Recover from a Corrupted Normal Template
The Problem:
Word starts more or less okay, but then it begins to misbehave: I get either long periods of nonresponse between intervals of normal behavior, or an unexpected quitsometimes with an error message, sometimes without. I'm really not enjoying this.
The Solution:
Your Normal template might well have become corrupted. Quit Word if it's running, navigate to the ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data folder (for Word 2004) or the /Applications/Microsoft Office X/Templates folder (for Word X), rename Normal to another name (for example, BadNormal), and then start Word again. If Word runs stably and responsively, you've nailed the problem.
If your old Normal template contains code or customizations that you want to keep, choose Tools 
Macro Macros, click the Organizer button, and use the four tabs of the Organizer dialog box to copy the styles, AutoText entries, toolbars, and macro project items from your old Normal template (BadNormal) to the new Normal template. After you close the Organizer dialog box, Shift-click the File menu and choose Save All, and then save your Normal template if Word prompts you to do so.