TechCommunity Report — Word extremely slow to open files (now resolved)
Issue summary Starting on March 22nd, Word became extremely slow when opening any .docx file (even new empty files). A document that normally opens in 5 seconds suddenly required 8–10 minutes. The issue affected all my devices (Windows PC, mobile, and Word Online). Symptoms observed Word took several minutes to open any file, including newly created ones Word Online displayed “servers are busy” errors My Microsoft account portals sometimes failed to load or did not recognize my identity The issue appeared immediately after an Office update on March 22nd PowerPoint and other Office apps were unaffected Another software opened the same files much quicker Reinstalling Office, repairing Office, and attempting System Restore did not fix the issue Key diagnostic findings The problem was not related to my files (another free online software opened them much quicker) The problem was not local to my PC (same behavior on mobile and Word Online) The issue was clearly linked to Microsoft cloud services or the March 22nd Word build System Restore failed, but the issue persisted exactly the same afterward The problem disappeared suddenly without any local change Resolution The issue resolved itself spontaneously. A document that previously took 10 minutes to open now opens in 5 seconds again. This strongly suggests that the root cause was on Microsoft’s side (cloud service dependency or faulty build). Current configuration After reinstalling Office, I am now on: Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 Version 2408 — Build 16.0.17928.20148 (64-bit) This build is stable and does not exhibit the issue Request If possible, could Microsoft confirm whether there was a service degradation or a problematic build released around March 22nd? This would help users understand the root cause and avoid unnecessary troubleshooting. Thank you.
Is there an acceptable method to convert pub to docx?
Unfortunately Microsoft has decided to end Publisher. So users are forced to find methods both for archiving old files and converting current files to be able to continue working. For the first PDF will most likely be the easiest. For the second I've been trying to find a converter. This proves to be a challenge. And the results have been very unsatisfactory so far. My main publication is a brochure which is printed double-sided on A4 paper, stapled and then folded to A5 size. The publication contains 99% text boxes (with formatted text) and pictures. Here and there a shape like a horizontal line. All things that Word definitely supports. So converting it should be a no-brainer - at least I thought so. Of course Publisher can save as DOCX. Unfortunately the function only supports plain text. So the text boxes are removed, which means a lot of manual rework. Also the text isn't converted continuously. For exapmle the text that was on the first sheet in my Publisher file, ended up on page 5 in Word. Bottom line: not acceptable. Microsoft therefore don't even refer to that save function in their official communication to Publisher retirement. They suggest a workaround instead: save the file as a PDF and open it with Word. The suggestion is embarrassing enough, since it implies that Microsoft are unable to provide suitable conversion between their own formats. I tested it anyway. But the layout ends up in Word in a way that requires a lot of manual rework. Tab stops are partially removed, page margins are shifted. The pagination is also incorrect, so that some pages are half empty. Bottom line: not acceptable. Also tried some online converters. Unfortunately the results haven't been satisfying either. Most of them convert text boxes into shapes with integrated text boxes. And even worse: big text boxes are often split into several smaller boxes. In any case there still remains a lot of manual rework. Bottom line: halfway acceptable. Disappoiting Conclusion: At present, I consider it the best option to rebuild the file from scratch in Word using Copy-Paste. If someone knows a better method, would be happy to hear about it.STOCKHISTORY and Stock Data not working
Is it only me? Or everyone else having the same problem? My Excel 365 cannot use STOCKHISTORY Function anymore. It shows #connect! Error. Also, I cannot use the stock data anymore. (The other data types are not functioning as well.) (The error message says "Sorry, we are having a temporary server error. We are trying to fix this problem.") Is it only me? Or everyone else is having this problem?
combine multiple text into single line of text
Hi is there a way to combine all the cells into a single cell (of text) ignoring the duplicates/repeat values. i know concatenate but that function becomes very lengthy as ill have to define every cell into the function individually. is there any other function where i simply select the entire data (like an array) and it can do the required.
Allow removal of "Copilot Suggestions" from right-click menu
I have been using Excel for decades and CONSTANTLY use the right-click menu for quick access to basic functions (e.g., "Insert"). Ever since "Copilot Suggestions" was added to the drop-down list, it always throws me off due to its placement. I have Microsoft 365 on Windows 11 Pro. I have searched for ways to remove this from appearing there and the result said "go to File > Options > Copilot and uncheck the 'Enable Copilot' box". However, when I attempt to do that, there is NO "Copilot" option available! PLEASE allow removal of "Copilot Suggestions" from the right-click menu OR at least the option to move it to the bottom (so it isn't in the way of things used ALL the time). I realize that Copilot is a great resource for many users, but I am confident in my Excel skills and in my ability to research/learn new skills the "old school" way, so I have little use for this feature now and would prefer to hide it.Microsoft 365 error 7q6ch , can't login to my microsoft account
Microsoft 365 for business account, getting a microsoft popup box everytime I open office to login. I enter my email address and the next screen is always an error "7q6ch" . I can login to office.com no problem. This error will not go away no matter what I do and here's what've done- removed all microsoft credentials, logged out of microsoft account, removed all accounts in settings, signed out of office, rand scannow, ran the fixes to delete the folders in app data, online repair, quick repair, ran the cmd promp and powershell fix, made a new profile, I uninstalled and reinstalled office, keep getting this popup. The only option I'm seeing is to wipe my computer which I really don't want to do. It's a windows 11 pro laptop I downloaded the office setup file from my office account and it's up to date. I believe this stems from microsoft making me enter an account in order to setup my computer and since it doesn't allow work email addresses I had to use my personal account which then logs in to app automatically and the computer get confused. I need help please, any suggestion or fixes are appreciated, thanks
