[PROBLEM] OpenOffice 3.3 Freezing on Win7 x64

[ChristopherPovey]

I am running OpenOffice 3.3.0 (Build 9567) on Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate x64.

If I launch OpenOffice from the desktop icon (runs "C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice.org 3\program\soffice.exe") and then I select a new Writer document. After around 5-10 seconds Writer will freeze and "Not Responding" appears in the title bar. All I can do then is kill it.

However if I start Writer via the Start Search bar (typing Writer) (it then runs "C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenOffice.org 3\program\swriter.exe") it works perfectly, no issues at all.

Does this imply there is an issue with soffice.exe?
_________________
Chris

[jrkrideau]

Sounds like it. I'd suggest running a repair or doing a new installation, preferably from a new download.

Have you checked the MD5sum to see if you have a clean downloadd?
_________________
jrkrideau
Kingston ON Canada
Currently using Windows 7 & OOo 3.4.0 and Ubuntu 12.04 & LibreOffice 3.5.2.2

[JohnV]

I run OOo3.3 on Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium without such problems. There must be hope for you.

[ChristopherPovey]

Well it actually got worse. Writer will not stay up for more than a few seconds. I am going to try a reinstall failing that it time for Microsoft Office 2010, until a Windows 7 (tested)compatible version of Openoffice is released!
_________________
Chris

[ChristopherPovey]

Removed Openoffice, rebooted and deleted the folder. Reinstalled Openoffice from a fresh download.

Opened a new Writer document. Typed "Hello" three times after the fourth "Hel" it locked up again.

Reinstalled Java 6 Update 24.

Opened a new Writer document. Typed "Hello" three times after the fourth one it locked up again.

Also tried a post form another forum to remove my OO profile. OO started and asked me for my name etc then closed. Every time I start Writer or any other part of OpenOffice it ask me my name again then bombs! So I put my old profile back, and I am back to where I started, crashing!
_________________
Chris

[ChristopherPovey]

Touch wood I seem to have fixed it.

I did the following:

1) Uninstalled OpenOffice.
2) Moved the C:\Users\username\AppData\OpenOffice folder out of the folder.
3) Installed OpenOffice (custom install without Database program (don't use it), French or Spainsh dictionaries).
4) Started OpenOffice. Entered my name on the Welcome screen and clicked finished. OpenOffice did not actually start though.
5) Kept repeating 4 until OpenOffice document type selector opened.

I then closed it and opened a Writer file that crashed before. It stayed open for an hour so I closed it.
_________________
Chris

[pipo116]

I had a similar problem..! OpenOffice is a very complete and sophisticated package for doing the same and much more than its counterpart, but it doesn't mean it'll be fast, light, with less memory consumption and without bags. I personally would like to see some code optimisation in the future, so after installation each individual OpenOffice package's application turns not so bulky.

[jimwestphoto]

I had the same problem. OpenOffice 3.3 (both Writer and Spreadsheet - haven't tried others) freezes up shortly after opening.
I solved it by uninstalling and going back to 3.2. Works fine.

[hlander]

I had this same problem on a WindowsXP SP 3 machine. I had been using Writer 3.3 on a long document (about 200 pages) without problem through yesterday evening. (I upgraded from OO 3.2 to OO 3.3 a couple days ago.) Then today it started freezing about 15-20 seconds after opening the document.

I reset the user profile as suggested on one of the other posts. It did not help.
I uninstalled OO 3.3 and installed OO 3.2. It did not help.
I uninstalled OO 3.2 and installed LibreOffice 3.4.5. It did not help.

Finally, at my wits-end I did the following in the 20 seconds while it was still responsive:
1) I entered CTRL+A and CTRL+C to copy the entire doc.
2) After it froze I killed the frozen window.
3) Opened a new document, and pasted the material into it.
This allowed me to work with the document, although I needed to do some minor formatting cleanup.

It seems to me that this type of situation (freezing at doc open) should not ever happen. Even if the document is corrupted, there needs to be some way to get at the 99% of it that is not corrupted. As it currently is, the entire document (many weeks of work) may be completely lost.