How to troubleshoot Office for Mac documents that open more slowly than expected (892959)

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Conflicting startup items

You can use Safe Mode to troubleshoot performance issues in Mac OS X 10.2 or later versions and to determine whether there are conflicting startup items.

This method requires that you move the /Library/StartupItems folder. This folder only exists if software has been installed that requires the software to start when the computer starts. Antivirus software and font management software are the most common applications that install items in this folder.

To start the computer in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

1. Move the startup items. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Create a folder on your desktop. Name the folder Startup Items.
      
      Note Make sure that you type a space between "Startup" and "Items" in the folder name.
   2. Locate the following folder: Mac HD/Library/StartupItems.
   3. Move the Mac HD/Library/StartupItems folder into the Startup Items folder that you created on the desktop.
   4. Close all windows that are open.
2. Restart your computer. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Shut down your computer.
   2. Press the power button.
   3. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, press and hold the SHIFT key.
      
      Note Press and hold the SHIFT key as soon as possible after the startup tone starts but not before it starts.
   4. Release the SHIFT key when you see the gray Apple and the progress indicator. The progress indicator looks similar to a spinning gear.
   5. During the startup process, you will see the words "Safe Boot" on the Mac OS X startup screen. Then, follow these steps:
      1. If the Mac OS X operating system is configured to display the Login screen at startup, log on as the user who is running the Office for Mac software. Otherwise, skip this step.
      2. Immediately press the SHIFT key. This will bypass any startup items that are in the StartupItems folder.
   6. Start the Office for Mac program, and then test to see if the document still opens slowly.

After you finish performing the previous troubleshooting steps, restore the startup items. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Startup Items folder that is on your desktop.
2. Move the StartupItems folder to the Mac HD/Library folder.
3. Restart your computer.

When you perform a Safe Boot, the following things occur:

• Safe Boot forces a directory check of the startup volume.
• Safe Boot loads only required kernel extensions. Required kernel extensions are those items that are in the /System/Library/Extensions folder.
• Safe Boot runs only Apple-installed startup items. Some of theses items are in the /Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems folders. These items are different from logon items.
• If your computer uses an AirPort card, the card will be disabled.

For more information about Safe Mode and Safe Boot, visit the following Apple Web site:

Network delays in an Active Directory environment

Delays in opening a document may occur when a computer is bound to a domain through Active Directory. Make sure that your routers have all their updates installed. Also, examine the routers' network speeds. Additionally, try disconnecting your network connection to see if this resolves the issue.

Corrupted service discovery protocol configurations

There are other service discovery protocols besides Active Directory that are supported by Mac OS X. These include NetInfo, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) version 3, and Network Information Services (NIS). Programs and documents may open very slowly if one or more of the following conditions are true:

• These protocols are not configured correctly.
• There is corruption in the protocols themselves.
• There is a high level of network traffic.

Directory connections that are open through NetInfo to Mac OS X servers can also cause the same slowness that you may experience with Active Directory. To test to see if the service discovery configurations are causing this issue, follow these steps:

1. On the Go menu, click Utilities.
2. Start the Directory Access program.
3. Click the Services tab.
4. If the lock icon is locked, click the lock icon. Then, enter a name and a password for an administrator.
5. Click to clear any service check boxes that are selected.
6. Click Apply.
7. Click the lock icon to lock the Directory Access program.
8. Quit Directory Access.
9. Start the Office for Mac program, and then test to see if the document still opens slowly.

For more information about how to disable NetInfo and LDAP connections, visit the following Apple Web site:

Permissions issues

You can use the Repair Disk Permissions feature to troubleshoot permissions issues in Mac OS X 10.2 or later versions. If the permissions for your Microsoft software are incorrect, the Office for Mac programs may start slowly. Or, the Office for Mac programs may perform slowly after they start.

To use the Repair Disk Permissions feature, follow these steps:

1. On the Go menu, click Utilities.
2. Start the Disk Utility program.
3. Click the primary hard disk for your computer.
4. Click the First Aid tab.
5. Click Repair Disk Permissions.

Note The Disk Utility program only repairs software that is installed by Apple and that is in the Applications folder.

For more information about the Repair Disk Permissions feature, visit the following Apple Web site:

A Mac OS X firewall that has been enabled

When you quit an Office for Mac program, the program uses an Internet connection to validate the software registration for that program. If the Mac OS X firewall is enabled, the default firewall settings will block this outgoing transmission. This causes the program to stop responding for up to two minutes before continuing on and quitting. To determine whether the Mac OS X firewall is enabled, follow these steps:

1. On the Apple menu, click System Preferences.
2. Click Sharing.
3. Click Stop.
4. Close the System Preferences window.
5. Start the Office for Mac program, and then test to see if the document still opens slowly.

Add-ins for Office programs

Some add-ins may cause Office programs to slow down when you open or close a document. Or, some add-ins may cause Office programs to slow down when you open or close document-specific items and menus. Typically, most add-ins are located in the Startup folder for each program. When you start a program, any add-ins that are in the Startup folder for that program are automatically loaded into the program. By removing these add-ins, you can determine whether they are causing the program to slow down.

To remove these add-ins, follow these steps:

1. Quit all Office for Mac programs.
2. Create a new folder on your desktop. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Finder on the Dock.
   2. On the File menu, click New Folder.
   3. Name this folder Startup Items.
3. Locate and then open the Microsoft Office X or Microsoft Office 2004 folder on your computer. Typically, this folder is located in the following folder:

   Mac HD/Applications

4. Open the Office folder, and then open the Startup folder.
5. On the View menu, click as Columns.
6. Click the Excel folder.
7. Drag any items that are in this folder into the Startup Items folder that you created in step 2.
8. Click the PowerPoint folder.
9. Drag any items that are in this folder into the Startup Items folder.
10. Click the Word folder.
11. Drag any items that are in this folder into the Startup Items folder.

Additional troubleshooting

For additional information about how to troubleshoot Office for Mac issues, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: