On 2 Equal Docs, "Word Count" Doesn't Match

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Rafael Montserrat - 18 Apr 2008 23:09 GMT

OS 10.4.11
Ibook G4
1.5 GB Ram
Word 2004

Hi,

Somethings wrong with my "Tools>Word Count". I have two word documents that
should have the same number of words. But Word Count says I have 16,429
words on one, and 17,272 on the other. That's an 843 word difference. On
the other hand, Word Count says that both have the same number of lines:
1706 lines.

I have matched page to page with both documents on the screen and they match
perfectly. Word Count says that each have 56 pages, and the last paragraphs
on page 56 of each document match across from each other at the same place.
There are the same six paragraphs on page 56 of each document.

Strange. Or is there some reason?

Thanks,

Rafael

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John McGhie - 24 Apr 2008 13:36 GMT

Hi Rafael:

There will be a reason that the word count is out by that much.

I would look for:

* Unresolved tracked changes
* Hidden text
* Comments
* Field codes

Cheers

On 19/04/08 7:09 AM, in article C42E6A1C.643A%rmnospam@abc.com, "Rafael
Montserrat" <rmnospam@abc.com> wrote:

> OS 10.4.11
> Ibook G4
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Rafael

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Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:john@mcghie.name

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Rafael Montserrat - 29 Apr 2008 00:12 GMT

Hi John.

I never use tracked changes, only fooled around a little with it a few years
ago.

By hidden text do you mean 'non-printing characters'?

I don't use 'comments' or 'Field codes' either.

Might I have done something inadvertently in those four categories you list,
and if so how would I track down what's making the error in word count?

Thanks, Rafael

On 4/24/08 5:36 AM, in article C436B4E5.123B5%john@mcghie.name, "John
McGhie" <john@mcghie.name> wrote:

> Hi Rafael:
>
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
>>
>> Rafael

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John McGhie - 29 Apr 2008 11:56 GMT

Hi Rafael:

Well, the words are "somewhere". Let's try a Maggie:

The Maggie:

1. Create a new blank document
2. Carefully select all of the text in the bad document EXCEPT the last
paragraph mark
3. Copy it.
4. Paste in the new document.
5. Save under a new file name and close all, then re-open.

This technique for de-corrupting is known as "Doing a 'Maggie'", after
Margaret Secara from the Word PC-L mailing list who first publicised the
technique.

Let me know if anything changes...

Cheers

On 29/04/08 8:42 AM, in article C43BA7EB.6658%rmnospam@abc.com, "Rafael
Montserrat" <rmnospam@abc.com> wrote:

> Hi John.
>
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
>>>
>>> Rafael

Signature

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Phillip Jones - 30 Apr 2008 00:24 GMT

Hey you forget to tell every one before doing Maggie to click on the
hidden characters icon (resembles a backwards musical note) to see the
hidden characters so they can tell when they have selected all but the
lats Paragraph Mark

> Hi Rafael:
>
[quoted text clipped - 76 lines]
>>>>
>>>> Rafael

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Rafael Montserrat - 30 Apr 2008 19:35 GMT

Thanks, Phillip, Rafael

On 4/29/08 4:24 PM, in article #1#SeAlqIHA.2292@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,

> Hey you forget to tell every one before doing Maggie to click on the
> hidden characters icon (resembles a backwards musical note) to see the
[quoted text clipped - 85 lines]
>>>>>
>>>>> Rafael

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Rafael Montserrat - 30 Apr 2008 19:34 GMT

OK John,

I remember that last paragraph mark thing from some time ago. But when you
say "bad document", I don't recall saying that one of the two was 'bad',
just that the word count differred.

For this problem, I should have logged which two documents I was working on,
because now I don't remember.

Does corruption here refer to one word document only?

Thanks, Rafael

On 4/29/08 3:56 AM, in article C43D34F8.12E10%john@mcghie.name, "John
McGhie" <john@mcghie.name> wrote:

> Hi Rafael:
>
[quoted text clipped - 79 lines]
>>>>
>>>> Rafael

Reply to this Message

John McGhie - 02 May 2008 10:35 GMT

Hi Rafael:

This really isn't rocket science, don't make too much of a meal of it :-)

If one document apparently has all the text it "should" have in it, and the
other document apparently has "the same" text, yet has a much higher
word-count, it is reasonable to assume that the second document is corrupt.

If you Maggie it, you will find out for sure.

The excess words could be hidden in a number of different places: a Maggie
will clean out most of them.

Another way to find them is to save both documents out as Text Only, then
run a Compare Document on them both. The excess words (if they existed as
'text'...) will be immediately visible in the result.

Cheers

On 1/05/08 4:04 AM, in article C43E09CC.68C7%rmnospam@abc.com, "Rafael
Montserrat" <rmnospam@abc.com> wrote:

> OK John,
>
[quoted text clipped - 96 lines]
>>>>>
>>>>> Rafael

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Mac Forum / Applications / Word / May 2008

On 2 Equal Docs, "Word Count" Doesn't Match