# Irritating Error With Text-Editing Programs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-error-with-text-editing-programs/176928>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 23, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-error-with-text-editing-programs/176928 "2003-05-23T00:00:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-error-with-text-editing-programs/176928/1 "2003-05-23T00:00:19Z")

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Before anything, I’ll give the message.

> [@](#):
>
> The Instruction at “0x1c001516” referenced memory at “0x011b0010”. The memory could not be “read”.
> 
> Click on OK to terminate the program

It appeared a while ago, concurrently with my printer suddenly deciding not to print. I’ve done a virus scan, which has turned up nothing. The message appears when I try to open any Word-based program (including Outlook Express). After I hit OK, I get another message.

> [@](#):
>
> Norton Antivirus
> 
> The document C:\Documents and Setting\Adam\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\Normal.dot is still infected.  
> Do you want to delete this file?

If I hit yes, it opens. If I hit no, it opens. What’s wrong?

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-error-with-text-editing-programs/176928/2 "2003-05-23T00:38:27Z")

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[This KB article](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;271343) recommends installing the latest service packs and patches. You can get them from [Office Update](http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates/mainCatalog.aspx).

If you’ve already done that then rename **normal.dot** to something else and open Word. It should create a fresh copy. If this keeps happening then you might have a virus that Norton isn’t getting rid of. Have you used LiveUpdate to get the latest definitions?

You might want to get a second opinion. [Housecall](http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_pcc.asp) is worth a shot.

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-error-with-text-editing-programs/176928/3 "2003-05-23T22:16:54Z")

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Now it won’t let me open anything. It cancelled the Houscall and the Product update sites…

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-error-with-text-editing-programs/176928/4 "2003-05-23T23:00:49Z")

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Okay, it seems to have infected everything in my computer, and any new files I download seem to be infected as well (I can’t install anything off of the net). Needless to say, I’m getting a little worried, though I have nothing to worry about if I have to reformat, since I can back up all of my documents - the important stuff.

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**Author:** ![jbird3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@jbird3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbird3000)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irritating-error-with-text-editing-programs/176928/5 "2003-05-24T00:08:08Z")

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Try going to [http://www.symantec.com/search/](http://www.symantec.com/search/) and searching for “normal.dot is still infected”. It gives you a couple ideas.