Word for Mac 2011 keeps crashing every time I work with a document, relatively large (50Mb), on MacBook Pro. When I work at the same document, in iMac, there is no problem. What could it be?

I just discovered something weird. File com.microsoft.Word.plist is continuously being recreated in the user's /Library/Preferences. Even clicking on another document or switching to Word creates a new instance of the file, and the old version gets deleted. It's not a write update, but a deletion and creation of a new file. (This is easy to confirm by highlighting the file in the Finder—the highlight goes away and a new time stamp is shown. Other applications also do this, but not constantly like Word.)

In addition, if the .plist file is already open in Word, this produces an "out of memory" error (?).

This could be happening

TM runs and attempts to backup that .plist file (it's sure to be a new version) but since you are working and clicking, Word is trying to delete it and create a new one. That's a potential source of conflict.

Something similar happens with .tmp files. When you save a file, a .tmp file is created to reflect the current contents of the file, then the saved version of the file is deleted and the .tmp is renamed. In your case, this renaming does not happen and you are left with the .tmp file. (See Description of how Word creates temporary files.) Why is this not happening? Perhaps because Word cannot access the .plist it so repeatedly creates?

The paths are HD_NAME/System, HD_NAME/Applications and HD_NAME/Users/YOUR_NAME/Library (also called ~/Library), but I would start smaller, with just HD_NAME/Users/YOUR_NAME/Library/Preferences (a.k.a. ~/Library/Preferences). Maybe excluding your Preferences folder is all you need. I don't know if TM lets you specify individual files, but if so then start by excluding the .plist file named at the top.

Hi Daniel,

AM report:

3/2/2012 11:26 I started with the Control doc:

• Last TMBU @ 10:49am, Next TMBU @ 11:47am.
• Test save of Control doc@ 11:30am required renaming and location – attempt to rename resulted in the "Cannot save – Read only". Saved to the desktop, attempted to move to original Control doc folder and open. Message: “Word failed reading … then a progress box titled “converting” – spinning disk for 5 minutes, then “Cannot open.. "
• Repeat several times same result. Word not responding – Force quit. Message: “You have Forced Word to quit – Report” “You quit Word because of a problem – OK”.
• Restart Word after Force Quit – Test docappears with complete notes (no lost data) – able to save the doc successfully to the correct folder.  Retry to open the Control doc(desktop) and can successfully open and doc is complete with latest notes (no lost data) and able to save to the correct folder.
• Note: no TMBU has yet occurred since the last save - I then checked the Preferences for "Always create a back-up copy" (Control doc) and not checked - checked and attempted to save doc - Message "read only..." rename and attempt to re-save to original doc folder - unsuccessful - rename doc and attempt to save to desktop - Message: "Cannot save while in use by...." rename and save to the desktop, then drag doc to original folder.

Note that the Test doc has not yet failed since excluding the two files from TMBU (Original doc folder and AutoRecovery) and I'll start by excluding the preference file per your recommendation.

Respectfully, John

Daniel,

Excluded from TMBU preference file: Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences

Respectfully,

John

Daniel,

3/3/2012 report:

3/2/2012, 3:29pm: Latest TMBU 2:48pm.  Attempt to save control doc (after preference file excluded but not saved) unsuccessful – “This file is read only. To save a copy…” Unable to save to original folder, unable to save to desktop (2X), Can save Control doc to a new folder and drag to original folder. Immediate attempt to save again results in same routine: “Unable to save….” “This file is Read-Only…” Can’t save to original folder, Desktop, latest folder, must create a new folder to successfully save doc.

Latest TMBU 3:49. Attempt to save test doc successful.

3/3/2012: 10:07am.  Latest TMBU 9:47am (preference folder excluded). Attempt to save control doc failed, message: “There is an unrecoverable disk error on file. The disk you’re working on has a media problem…” OK.  Spinning disk icon, HD at full speed, Word locked up – Force quit: “you have forced Word to quit” Report. “You quit Word because of a problem” OK. Restart Word, Control doc resurfaces as a read-only doc, latest data lost. Can’t save to original folder, save to desktop and drag to original folder.

Attempt to save test doc unsuccessful due to Word hang and forced shutdown.

Next I'll exclude the folder /Library per your recommendation.

Respectfully,

John

Daniel,

Excluded from TMBU Library folder: Macintosh HD/Library

Respectfully,

John