error message

[mike815]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I am trying to sync my documents on my imac with those on my macbook using a sync program (chronosync). All the documents copied, but none of them will open. I get this error message.

"Word cannot open this document. The document might be in use or might not be a valid Word document."

I re-installed Word. I updated it to 12.1.4. But I still can't open those documents. I also get the message that my database cannot be accessed. I don't use Entourage, but Mac's address book. Why will it not read that database? It does on the imac.

Answers?

 

[John McGhie]

I am not really sure, but the error you are getting indicates either than
the file is corrupt, or that the logged-in user does not have permission to
open it.

If you re-install Word, you are likely to make this problem ten times worse,
because you are then likely to get pieces of the Office software out of
synch with each other.

I think you might need to run the "Remove Office" utility to fully remove
the software, then re-install from that, then re-apply the updates. This
will put your software back to the state it was in.

Then you need to "repair permissions" on your boot volume to straighten out
the Unix file permissions.

Then you need to tell us which type of files you are trying to access (Word
Document is not sufficient, we need to know if they're .doc or .docx).

The "Entourage Database" is used to link together a heap of things in Mac
Office: effectively none of the products will run if they can't open the
database. The database was upgraded by one of the service packs, so until
you have reapplied all the service packs, indeed it "won't" open.

Cheers

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I am trying to sync my documents on my imac with those on my macbook using a
sync program (chronosync). All the documents copied, but none of them will
open. I get this error message.

"Word cannot open this document. The document might be in use or might not be
a valid Word document."

I re-installed Word. I updated it to 12.1.4. But I still can't open those
documents. I also get the message that my database cannot be accessed. I don't
use Entourage, but Mac's address book. Why will it not read that database? It
does on the imac.

Answers?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[mike815]

I did remove Office and re-install from the start. It works fine, now. I also repaired permissions. The Word documents were all .docx. After permissions were fixed, everything opens on the Macbook, although I ended up syncing with an external HD.

Database now operational - after service pack installed.

you're a genius!

One more question: on my imac, for unexplained reasons, the main Office icons will not stay on the dock. Yes, I click "Keep in dock," but no matter what I do, they disappear when the application quits. It only happens to Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. Messenger icon remains in dock. A real mystery.

 

[John McGhie]

Glad you got it running!

I didn't know that you could add icons to the dock that way I have
always simply dragged the application file to the doc, which adds an icone
whether the application is running or not.

Hope that helps

I did remove Office and re-install from the start. It works fine, now. I also
repaired permissions. The Word documents were all .docx. After permissions
were fixed, everything opens on the Macbook, although I ended up syncing with
an external HD.

Database now operational - after service pack installed.

you're a genius!

One more question: on my imac, for unexplained reasons, the main Office icons
will not stay on the dock. Yes, I click "Keep in dock," but no matter what I
do, they disappear when the application quits. It only happens to Word,
Powerpoint, and Excel. Messenger icon remains in dock. A real mystery.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[mike815]

Nope, when dragged onto the Dock, they stay for a few seconds, and then disappear unless I choose to open them. Then they stay until I quit, and disappear again. I can only open them again by going to applications and finding the Office folder.

 

[John McGhie]

When I said "Application file" I meant the ".app" file that contains the
executable, not the document

Nope, when dragged onto the Dock, they stay for a few seconds, and then
disappear unless I choose to open them. Then they stay until I quit, and
disappear again. I can only open them again by going to applications and
finding the Office folder.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[mike815]

Yes, that's what I mean. The application file for Word and Powerpoint and Excel will not stay in the dock. I've tried running a test user account, and it works in there, but not in my main account. I also took the microsoft .plist files out and restarted, and the dock plist file out and restarted - still the same problem. It's not a Mac problem, but an Office problem, I'm sure. I uninstalled Office, re-installed from scratch, updated the files - same problem. I also tried just installing the dock installer - no dice. If you can figure this out, you get all the kudos!

 

[John McGhie]

Sorry, I "can't" figure it out. But I can tell you it is not an Office
problem.

I am not sure how many .plists are involved with the Doc, but one of the
ones for the Dock in that user account has gone bad. You will need to find
it and euthanize it.

Sorry

Yes, that's what I mean. The application file for Word and Powerpoint and
Excel will not stay in the dock. I've tried running a test user account, and
it works in there, but not in my main account. I also took the microsoft
.plist files out and restarted, and the dock plist file out and restarted -
still the same problem. It's not a Mac problem, but an Office problem, I'm
sure. I uninstalled Office, re-installed from scratch, updated the files -
same problem. I also tried just installing the dock installer - no dice. If
you can figure this out, you get all the kudos!

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]