WD6X: "Too Many Subdocuments Open" in a MacWord Master Document

• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1

SYMPTOMS

You get an error message stating that you have too many subdocuments open.

CAUSE

Case 1

You run out of memory. For example, the System runs into another application in memory.

Case 2

There is insufficient contiguous memory into which the system can expand. This can occur when you have an ill-behaved application that loads into memory above the system and therefore prevents the system from expanding into memory when it needs to grow.

WORKAROUND

Case 1

Increase the amount of available memory by doing one of the following:

Install additional memory.

  -or-

  -or-

Case 2

Quit other active applications.

MORE INFORMATION

To determine how the memory is being used, choose About This Macintosh from the Apple menu. One bar represents the system software; the other bars represent the currently running applications. If you activate Balloon Help and place the pointer over a specific bar, you will see how much reserved memory the current program is using.

The number of subdocuments in a master document is limited by available file handles. The number of file handles varies based on the amount of contiguous memory that is available. For example, the number of available file handles is affected by how much random access memory (RAM) your computer has, the number and behavior of other programs in memory, and how much memory you have allocated to Word. When the system can no longer expand into memory, it can no longer create file handles.

On the Macintosh, system memory starts at the lower addresses and fills upward. Well-behaved applications start at the highest addresses and fill downward. As long as there is free memory at the lower address space between these two areas, the system can expand into this area. When it can no longer expand into this area, either because it bumps into another program's memory or because another program loads into memory immediately above the system memory, the system cannot create file handles.

When you encounter the "too many subdocuments" message, Word checks the number of available file handles as it performs the save and displays an error message if it cannot save the next subdocument. Word then asks if you want to collapse some of the subdocuments into the master document. (This is the same as choosing the Remove Subdocument button on the Master Document toolbar.) If you choose Yes, Word collapses subdocuments into the master document until enough file handles are available to save the master document and the remaining subdocuments. By moving the contents of some subdocuments to the master document, Word prevents the loss of subdocuments.