I am trying to sort out a problem with a Word 97 install which is driving me nuts, and if anyone has any ideas, please let me know as I would be really grateful if I can sort it out withut a full re-install.

It's installed on a Win 95 box that has had the usual SR patches applied. The system is pretty simple and rarely has software added or removed from it. I am reasonably confident that it has not been mucked about with or has a virus.

When Word 97 is started, it pops up it's splash screen and appears to go no further. It has a task on the task bar, and the button is depressed as if indicating that the process is the active process. However, there's nothing up on the screen.

I get the impression that it is now hanging on a lock file or some such, and if I could work out where it's happening I could try and knock it out to get the program started.

One point of note: Internet Exploder 5.5 was recently installed on the machine, prior to the problem happening. No other program is affected (Excel and other office programs start OK). The problem occurred for the first time a week after the installation. The computer, and Word, was properly shut down prior to the problem: when the next attempt was made to start Word, it hung and has been that way since. Using both the shortcut or the executable directly give the same problem.

Any advice on how I can get started trouble shooting this? And please - DON'T just say "Re-install it" or "Install Linux", that can't happen in this situation.

Silly question. Did someone play the trick on you where they move the Word application off-screen (so that only one pixel is visible in the lower-right corner) and then save its window position?

Curious, I did think of this, but I have no idea how I would go about re-centering the window on the screen! Any ideas?

Use Alt+Tab until you get the Word window and then press Alt+Space to get the menu up.
Then press down once and enter
Then you can move it around with the arrow keys

- Trevor

Alt+Space to open up the window's control-menu box, then keyboard selection for "Move", then arrows or mouse to move it. May also have to resize it.

Assuming, of course, that this is the problem. Maybe it's not the problem and it's totally unrelated. It's just that your symptoms are consistent with this trick, assuming that Word even LETS you do this trick. Dunno if it does, some apps are smart enough to disregard the window-position settings if they're too far offscreen.

But I remember a computer-tech friend of mine describing how a customer brought his Windows 3.1 computer into the shop saying File Manager wouldn't work any more. He had those exact symptoms with File Manager, and it was because of that trick.

Well, all thanks must go to Trevor and Tony for pointing me in the right direction - the window was in fact, off screen. After a bit of farting around, the problem is now solved. A big thank you to you both: it is really appreciated.

As ever, I never fail to be amazed by what this board turns up - what an amazing community. Long Live the Empeg BBS!

I'm actually surprised that a program as recent as Word 97 even allows someone to play that trick on you. Many new programs do not allow it and will center the app at startup if it's off the screen like that. It's like, one line of code to do.

Slightly related: I run a multi-monitor setup at home. And I also use remote desktop to log in remotely and check up on things. So often times after I log in, there are programs displayed *way* off screen.... The question of "centering" an app at startup is a strange one when there is more than one monitor involved..

Calvin