007—when all of a sudden my system started shutting down.  Long story short:  apparently MS Automatic Update decided to reboot my computer.  If there was any warning beforehand, I didn’t see it—like I said, I was deeply engrossed in this paper I had been working on for two hours.

When my system came back up, the paper I was working on wouldn’t reopen, nor would the automatically saved copy.  I got “file corrupted-cannot open” error messages on both until I gave up and deleted both of them thinking I would get another copy from the email I had originally received it in and start over.  Didn’t work.  When I attempted to open attached file (in email) Word would open a blank page.  Tried this several times with the same result.  Never was able to re-access that paper.
But then, things got worse:

1.    I lost the ability to highlight text or to have any other interaction within a document other than typing letters or deleting by backspacing in a new document.  If I open a previous document, I cannot access it at all.  I cannot move the cursor or really do anything else.  The mouse (either the cordless or the touchpad) has no effect within a document, although it works normally within the ribbons and menus.  After running diagnostics and repair and multiple reboots, I am now able to use these functions within a document in safe mode.

2.   Whenever I attempt to exit from Word, in whichever method, I get the message “Microsoft Office Word has stopped working, Microsoft is searching for a solution to the problem” followed by “Microsoft Office Word is restarting.”  After it restarts and I try to re-exit it goes to “Microsoft Office Word has stopped working, a problem caused the program to stop working correctly.  Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available” and it offers a “Close Program” button that works.  Not a problem in safe mode.

3.   In the course of trying to troubleshoot problem number 2, I was directed to go to Word Options, which I did and discovered that I could not access the options with either my mouse or keyboard.  I could not highlight to click on them.  In the safe mode, I was able to highlight some of them (Customize, Add-ins and Resources) with the arrow keys, but not the rest.

I sure hope someone can help me.  I have spent many hours over the past two days trying to help myself and have not been successful. 

I have opted out of Automatic Update.  From now on Windows will have to ask me before downloading or installing updates.  Too late to save myself this hassle though

HP Pavilion dv9000t laptop
Intel Core 2 CPU 2.00 Ghz
RAM:  2046
200 Gig HD
Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit
(I have the Windows Vista CD that came with the computer.  Windows was preinstalled.)
MS Office Home and Student 2007 (Trial version was preinstalled.  I have the CD that I bought separately and used the key from)
Norton Internet Security 2007
SnagIt
IE 7
Logitech SetPoint for cordless mouse

Thanks

[elxr06]

Microsoft update always create a system restore point before installing updates. So try using system restore with the system restore point that says "Install Windows Update" or something similar.

See if that fixes your problem. And I would NOT install every single update microsoft provides, as some may be updates for software you don't use. But I would install all the important updates.

[perelandra]

elxr06,

Thanks for your reply.  I did try restoring to pre-update restore points.  No change.  But please keep thinking and thank you, again.

Perelandra

[perelandra]

Update:

Day 3:

I checked this site and another I posted on to see if anyone had an answer for me.  Nothing helpful.  One person had a shared experience.  Another person made a suggestion (appreciated) that I had already tried.

Feeling somewhat despairing, I opened Word for the gazillionth time since this all started and Lo…I felt like the shoemaker the morning after the elves made all the shoes!   The cursor worked, I was able to type a word and highlight it, I went to Word Options and was able to access all the options, I was able to open the corrupted and deleted paper I had been working on, on Terrible Tuesday, which I hadn’t seen since my computer shut down under my hands that day,  (Of course, the paper was due on Tuesday so I don’t need this copy anymore.  Thanks, Microsoft.) and Word shuts down perfectly, without a hitch.  As a matter of fact, the program feels faster and more solid than before The Great Terrible Tuesday Disaster.

My Reliability and Performance Monitor lists a huge number of downloads and updates for both Tues. 11/13 and Wed. 11/14.  It also notes that WINWORD.EXE “stopped working” on both days.
I should also mention that during the course of all this, my sound button developed a red X and told me that no sound device was attached.  Apparently a driver download failed.  I had to go to the Device Manager and roll back the driver.  That didn’t affect the Word problems, though.

Thanks to anyone who read my previous post and considered my problem.

I really have no idea how the program repaired itself.  I have turned off Automatic Updates and set it so that it has to ask me before downloading or installing updates.   The program was still in the condition described in my first post when I put the computer to sleep last night.
 
I can only say that I’m very grateful that I put off messing with the registry until today.

Thanks, again all. 

[elxr06]

Well, if you do have microsoft 2007 installation disks, you can try reinstalling microsoft 2007.

[ale52]

I've developed a very useful habit over the years.  When in a document, every few minutes...I'm talking every few minutes, like within 3 or less I do the Crtl + S keyboard command.  That way if your computer restarts, locks up, whatever, you have everything saved up to the last 3 minutes of work.  Saves a awful lot of headache. 

Alan <>< 

[soybean]

Same here, Alan. I usually click on the Save button instead of using Crtl + S, but it's the same thing.  Yep, it sure saves a lot of headaches. 

[perelandra]

To soybean and ale52--

Of course I was saving. 

I realize my posts were long, but it would be a good idea to read them before commenting, or if that is too tedious, find a shorter one to comment on.

Again, saving was not the problem.  Both my saved and the auto-saved documents were corrupted...until they weren't--which was the most interesting part.

Same to you, elxr06.  Although I appreciated your attempts to help--you should read first, THEN
comment.  You suggested I re-install after I had posted to say that ALL OF THE PROBLEMS SPONTANEOUSLY REPAIRED THEMSELVES.

[soybean]

Well, if you were saving, I don't see that stated in your original post, which I did read.  When you said, "I was deeply engrossed in this paper I had been working on for two hours", that seems to indicate you had worked for two hours without saving.  I see no comments in your posts to indicate you were saving on a frequent basis.

[patio]

I'm sure that tone of suggestions in your last Post will win lots of people over to helping.

[perelandra]

Please except my most abject apologies.  I had not realized that my frustration was so out of line.

Thank you all for all your help.