WD97: Error Message or Word Quits When You Attempt to Split Table Cells (243911)

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to split a cell in a table, Microsoft Word 97 may quit unexpectedly, or you may receive the following error message

WINWORD.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program.

and then Word quits.

NOTE: If Dr. Watson is running, you may receive a Dr. Watson error.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if you first protect the document for forms, you then unprotect the document, and you then select an empty cell before you split the cell, as in the following example:

Start Word 97, and then create a new document.
On the Table menu, click Insert Table.
In the Insert Table dialog box, accept the defaults, and then click OK.
On the Tools menu, click Protect Document.
In the Protect Document dialog box, click Forms, and then click OK.
On the Tools menu, click Unprotect Document.
Double-click an empty table cell to select the cell (the cell turns dark).
On the Table menu, click Split Cells. Word quits unexpectedly, and you may receive an Invalid Page Fault (IPF) in Winword.exe.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1

Instead of selecting a cell to split, place the insertion point inside the cell that you want, and then on the Table menu, click Split Cells.

Method 2

After you unprotect the document, and before you attempt to split the table cell, change the Zoom setting on the standard toolbar (to any new setting); after you split the table cell, return the Zoom setting to the setting that you want.

Method 3

After you unprotect the document, and before you attempt to split the table cell, on the View menu, click Web Layout, and then click Normal.