Office 2004 11.3.5 Special Report: Application crashes, fixes

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 1:31 a.m. PT

2 min read

Several users have noted an issue where various Office 2004 applications crashing on launch after applying the 11.3.5 update:

MacFixIt reader Kate writes:

"Word is crashing (won't open) since the update. I tried using the terminal fix that was suggested. The process ran and completed, but it had no effect on Word opening up or not. I'm gonna go back to the original install. Rats."

Another reader adds:

"Since I applied the latest update I have the issue with Word crashing on opening documents. I also have a problem with Excel where when it opens it attempts to open several spreadsheets, one of which cause it to crash. I tried deleting some preference files but it still happens. I can't find the place where it keeps this list to get rid of it. "

Fixes

Delete .plist files As is the case with many problematic application updates, deleting pertinent .plist files can resolve issues with Office 2004 11.3.3. Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft and look for files ending in the following (there may only be one):

office.prefs.plist

Delete it(them), the log out and back in and check for persistence of the issue(s).

Re-install from original media, then re-update Unfortunately, one of the more successful fixes for this issue appears to be the tedious process of re-installing Microsoft Office 2004 from the original CD then re-attempting the 11.3.5 update. Failing this, you can try avoiding the update altogether by using the instructions in the "Undoing the update" section above.

Note that there are several locations within the Office 2004 folder with data you may want to preserve before re-installing the software, including:

The Templates folder: you might have your own templates in the My Templates subfolder.

The Office/Startup folder can hold global templates, third-party plug-ins, and more

Check for problematic plug-in/startup items Reader Gareth writes: "Removing Office / Startup / Word / StuffIt Word X Add-In solved my crashing Word problem after updating."

That note is a salutary reminder that third-party Office plug-ins dwell in the Startup folder, inside the Office folder. Such plug-ins have always been a notoriously risky cause of unpredictable behavior. If you have such plug-ins and your Office application is crashing or otherwise acting strange, quit the Office application, move the plug-ins to the desktop, and see if things get better.