Knowledge Base

Troubleshooting Guide: Master Document Error Messages

Article ID: 113908

Article Last Modified on 8/16/2005

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Word 6.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Word 6.0a
Microsoft Word 6.0c
Microsoft Word 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft Word 95a

This article was previously published under Q113908

SYMPTOMS

When you are editing a master document and its subdocuments, the following errors may occur when you save the master document in Word:

Case 1: Disk is Full or Write-Protected

You receive one of the following error messages:

Word cannot save or create this file. Make sure the disk is not write protected.

-or-

The disk is full or too many files are open.

NOTE: The save operation will fail and sometimes one or more of your subdocuments may be deleted.

Case 2: Insufficient Memory

Word has insufficient memory. Do you want to save <filename> as RESCUE.DOC? WARNING: This operation will save all text in the master document, but not its structure.

Case 3: Error Message on Novell Network

Too many subdocuments open" when working with a master and subdocuments on a Novell network.

CAUSE

Case 1: Maximum Number of Files or Filesize Exceeded

The maximum file size and number of subdocuments in a master document varies depending on your computer and how much memory is available. Generally, a master document cannot contain more than 20 subdocuments, even though the "Microsoft Word User's Guide" states on page 534 that the maximum size of the master document plus its subdocuments is 32 MB and 80 subdocuments.

These limits relate directly to the number of available Windows file handles. The Case 1 errors occur when the supply of available Windows file handles is exhausted.

When either Case 1 error occurs, Word does not complete the Save operation. Word begins the Save operation by renaming the subdocuments to temporary (.TMP) filenames, but when the Save operation fails, Word may not rename one or more of the subdocument .TMP files back to the original document name (normally, Word renames the .TMP files back to the original document name once the Save operation is complete). When you quit Word, some of the .TMP files may be deleted, which means some subdocuments may be erased.

IMPORTANT: This problem occurs due to a Windows system file handle limitation. This problem may not occur in Word 6.0 for other operating systems, such as Word 6.0 for the Macintosh or Word 6.0 for Windows NT. For additional information about Word 6.0 for the Macintosh, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

131843 Too Many Subdocuments Open in a MacWord 6.0 Master Document

The following operations and conditions consume Windows file handles:

Subdocuments: Each subdocument consumes two or more file handles.
Editing: Each "dirty" subdocument consumes additional file handles for the editing and for the Undo stack.
Links and Embedded Objects: The Case 1 errors occur frequently in files that contain a large number of links and embedded objects.

Case 2: Out of System Resources

The Case 2 error occurs if Word runs out of allotted system resources during the save operation. If you choose Yes, Word saves the contents of the document as RESCUE.DOC, but it is a normal Word document instead of a master document. If you choose the Continue button, you may have insufficient resources to save any of your work. If you choose No, Word closes the file and discards the unsaved changes.

Case 3: Novell Network

The Novell 32-bit client is out-of-date or damaged.

WORKAROUND

Case 1: Save your Master Document in the RTF Format

To save your master document after the errors occur, choose Save As from the File menu and select Rich Text Format (RTF) in the File Save As Type list.

Case 1 is partially fixed in Word 6.0c for Windows. In Word 6.0c, a master document may still exhaust the supply of available Windows file handles. However, when you save, Word 6.0c checks the number of available file handles as it performs the save and displays an error message if it cannot save the next subdocument due to insufficient available file handles. 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 6.0c prevents the loss of subdocuments that may occur in Word 6.0 and 6.0a. For additional information about obtaining Word 6.0c, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

120573 Word 6.0c for Windows: List of Fixed Problems

Case 2: Recover Your Work

Use one of the following methods to recover your work after the Case 2 error occurs:

If you haven't made many changes in the master document, you can choose No when Word prompts you to save as RESCUE.DOC. You can then open and re-edit the previous version of the master document.

-or-

Choose Yes to save the document as RESCUE.DOC. You can either reformat RESCUE.DOC as a master document, or you can use the text of RESCUE.DOC to re-edit the previous version of the master document.

WARNING: It does not help to repeatedly try to save your document. In fact, repeated attempts to save the document may increase the likelihood of losing a subdocument. Instead, use one of the above workarounds to get out of the current situation, then use the suggestions in the "Troubleshooting" section below to avoid this problem in the future.

Case 3: Upgrade the Novell Client

Upgrade the Novell 32-bit client, or use Microsoft's Netware client in Windows 95.