When typing in Microsoft Word or Outlook the programs freeze for approximately 60 seconds then “thaws” and continues to operate normally. Running Detect and Repair in Word and Outlook does not fix the problem. The computer is running Windows XP with Office 2002.

The root cause of this problem is likely to be Microsoft Word, and the reason the problem occurs also in Outlook is because Word is being used as the email editor within Outlook. Since the Detect and Repair function does not fix the problem, the problem is unlikely to be caused by corrupt Office files. Therefore, the next most likely cause is Word add-ins. To test this theory, try starting Word without loading any add-ins or templates. Go to the “Start” menu > “Run” and type ?winword /a? and click OK. Do not include the quotes in the command, and also note the space between “winword” and “/a”.

If Word functions correctly when started with the “/a” switch this indicates the problem is being caused by an add-in or template within Word. As a first step, you should determine whether there is a problem with the Normal.dot template. This template is the blank document which loads when Word initially starts, and if this template has a corruption or error it could be causing the freeze in typing text. So, we need to create a fresh copy of the Normal.dot template. Open Windows Explorer or My Computer and go to the following location: C:Documents and SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftTemplates. In order to see this directory you may need to enable the display of hidden files and folders, by going to the “Tools” menu > “Folder Options” then click the “View” tab and enable “Show hidden files and folders” and disable (untick) “Hide extensions for known file types” then click OK. Once you are at this location you should see a file named ?Normal.dot”. Rename this file to “Normal.old? and confirm “Yes” you would like to change the file extension. Now, open Word and a fresh Normal.dot file should be automatically created. Check whether the problem persists.

However, should the problem continue it appears due to a Word add-in and not a corrupt Normal.dot template. Open Word and then go to the “Tools” menu > ?Templates and Add-Ins?. In the window that appears, click the “Templates” tab. Under the ?Global templates and add-ins? heading all the add-ins currently loaded in Word are displayed. Untick all the items and click OK. Restart Word and check whether the problem persists. In the most likely scenario that the problem does not persist, go back into the Templates and Add-Ins window and tick one item and then click OK. Restart Word and check again whether the problem occurs. Repeat this procedure until the problem re-occurs, at which time you know which add-in is causing the problem. You should then leave that particular add-in disabled. If you need the functionality that add-in provides (e.g. a special toolbar in Word) then you can leave it enabled if you are willing to tolerate the freeze when typing in Word. Alternatively, you could check whether an updated version of the software or add-in is available which may resolve the problem.

In the event that starting Word with the “/a” switch does not fix the problem, you should check whether any third-party programs are interacting with Word. A good example is virus scanning software which links with Word to scan documents as they are opened for viruses, such as macro viruses. Try disabling any such software which links with Word to check whether the problem is resolved. Should this not fix the problem, then please contact me for further advice on resolving the issue.