WD: Word 6.0a for Windows List of Fixed Problems

Last reviewed: February 5, 1998
Article ID: Q111552

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0a

SUMMARY

This article lists the problems in Word version 6.0 for Windows that are corrected in the Word 6.0a upgrade. If you are experiencing one of the problems listed below, you should obtain the Word 6.0a Patch.

If you have a network installation of Word 6.0, you cannot use the Word 6.0a Patch to upgrade your installation; you must obtain a full Word 6.0a disk set by mail (free of charge). To obtain Word 6.0a, call the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 360-7561 and request Word version 6.0a for Windows. If you are outside the United States, contact your local subsidiary. To locate your subsidiary, see the Microsoft World Wide Offices Web site at:

   http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/default.htm

WORD 6.0 PROBLEMS CORRECTED IN WORD 6.0A

Disk Error While Saving, Embedded Object Becomes a Box

When you move an embedded object within a document using either cut-and-paste or drag-and-drop, and you then (full) save the document, the object may change appearance and will be uneditable. The object usually becomes an empty square box. Subsequent save attempts will result in "Disk is full," "too many edits," or "operation will be incomplete" error messages.

Problems Caused By SHARE.EXE Corrected in VSHARE.386

Word 6.0a includes an updated VSHARE.386 file. This revised version of VSHARE.386 ships with Word 6.0a to replace SHARE.EXE. This version of VSHARE.386 provides greater compatibility with many applications running under Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and later. To run Windows in standard mode, you still need SHARE.EXE.

"General Mail Failure" Error Editing Routing Slip on a Mail Gateway

If you edit a routing slip in a Word document, a "General Mail Failure" error message may occur.

No kerning with Adobe Type Manager (ATM) Fonts

ATM fonts do not print kerned, because ATM fonts use an older application program interface (API) for kerning; this API is not supported in Word 6.0. Word 6.0a supports the older API.

"Not available" Error Messages with Adobe Type Manager (ATM) Fonts

Word displays the following error message for a group of Adobe Type 1 fonts, even though they are available on the system:

   The font '<font name>' is not available on your system. Do you want
   to use it anyway?

No Anti-Aliasing for TrueType Fonts

On a computer running an ATI Crystal Font video driver (or similar driver), the Crystal fonts are displayed with clean, nonjagged edges due to anti-aliasing. TrueType fonts, however, are displayed with jagged edges because no anti-aliasing occurs.

Can't Remove Space Around Footnote Reference Marks

By design, Word 6.0 places white space after automatic footnote reference marks. In response to customer requests, Word 6.0a inserts the white space as a regular space character to the right of the footnote reference mark, which means you can edit or remove it if you want.

Dr. Watson Errors in Examples and Demos

The Dr. Watson program displays errors when you choose the Examples And Demos command from the Help menu.

Cannot Remove Borders on Pictures

Sometimes you cannot remove a portion of a border from an inserted picture or object, even when you choose None in the Format Borders And Shading dialog box.

Cross-References Updated Incorrectly

Bookmarks for captions change (shrink) to include only the caption label (instead of the full text of the caption) when you insert new captions later in the document. When you update cross-references to these captions, the cross-reference includes only the caption label.

SEQ Field Displayed Incorrectly

The result of a SEQ (sequence) field in the header and footer pane displays "1" or "0" (zero) instead of the correct number in the sequence; although the displayed version of this field is incorrect, the printed version of is correct.

Password Displays in Converted File

If you save a password-protected document in another file format, the password appears as text in the converted file.

GP Fault Creating New Document Based on Template With Link to Excel

When you start Word with the /n switch, a general protection (GP) fault occurs if you create a new Word document based on a template that contains a link to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

Fonts Printed Without Kerning

Fonts do not print kerned in point sizes larger than the Kerning For Fonts setting in the Format Fonts dialog box. Fonts print kerned only if they are formatted with the point size specified by the Kerning For Fonts setting.

Word 2.x Mail Merge Document Loses Data Delimiters in Header

When you open a Word 2.x for Windows mail merge main document, and if the data document is not a Word 2.x table, Word 6.0 removes the delimiters from the header record, which concatenates all the field names in your data document. In other words, Word reads the header record as a single field name (for example, NameAddressCityZip).

Different Hierarchy for Choosing Which Same-Name Macro to Run

Word 6.0 follows a different set of rules than Word 2.x to determine which template macro to run when two macros have the same name: Word 2.x runs the macro from the template attached to the document in which the insertion point is currently located, while Word 6.0 runs the macro from the template from which you launched the macro.

Word 6.0a includes a the following new WordBasic macro command:

   WW2CallingConvention([-1,0])

You can use this command to set either the Word 2.x or Word 6.0 macro precedence method.

Cannot Open Password-Protected Paradox 3.5 Files

A "File Access Denied" error occurs and you cannot open (via ODBC) a password-protected file created in Paradox version 3.5 because Word 6.0 does not prompt you for the password. You can open these files in Word 6.0a because the ODBC driver prompts you for the password.

Insertion Point Scrolls Off Screen with WordPerfect Help On

If the WordPerfect Help option is selected and you press ENTER several times, Word 6.0 scrolls the insertion point off the bottom of the screen instead of advancing the screen.

Cannot Create Non-File Links

In Word 6.0, you cannot create a link to server an application that does not use a filename to reference data. For example, Word 6.0 is incompatible with a database program that references a database by name and does not use the name of the file.

Computer Hangs Launching Word as Server When WordPerfect Help Is On

If the Navigation Keys for WordPerfect Users option is turned on and you launch Word from another OLE 2 program, your computer may hang (stop responding) when you press the ESC key. Sometimes it takes a while for the hang to occur.

GP Fault Updating Large Number of Links

A GP fault may occur when you update a large number of links (typically from 80 to 200).

"Out of Memory" Error Opening Microsoft Excel 5.0 Chart

When you open an embedded Microsoft Excel 5.0 chart using the Open command (to edit the chart in a separate Microsoft Excel window), an "Out of memory" error message occurs. This does not happen when you edit the chart in place (in situ) in Word.

Key Assignments Not Saved in Templates

Word does not save template key assignments to the TAB and SHIFT+TAB keys.

GP Fault Running Find File Command

If you start Word using the /n switch and then open the Find File dialog box (by choosing Find File from the File menu), a GP fault occurs if the View option is set to Preview in the Find File dialog box.

Wrong Chapter Numbers on Last Page of Document

The chapter number always displays as "1" on the last page of your document in page layout view, regardless of the actual chapter number.

Wrong Chapter Number with Page Break Preceding Heading Paragraph

When your document includes chapter numbers in the page number, if a page break immediately precedes a heading paragraph that marks the beginning of a chapter, the wrong chapter number appears in the header or footer on that page.

Error Messages About Printer Port

By design, Word 6.0 confirms the validity of a port before printing. If there is no port present, Word displays an error message. With some configurations, however, Word incorrectly concludes that the printer port is not present and displays a "Local Port Not Present" error message.

GP Fault with INCLUDETEXT Field

If you update an INCLUDETEXT field that references a bookmarked table cell in another document, a GP fault occurs. This error does not occur if the bookmark is not in a table cell.

DATE Field Result Clipped in Invoice Template

The result of the DATE field in the third column, first row, of documents based on the Invoice template (INVOICE.DOT) is truncated on the right side when you print it.

MORE INFORMATION

To Obtain the Word 6.0a Patch

The available versions of the Word 6.0a Patch are:

U.S./English version of Word
U.K./English version of Word
Australian/English version of Word
Australian/English Office version of Word
Canadian/English version of Word