OpenOffice keeps freezing

[izewriter]

Hello, folks. I have Open Office 4.0.1 and been having an issue lately with the program freezing up after closing out one file and trying to enter another. All I can do to get it running again is to log off the computer and log back on. Even when I try to log off I get a message saying that a “background program” is preventing log off and I have force logoff, and risk losing unsaved matter. Is it just that 4.0.1 is antiquated and I need to install an updated Open Office program, or possibly something more than that? And if I do install an update, will it automatically save my vast number of existing Open Office files? Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Bill Thompson

[RoryOF]

With OpenOffice closed, start TaskManager (Ctrl Shift Esc) and kill any soffice processes shown on TM's tabs. Sometimes OO processes are left over, particularly after a program or computer crash, or an improper shutdown; such processes can cause funny things to happen.

[izewriter]

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.

[John_Ha]

Upgrading does not affect saved documents.

Sometimes AOO will freeze with a complex document with many footnotes or with many badly anchored / positioned images. Does it freeze with a simple text document containing only a few paragraphs of text?

[izewriter]

Thanks for your suggestion. I did try going to Task Master but there were no soffice process4es indicated. There seems to be no pattern to what does or does not cause Open Office to hang up. My files are so varied and extensive, but there has never been an issue (after 5 years) until the last few weeks. Which is why I wondered if an updated version of Open Office might be the answer

[Hagar Delest]

In this case, try to reset your OpenOffice user profile.

[RoryOF]

Try Hagar's suggestion of resetting your OO User profile. If that doesn't help, try starting Windows in Safe Mode. If OO runs stable in that mode you need to look for some driver or program that runs in Windows Normal Mode which is causing the problem. Candidates (not exhaustive list) are programs which monitor the clipboard (Skype?) or which touch open OpenOffice files (continual indexing,anti virus programs, continual backup programs).

[John_Ha]

Does it freeze with a simple text document containing only a few paragraphs of text?

Please try the test.

[Member786]

Every time I booted my computer and started OO, it froze. After extensive research, nothing seemed to work. The only option I had was to reboot in safe mode. It is only recently I suddenly discovered what was preventing my OO from running in normal mode. When OO freezes, press alt+cntl+del to enter the task manager. On the "process' tab, chooses "Spooler Subsystem App" and click on "end task" at the bottom. Voilà!

[PuShErD]

So, the solution I found for working in Windows 11, is to run the troubleshooter, and change the settings of OO to run in Windows 8 Compatibility mode.

Windows 8 compatibility mode is a feature that allows you to run older programs that may not work properly on Windows 812.To turn on or change compatibility mode, you need to:
Right-click on the program icon or shortcut file and select Properties.
Click the Compatibility tab.
Check the box for the Run this program in compatibility mode for option.
Select the version of Windows that the program is compatible with from the drop-down menu.
Click Apply and OK.