Information Systems

Technology Tips

Microsoft Office Issue

The Information Systems Help Desk received several reports April 12, 2006 about users having difficulty opening and saving Microsoft Office documents. The issue is related to a recent Windows Update pushed to ThinkPads on the campus network. If you have experienced problems opening or saving Microsoft Office documents, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, please read the following information and follow the instructions below to resolve the issue.

At this time, we do not believe this issue is related to any worm, virus, or spyware.

If you need additional help, please contact your RTA at xRTAS, or the Information Systems Help Desk at xHELP (x4357). Note that the Help Desk is closed for the holiday on Friday, April 14.

What is the problem?

When affected users attempt to open or save a Microsoft Office document, the application stalls.

How do I fix it?

If a document stalls during a save or autosave you must first end the "verclsid.exe" process then delete the file.

End the process by following these steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete
2. Select Task Manager
3. Select the Processes tab
4. Look for file "verclsid.exe"
5. Highlight the file name and select End Process (note that there may be multiple instances of the file running)

Delete the file by following these steps:

1. Double-click My Computer on the Desktop
2. Double-click on the C: drive
3. Open the WINDOWS folder
4. Open system32 folder
5. Highlight file “ verclsid.exe ” (files listed alphabetically)
6. Right-click and select Delete

As a reminder, back up your data regularly to avoid loss of important information on your ThinkPad!