This has happened on two different computers with Word 2010 about once a month for a year. First Word starts throwing in extra letters as you type. For example you type "hello" and word will type "heffffffffffhhhhhhhhhhhh". Then you hit the back space key to undo the error. With the error fixed you continue typing. Next you see an error and hit the delete key to fix it. Word starts to auto replete the delete key. There is nothing you can do to stop it. It will continue until the complete document is deleted one character at a time. The only solution is to use task manager to shut down word and reopen an old version of the file. This has happened to more than one file on more than one computer. I have found other people looking for a solution to the same problem on other internet forums and also here, but I've never found a solution posted. Just generic answers like maybe its a virus or check everything in the registry. I have a short video of it on YouTube called "Word auto deleting a file. Nothing will stop it". if anyone wants to see it. Any ideas for resolving this? Thanks

I looked at the stuff Stefan linked to but it had to do with problems starting Word. Word starts fine on both my systems. It's a generic install using the defaults at every turn. I've made no changes to the defaults and I have no addin's. No, the article is about problems starting and/or running Word. Note that add-ins may be installed by third-party software, which is why it is worth a try looking at them. You seem convinced that this is a Word bug, but we would have seen numerous posts about it here if that were the case.

No identity theft SW installed. While there is quite a bit of SW installed on the first computer. The second computer is my wife's. She has Office, AVG, Spybot, and Chrome, and not much else installed.

I scan my computers with both AVG and Spybot Search and Distory every day as well as having the active parts of AVG running all the time. I keep them up to date every night. If it's a virus, it's one that neither of the two most popular virus scanning SW's have discovered in a year. And it's still actively spreading since my two computers had word installed 6 months apart from different install disks. I don't think it's a virus. It seems more like a hard to reproduce bug in word.

I would tend to agree that it is unlikely to be a Word software bug. I will add that strange keyboard behavior can also be traced back to identity theft protection software that encrypts your keystrokes like Constant Guard or GuardID . If you have installed keystroke encryption software, particularly Comcast's Constant Guard , I would recommend either disabling/uninstalling the software or getting specific assistance from the software manufacturer's support web site.

Word starts deleting my document one letter at a time. Nothing will stop it.

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Thanks for the idea but that's not it.

If you try holding down the Del key in Word until it auto repeats, all you have to do is hit the esc key to stop it. Try it yourself.

When this happens to me NOTHING will stop it except closing Word in the task manager.

It's not a stuck key. (on both my computers)

I looked at the stuff Stefan linked to but it had to do with problems starting Word. Word starts fine on both my systems. It's a generic install using the defaults at every turn. I've made no changes to the defaults and I have no addin's.

It's a software bug and it's been in Word for at least a year.

My Word installations (yes multiple) misbehave that way. Which is why I strongly agree with Stefan's suggestion that it is an add-in or some other 3rd party tool. Here are examples of unexpected behavior caused by 3rd party tools:

Clipboard functionality no longer allows ability to paste formatting in Office Apps – Skype error – Official notice

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2697462

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/excel/thread/0cffef67-afca-45ad-b75d-3eeb4a859983

Starting in March 2012, "Skype click to Call" has been causing problems File Open problems, and Copy/Paste problems in Office Apps.

The quick test for this problem is to close all open browsers. If the problem goes away it is probably Skype.

March 30 – MS has released an update to Skype that fixes the problem.

<snip>

For anyone reading this, I figured out the problem after surfing the web for the past 3-4 weeks. Painful process. I have a paid version of Advanced SystemCare Pro, v5.2.0. 3-4 weeks ago, while scanning through it's vast offerings, I came across a feature I could activate called "Smart RAM". I turned it on and checked the 5 boxes it offers in the settings. The last of those 5 is "Clean Clipboard". I unchecked this box a few minutes ago and it fixed my issues. I now have no problems with copy/paste. Info only, it case it helps anyone.

<snip>

Bluetooth Fix: “Microsoft Word has stopped working”

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/fix-microsoft-word-has-stopped-working

Alright, well, I found the answer to this final issue: I only needed to disable the Bluetooth add-in on Options. I have no idea why that would have been the problem, but I found it as a suggested fix here. Now every single thing opens quickly and without error.

Thanks for all your help everyone.

As a recap:

My Office 2010 was a Click-to-Run version
Word suddenly giving me messages about "Downloading the Required Feature," freezing up, slowing down...
Ultimately had to uninstall Office
Reinstalled it from the Microsoft website with my product key, choosing the 64-bit version instead of the Click-to-Run version
Installed all new updates from Windows Updates
Restarted computer
Word working quickly with no messages, but became unresponsive when trying to open old files
Went to File->Options->Add-Ins->Go-> and unchecked Bluetooth.
Everything seems to be back to normal, if not better than before.

My problem is if I copy text from a web site or from Excel, Access etc into Word all I get is a black spot.

I have tried a repair install and checking all the settings against my laptop - where this function works properly.

The problem is caused by a defective Bluetooth add-in for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, turn off the Com Addin.

Additional Notes:

The defective Bluetooth add-in is usually installed by a Bluetooth driver. (In my case - Intel Centrino Wireless Bluetooth 3.0 + High Speed Adaptor (v1.1))
Updating your Bluetooth driver (or reverting to an older version) may also resolve the problem.
Unfortunately simply disabling the add-in through the Word options may result in a 3 second freeze when loading Word 2007. (If this is a problem, changing to a different bluetooth driver version may be the better option)

Another though just came to mind. Maybe you have a windows feature like "sticky keys" turned on. Take a look in Control Panel > Ease of Access > "Make your Keyboard Easier to Use" > Turn on Sticky Keys.

Don't guess! Work through the trouble shooting procedure that Stefan linked to. It will take 10 or 15 minutes to work though and then we will know for SURE. You may be pleasantly surprised.

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Word starts deleting my document one letter at a time. Nothing will stop it.

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