MS Word still crashing ... please help

I've got a serious problem with MS Word. It started a few weeks ago and I've backtracked and tried to eliminate the problem by following every piece of info I could find on the threads here and elsewhere. Any help would be appreciated and in particular if I could find out where MS Word is stashing it's error messages (i've looked in console and system) maybe I can get a bit further on my issue resolution.

My problem is as stated in several other threads....when I start word (either from the applications icon or by opening up an existing document) it bounces on my dock for a bit then just disappears. The first time opening it after a restart it bounces for a bit longer (about 5 secs) than any subsequent time without a reboot (about 1 sec).

I've updated office and osx, cleaned out my fonts, removed all font caches, removed flip4mac and perian, booted in safe mode and tried to start it. Basically just about everything I've read in the threads.

I'm using NeoOffice, but have been for a while so I don't think that is the issue. I'm down to using word in parallels when I need features that I just can't get in NeoOffice. MS Office under parallels is painfully slow and is such a memory hog I can't seriously multi-task while parallels is open....

Intel Core2Duo, 3GB, etc etc

 

I'm not sure if that is the problem as I did have some other powerpc apps running (I was running Norton, but I've since uninstalled it).

 

Nope. Same issue. The icon bounces in the dock for a few seconds and then just disappears. Anybody know where the log file may be?

 

Doh!

So I nuked every MS thing I could find. Inserted the CD into the drive and it brings up a splash with an application called "Office Setup Assistant" which you are to double-click to install. It behaves the same way that the Office apps were. It bounces on the dock for a few seconds and stops. Now I don't have office installed at all (which isn't really a problem as it wasn't working before).

Still seeking log location or other troubleshooting suggestions.

Thanks.....
boz

 

I initially appzapped the MS apps, then nuked the Office2004 folder. Then I combed through the filesystem manually Macintosh HD/Library/etc and ~/Library/etc...

I'm pretty sure it is clean of any file that the install would have created as well as any preference files and any other cache type files.

No luck.

From another thread....sounds like the same issue....

 

Don't think so. But just to check I reloaded Norton Antivirus and it is running fine (it runs under Rosetta).

Other suggestions?