Friday my wife lost her MS Word access. She is getting an error on launch:

WINWORD.EXE Application Error - The instructionat "0x30395c27" referenced memory at "0x0000034". The memory could not be "read". Click OK to terminate the program or Click Cancel to debug the program.

Clicking OK just kills it, and if we click Cancel, we get another error box that says "Program Error - WINWORD.EXE has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program. An error log is being created."


I found something online that said to "search the hard drive for *rmal.dot and you should come up with 2 files. Delete both files and then try to start Word. The normal template loads each time Word is started and if it becomes corrupt or damaged this is the error message that you will receive. Don't worry about deleting it, Word will re-create it next time it is launched." However this is only good for two times launching MS Word, then the error comes back on the 3rd launch.

Her IT group has tried uninstalling/reinstalling Word as well as the entire MS Office package, and also the service pack. Still hasn't fixed it.

Anyone?

 

Do you have all the latest windows updates installed?

 

Yes, she gets them automatically, but I just went through the scan to make sure they were all done.

 

Several suggestions...have you tried Microsoft's troubleshooting database? If you can't find anything there, try an online computer geek forum.

 

I am gonna give it a shot. This can very likely solve your problem. If you know what I am talking about, YES, if not, ask me.

1) Lower your memory timings a little (from 2-2-2-5 to 2-3-3-6 for example)
2) Adjust memory voltage by adding .1v

 

I had a similar problem before I began to get good at using computers, so I took my machine to a repair shop. They worked on it for 3 days before they finally had to reload the machine. That may be your best bet.

I'm also curious to see if marko's solution works or not. However, if you have a more popular machine such as a Dell, I don't think you'll be able to adjust the memory timings.

 

i agree with marko on the ram. often those errors aren't anything about the app or corruption of its disk data, but rather that the ram is being pushed too hard. adding the 0.1v may indeed help as well, so it's worth a try. typically these aren't the kind of errors you solve by a restart or defrag.

 

This is a Dell laptop, and I'm not real sure about how to change the memory settings you mention. If you can walk me through it, I can try to relay this to Sarah. I hope that works, she'll be real PO'ed if she has to send it in to be reformatted!

 

Tom,

I don't think you're going to be able to change the memory settings on a Dell laptop. Usually the way this is done is by going into the BIOS right when the computer starts up and making the changes that way. Dell configures their BIOS to where people can't make any "system threatening" changes. There might be some 3rd party software that will do it for you through Windows, but I haven't heard of anything. Maybe someone else will chime in.

 

Haha, I know I am a little late getting back to this, but Chris is right, you can't do anything on a Dell laptop. The main reason they do this is so they get more money (because more people will be sending in their machines). Also, unless you are REALLY lucky (and you are probably not) there is no Windows program that will be able to help you, because if you cannot change it from the BIOS, you will not be able to change it from Windows, the chipset has to have support for such a change.

Sorry man, I wish I could help you out more. I guess the only thing you can do is having it reformated.