OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Issues with installing under all versions of MS Windows
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CliffScott
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OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by CliffScott »

OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10. The Writer and the Spreadsheet Calc both freeze. Symptom is program opens but will not respond to any mouse or keyboard commands. This has happened when I open the files from explorer clicking on run. In this case the file opens but program freezes and the only way to close it is with Task Manager/End Task. Program also freezes if I just open it from the desktop and then of course I can't open a file because program has already frozen. I have managed to recover by restarting the computer, I have also managed to recover by reinstalling OpenOffice but in either case after using OpenOffice once or twice it just freezes again. Very frustrating. Has anyone else experienced this? Any solution?
OpenOffice 4.1.3 on Windows 10
FJCC
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by FJCC »

Try resetting your user profile as follows.
Shutdown OpenOffice, including the QuickStarter if you are using that.
Open any folder and in the address bar near the top of the window enter
%appdata%\openoffice\4
That should take you to a folder that contains a folder named user. Rename that folder to user_old and restart OpenOffice.
OpenOffice 4.1 on Windows 10 and Linux Mint
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CliffScott
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by CliffScott »

Resetting the user profile did not solve the problem. I also restarted and that did not solve the problem this time either.
OpenOffice 4.1.3 on Windows 10
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robleyd
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by robleyd »

Next step is to start W10 in safe mode and see if the problem persists.
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David
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CliffScott
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by CliffScott »

I have uninstalled and reinstalled OpenOffice and have now managed to edit 2 spreadsheets without any trouble. I don't imagine this will last because this is the 4th time I have reinstalled to solve the problem and it only temporarily solved the problem which is not a solution at all in my opinion. Can we keep this post open for a few days to see if the problem shows its face again?
OpenOffice 4.1.3 on Windows 10
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robleyd
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by robleyd »

Have you tried safe mode? A number of others have found that problems go away when running Win in safe mode, and have tracked the cause to other programs interfering with AOO.
Cheers
David
OS - Slackware 15 64 bit
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LibreOffice 24.2.1.2; SlackBuild for 24.2.1 by Eric Hameleers
CliffScott
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by CliffScott »

OK I will try that and update after a day or two with results.
OpenOffice 4.1.3 on Windows 10
CliffScott
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by CliffScott »

I have started in safe mode (hold down ctrl key and double click program icon on desktop) numerous times now and this does not help. After reinstalling OpenOffice the program will work once or twice and then it starts to open in freeze mode where it will not respond to any key or mouse command. Out of frustration I uninstalled OpenOffice and installed LibreOffice and much to my surprise I get the same frozen symptoms with LibreOffice. Just as an aside I have loaded other programs and they work just fine. Am I starting in safe mode properly?
OpenOffice 4.1.3 on Windows 10
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Hagar Delest
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by Hagar Delest »

Any security application that could interfere? Comodo for example was reported to cause troubles IIRC.
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CliffScott
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by CliffScott »

I have just plain restarted windows with a new OpenOffice installation (the 10th?) and OpenOffice is working fine no matter what I do. It is working with multiple other programs open. I will just use other programs for text files and will use the reinstall/restart method if it screws up in spreadsheets. No solution.
OpenOffice 4.1.3 on Windows 10
Bill
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by Bill »

CliffScott wrote:I have started in safe mode (hold down ctrl key and double click program icon on desktop) numerous times now and this does not help.
That's the wrong "safe mode". That procedure is used in Microsoft Office to start MS Office programs in "Office Safe Mode". It doesn't do anything in OpenOffice. You need to start Windows 10 Safe Mode. There are many videos on YouTube that show how.
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robleyd
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by robleyd »

Cheers
David
OS - Slackware 15 64 bit
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15
LibreOffice 24.2.1.2; SlackBuild for 24.2.1 by Eric Hameleers
robbieR
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by robbieR »

I'm having the same problem.
Reinstalling doesn't help.
I should not have to start in safe mode every time I want to use the word processor.

Robbie
Open Office 4.1.3
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RoryOF
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by RoryOF »

If OpenOffice runs in Windows Safe mode, the problem is caused by some other program or driver that runs in Windows Normal mode. We have not (nor want) access to your computer - you have to find out what is causing this interference.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
DavidsAlias
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by DavidsAlias »

I have the same problem. It is unusable. This was one of the first things I installed when I first bought a new computer and it didn't work from the beginning. I was forced to use other software. That was six months ago. Just tried again now and it's still not working. I don't get this with any other software. I'm uninstalling it now. Maybe I'll try again in six months time.
Open Office 4.1.3, Windows 10
Bill
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by Bill »

If you are unable or unwilling to troubleshoot the incompatibility that exists on your system, then there's no point in trying to use AOO. It has always worked fine without freezing on Windows 10 for me.
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RoryOF
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by RoryOF »

It can sometimes (very rarely) happen that an installation of OpenOffice, either an upgrade or a fresh install, generates a corrupt OO user profile. This can manifest as an inability to start, or instability. Deleting or renaming the old OO user profile causes a new user profile, with default settings, to be generated. Details on how to do this are in FJCC's post, the second posting in this thread.
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Flynn MacNiall
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by Flynn MacNiall »

I have the same problem, have followed all the recommendation - the only way i can work is to use task manager, close OO, then use Explorer to open the files and work, but if, with OO open i try to use explore to search a folder explore freezes until I "restart" explore, close OO using task manager and then start over - of course this is my fault or the fault of my system, because OO works for everyone else. Still, it sucks. So, I have started using an older version of OO and now do not have the problem - though I am told that is bad because of security issues. I really do not want to start using Word again, but i hate wasting all this time messing with a program and NOT writing. Oh well.
OpenOffice 4.1.4 on Windows 10
John_Ha
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Re: OpenOffice 4.1.3 freezes in Windows 10

Post by John_Ha »

CliffScott wrote:I have started in safe mode (hold down ctrl key and double click program icon on desktop) ?
That is not starting your PC in Safe Mode.

Safe Mode is booting with the minimum of Windows and no user programs so that there is nothing to interfere with AOO. Start > type msconfig > double click msconfig.exe. Under the Boot tab > Boot options ..., choose Safe Boot. See Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 10

Or run msconfig and untick all the programs in the Startup tab which start when the PC boots.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
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