Microsoft Word "blinking"

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Author Message Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 116 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 02:03 pm:    Does anyone else have a problem with Word documents starting to blink (quick alternation of blank document/regular document) when you have more than one document open at a time? I am wondering whether this is a function of the fact that MasterSpec documents are more complicated than just Word documents since we are moving toward treating information as a database. One thing that seems to bring on the blinking is when I copy text from one of our MasterSpec-based master documents to another - perhaps they are based on different versions of Word, or have different levels of hidden information that I don't realize I am copying? This is getting to be a real problem for me and any suggestions would help. Jeffrey Wilson CSI CCS SCIP Senior Member Username: wilsonconsulting Post Number: 329 Registered: 03-2006 Posted on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 02:48 pm:    I have never experienced the problem you describe, Greta, so it might not be related to MasterSpec. I frequently experience delayed opening -- taking several seconds to a few minutes -- which I've always assumed was related to SpecAgent trying to connect to the ARCOM website. It never happens w/ documents other than specs. Jeffrey Wilson CCS CSI SCIP Wilson Consulting Inc Ardmore PA David J. Wyatt, CDT Senior Member Username: david_j_wyatt_cdt Post Number: 322 Registered: 03-2011 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 09:08 am:    I am a MasterSpec subscriber and I have experienced what Greta describes when copying text from one document to the other. Sometimes I have to re-start my computer. I thought it might be an effect of the age of my computer, but it sounds as if there may be another reason. Marc Chavez Senior Member Username: mchavez Post Number: 571 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 10:25 am:    Interesting, Word has many a glitch. Of course it could be us....however our word documents are just documents in fact we ship the ".doc" style which are the older version of Word's standard. I would not think that the doc itself is the issue. They do include a couple of links but again this is nothing unique. We do have Masterworks working as an addin to Word..I'm not a software engineer or support person so I'd be guessing... Have you talked to support? I would hope that it is not us....but only a specialist would know. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1270 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 11:27 am:    I've experienced all kinds of weird glitches with MasterWorks based docs from MasterSpec. Their tech support, especially Aimee Voss, is superb and very responsive. They are usually aware of issues like these and are happy to help. Guest (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 12:37 pm:    I have never experienced the blinking issue. But since Ken brought up customer support, I too admire the dedication Aimee has in resolving MasterSpec problems. I will wait on hold as long as it takes to reach her, or will call back as many times as it takes. She is one of the greatest assets MasterSpec has. Similarly, when I submit a comment through the link within each Section, I receive a very professional and helpful email from Tanya. If the issue is related to MasterWorks or some other software issue, not much ever seems to happen. However, if the issue is related to MasterSpec content, within a few days, or a few hours, I receive a follow-up email from whoever is responsible for the particular section. In particular, Ron Ray is extremely helpful in understating whatever my issue is, and in responding with the logic behind MasterSpec content. In situations where MasterSpec needs improved/revised, he never hesitates to admit the shortcomings of the MasterSpec language, something I admire. He also explains exactly how he will revise the content, allowing me to include the future MasterSpec language into projects I am currently working on. Ron may be the most knowledgeable and professional person I have ever encountered in my career. Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 117 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 01:18 pm:    I agree with the comments on the excellence of MasterSpec support. I do not think MasterSpec is the cause of the blinking, but the suggestion of contacting them is a good one. I mentioned MasterSpec in my original posting because I know those documents are more sophisticated than typical memos, etc. and perhaps I need certain settings in Word to accommodate those features. Plus, I must add that Microsoft Outlook messages sometimes also give me the blinking treatment, so this is most likely a Microsoft issue. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1271 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 01:36 pm:    Greta, I have needed to reload Windows/Word on occasion. Company security settings are often at odds with Windows and Word settings and sometimes the MasterWorks add-in creates the perfect storm. Keep in mind, Bill Gates is not our friend. Brian E. Trimble, CDT Senior Member Username: brian_e_trimble_cdt Post Number: 121 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 02:08 pm:    I don't know if this is related, but since my last computer update (abt 2 weeks ago) I noticed the "blink" that Greta is talking about. I assumed it was due to Word doing a background save of the document or just a screen refresh. I assume that the computer is saving a lot more information than in the past. I'm not using MasterSpec so it could be just a Word or Microsoft issue. That, or it could be Microsoft doing a retinal scan to create an identical cyborg.... Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 118 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 02:14 pm:    I would like to add that my company has an excellent IT department that has already tried a few things like reinstalling all my software, and looking into add-ins, etc. Yes, Brian, I think Microsoft may be doing something new and clever. My personal preference would be to go back to Microsoft 2003 or something like that, but that is probably not an option. Paul Sweet (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 05:12 pm:    A lot of software is using "the cloud" nowadays. I wonder whether this might be from moving information back & forth between clouds. Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 655 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 05:47 pm:    Greta, I've had various MasterSpec/Masterworks performance issues over time, and have a hit list that I use before calling Aimee to do her "Laying on of Hands." They include: 1)I bulk change all my docs to docx using http://www.gmayor.com/document_batch_processes.htm which helps overall performance. 2) We use Dropbox for Business, and the file syncing can glue up the works a bit; I pause syncing when I do production work. 3) Does the same trouble happen with resident files on your hard drive as happens when working off of a network drive? 4) There is the business of deleting Masterworks scratch files, which pile up after a busy day or two and can affect performance. Mine are located at AppDate/Roaming. A Google search turns up some similar complaints from other Word users, with no clear resolution. Phil Kabza FCSI CCS AIA SpecGuy Specifications Consultants www.SpecGuy.com phil@specguy.com Edward J Dueppen, RA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: edueppen Post Number: 60 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Friday, February 28, 2020 - 08:35 am:    It is interesting that Phil has had to update Word files to .docx for optimal Masterworks performance. We have had somewhat the opposite experience. We have to change all files to .doc in order to get the Masterworks shortcut menu to appear in Word. Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 119 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Friday, February 28, 2020 - 10:17 am:    Thank you everyone for your comments so far. I especially appreciate Phil's reminder about the files that collect in the Roaming folder. I had learned about that some time ago from MasterSpec support, and it has been a while since I cleaned up that folder so I just did so. I think it really helps. Responding to Phil's other comments, I don't use DropBox, and I rarely work on documents that are on my hard drive, since I prefer to work directly in the official documents on our server. I will keep in mind the idea of suggesting to IT that we convert all Word documents to docx, but I see Edward's comment that suggests the opposite. It is a wild world out there and nice to know that I am not alone. Seamus McGrady (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Friday, March 06, 2020 - 09:56 am:    If Word seems to be acting up, you should also close it and open Task Manager to make sure there are no dead processes of Word running that need to be killed. Then reopen Word and see if the issue persists. If it comes up again, back track to what is leaving those dead processes behind. James Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 295 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Friday, March 06, 2020 - 10:11 am:    It's time for "Fun Friday." I understand what Seamus is telling me and I think it is great advice. That is the same way I would have written it. I am amused by the thought of killing dead processes though. I guess zombies do exist. :-) Honestly, this has been a very helpful thread. Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 120 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Friday, March 06, 2020 - 10:39 am:    How about referring to the offending processes as moribund rather than dead? Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 121 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Friday, March 13, 2020 - 09:18 am:    Update: My wonderful IT department replaced my computer with a new laptop a week ago and the blinking problem seems to have gone away. I hate to think of discarding anything prematurely, but it may be that we need the latest hardware to keep up with the latest software. Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 374 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Friday, March 13, 2020 - 09:21 am:    Greta, That's great news! Paul Sweet (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Friday, March 13, 2020 - 02:01 pm:    Most people are familiar with "Moore's Law" which says that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (and hence tho power of the CPU) doubles about every two years. What few realize is that the complexity of programs doubles every year or so, so the hardware will never be able to keep up! Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 521 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2020 - 06:46 pm:    Glad it went away with your new laptop, and sorry I'm just now seeing this. For anyone who can't get a new laptop, you could try saving as .RTF (rich text format) which is even more stripped down than .DOC (and less malware prone) and if that doesn't work I would try Word 2003 in a virtual machine not connected to the internet, if your IT folks can do that for you. Lightning fast! Add Microsoft's docx compatibility pack if you need to be able to use the new ..x formats at times. My experience has been like Edward's, the ..x slows me down, as does new Word, new Windows, etc. You can get the newest hottest computer there is and the developers (malware and benevolent ware alike) junk it up because they can. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 522 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2020 - 06:52 pm:    .docx is actually a zip file. Try renaming to .zip and then opening it, you'll see what I mean! The computer has to unzip and rezip the file every time you use it. How is that faster? Except if you are constantly waiting for files to upload and download, then maybe that would be faster due to the compression. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1802 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 05:07 pm:    It reportedly makes the file more robust in case something goes wrong. You may be able to recover the plain text, for example, if a file gets corrupted. It's also part of a move to open file structures to others so that automation and other add-ons can be done more easily. I seriously doubt that opening multiple components in a zip file would be slower than opening one giant spaghetti file. The amount of data is the same, and Word files are tiny, tiny compared to graphics files. My edited photo files ( johnbunzick.com if you're interested) are routinely 300 to 500 Mb. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: michael_chusid Post Number: 523 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 07:32 pm:    Love the photos, John. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS 1-818-219-4937 www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 916 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Thursday, April 02, 2020 - 07:59 pm:    Save rogue files as an *.rtf. Then save back to *doc or *.docx.