Why is first font action v-e-r-y slow?
 

I have WinXP SP2 with Office 2003 [2]. Each time I start
Excel or Word (and probably others), when I first do
anything font-related, it takes several seconds (sometimes
12 sec or more) to complete. Thereafter, the font actions
are immediate.

What is causing this delay? More importantly, how can I
avoid it?

By "font actions", I mean: pull down the font list on a
taskbar; click on the font tab under Format / Cells; click
on bold or italics on the taskbar.

I believe the font delay is caused by some network activity
-- perhaps a network search (for font updates?).

I come to that conclusion because the font delay goes away
if I disconnect the LAN cable before starting the application.

I suspect/hope this network search is configurable and can
be disabled.

I come to that conclusion based on two facts:

1. When I log on a local user id, there is no font delay,
even with the network connected. Thus, I suspect a
user-specific configuration.

(The user id with the errant behavior belongs to a
networked domain, if that is the right terminology.)

2. I learned that another network search "feature" can
be disabled easily. (See footnote [1] if you want to
avoid search delays using the Office Assistant in Excel.)

But I have been unable to find a Tools / Options or Font
Properties option that would control this (mis)behavior.


-----

[1] When I use Office Assistant in Excel, it would always
search Microsoft Office Online for help information,
which caused interminable delays. I disabled the
network search by doing the following:

- Click Help / Microsoft Excel Help / Online Content
Settings

- Deselect "Show content and links from Microsoft
Office Online"

Note: This was unnecessary when I had Win2002 with
Excel 2002. The default changed with WinXP and Excel
2003 [2].

[2] WinXP 2000 SP2
Excel 2003 (11.6355.6360) SP1

Note: My computer was set up with an environment
that is centrally administered over the network.
I do not know the details. But it could contribute
to the (mis)behavior, for example by setting up
"default" options that might differ from standard
MSWin XP and MS Office 2003. I simply do not know.

any time any program runs, depending on the program design, it is typical
for not all of a program to be loaded into memory at once.

bits and pieces are loaded when needed.

depending on how the code runs, and other apps running, if you are lucky,
those pieces will be in memory the next time you need them, so use
thereafter will be much faster.

for example, the first time you run any word macro of any reasonable size,
word has to "compile" the code, but run the macro again, and, if it is still
in memory things will run faster.

Ditto for loading userforms.

--
http://www.standards.com/; See Howard Kaikow's web site.
wrote in message
ups.com...
I have WinXP SP2 with Office 2003 [2]. Each time I start
Excel or Word (and probably others), when I first do
anything font-related, it takes several seconds (sometimes
12 sec or more) to complete. Thereafter, the font actions
are immediate.

What is causing this delay? More importantly, how can I
avoid it?

By "font actions", I mean: pull down the font list on a
taskbar; click on the font tab under Format / Cells; click
on bold or italics on the taskbar.

I believe the font delay is caused by some network activity
-- perhaps a network search (for font updates?).

I come to that conclusion because the font delay goes away
if I disconnect the LAN cable before starting the application.

I suspect/hope this network search is configurable and can
be disabled.

I come to that conclusion based on two facts:

1. When I log on a local user id, there is no font delay,
even with the network connected. Thus, I suspect a
user-specific configuration.

(The user id with the errant behavior belongs to a
networked domain, if that is the right terminology.)

2. I learned that another network search "feature" can
be disabled easily. (See footnote [1] if you want to
avoid search delays using the Office Assistant in Excel.)

But I have been unable to find a Tools / Options or Font
Properties option that would control this (mis)behavior.


-----

[1] When I use Office Assistant in Excel, it would always
search Microsoft Office Online for help information,
which caused interminable delays. I disabled the
network search by doing the following:

- Click Help / Microsoft Excel Help / Online Content
Settings

- Deselect "Show content and links from Microsoft
Office Online"

Note: This was unnecessary when I had Win2002 with
Excel 2002. The default changed with WinXP and Excel
2003 [2].

[2] WinXP 2000 SP2
Excel 2003 (11.6355.6360) SP1

Note: My computer was set up with an environment
that is centrally administered over the network.
I do not know the details. But it could contribute
to the (mis)behavior, for example by setting up
"default" options that might differ from standard
MSWin XP and MS Office 2003. I simply do not know.

I wrote:
I have WinXP SP2 with Office 2003 [2]. Each time I start
Excel or Word (and probably others), when I first do
anything font-related, it takes several seconds (sometimes
12 sec or more) to complete. Thereafter, the font actions
are immediate.
What is causing this delay? More importantly, how can I
avoid it?

The problem was due to the fact that the default printer
was a network device. When I set the default printer to
a local device, the problem went away.

I also learned that there is a way to install the network
printer so that there is no delay.

In the Add Printer Wizard, instead of selecting "network
printer", I select "local printer", then use "create port
(local port)" with the path "\\serverName\printerName".

Printing works. And no delay when doing the first
font-related action. The only downside is: it is awkward
to delete and reinstall the same printer later. But that
is probably a rare need, I think.