Forum Discussion
Multiple word documents are open simultaneously causing performance issues.
Does anyone know what the optimal size of Word documents should be if you have multiple word documents open simultaneously? I frequently access two Word documents at are about 800KB each. When I have both open, I notice a significant performance degradation when I do searches, add/modify/delete contact, toggle between the documents. This really impacts my productivity. I am wondering I should reduce the size of these files or move them to a different drive or memory stick to improve performance. I don't want to break these documents up yet given that instead of having two Word documents open, I might have four Word documents open simultaneously and still have the performance issues. I have performed online repairs of Microsoft 365 and checked my addins but nothing seems to help.
1 Reply
I believed there is no defined “optimal size” for Word documents, as performance issues are typically driven by factors such as complex formatting, extensive tracked changes, embedded objects, or limitations in system resources rather than the file’s raw size. A document of approximately 800KB is relatively small, so the slowdown you are experiencing is likely attributable to these other elements. Splitting the files or relocating them to a different drive is unlikely to yield significant improvements; instead, the focus should be on streamlining document structure and optimizing system configurations.
