WD6X: "Too Many Subdocuments Open" in a MacWord Master Document (131843)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0
- Microsoft Word for the Macintosh 6.0.1
This article was previously published under Q131843 SYMPTOMS
You get an error message stating that you have too many subdocuments open.
CAUSECase 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.
WORKAROUNDCase 1
Increase the amount of available memory by doing one of the following:
Install additional memory.
-or-
Quit any other applications.
-or-
Reduce the amount of memory allocated to Word to allow the System software
to expand into the memory area as needed.
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.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 12/15/1999 |
|---|
| Keywords: | kbenv kberrmsg kbprb KB131843 |
|---|
|