Error opening .doc files from the desktop folder

[Paul B]

If I save a Word 03 .doc to desktop in WinXPH, when I click on
the desktop icon to open it I get the error message "The command
cannot be performed because a dialog box is open. Click OK, and
then close open dialog boxes to continue."

The offending dialog box underneath says, "Word experienced an
error trying to open the file.... Try these suggestions: check
file permissions, make sure there is sufficient memory and disk
space, open the file with the Text Recovery converter."

When I click OK on that box the file then opens fine.

If I click on the file in windows explorer the same thing
happens.

If I then drag the file to a different folder, say c:\docs (my
system's my documents folder), the file opens perfectly, without
error, from Windows Explorer.

I have plenty of memory and disk space.

Properties for the c:\docs folder has a solid square in the
Read-only checkbox.

Properties for the desktop folder has exactly the same solid
square in the Read-only checkbox.

The file is question is a very simple test file; no autoopen
macro present. Regardless of what location I store it in, its
Properties say it is not Read-only.

The only thing I can think of is that the desktop folder is
shared on a LAN, while the c:\docs folder is not. Under
Properties/Sharing, I have Share this folder on the network, and
Allow network user to change my files both checked. So I don't
see why that would hold things up, unless the network slows
things down enough to cause a Word error? I'm fishing here.

Insight would be much appreciated.

p.

 

[Anne Troy]

I would try cleaning up your hard drive. My guess is you've got a temp file
on your desktop and it's hidden because you're not viewing hidden files. See
complete instructions:
http://www.officearticles.com/misc/how_to_clean_up_your_hard_drive.htm
If that doesn't work, perhaps it is Word after all. Here's steps to
troubleshooting Word:
http://www.officearticles.com/word/steps_to_troubleshooting_microsoft_word.htm

****************************
Hope it helps!
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com
****************************

 

[Paul B]

I would try cleaning up your hard drive. My guess is you've got a temp file
on your desktop and it's hidden because you're not viewing hidden files. See
complete instructions:
http://www.officearticles.com/misc/how_to_clean_up_your_hard_drive.htm
If that doesn't work, perhaps it is Word after all. Here's steps to
troubleshooting Word:
http://www.officearticles.com/word/steps_to_troubleshooting_microsoft_word.htm

Thanks, Anne. My desktop is clean. Turning on the viewing of
"hidden" files is the first thing I do when I install Windows. I
can't imagine what MS engineers had in mind with making that
option the default. I can only guess that a lot of computers need
protection from their users.

I think the second site was helpful. Though the problem wasn't
solved, by forcing the creation of a new normal.dot I believe my
customization of Word is definitively out of the loop as being a
potential cause. Now it's just Word, per se, and my system.

I'm going to ask over in the networking group to see if that has
anything to do with it.

Thanks,
p.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Try reregistering Word. From Start, Run type in

winword /r

and press enter. Nothing will appear to happen but Word will be
reregistered. If that fails, try opening the Help menu from any of the
Office Apps and select the Repair option.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks, Anne. My desktop is clean. Turning on the viewing of
"hidden" files is the first thing I do when I install Windows. I
can't imagine what MS engineers had in mind with making that
option the default. I can only guess that a lot of computers need
protection from their users.

I think the second site was helpful. Though the problem wasn't
solved, by forcing the creation of a new normal.dot I believe my
customization of Word is definitively out of the loop as being a
potential cause. Now it's just Word, per se, and my system.

I'm going to ask over in the networking group to see if that has
anything to do with it.

Thanks,
p.

Yikes, I went back to your site, realizing that after I
exonerated normal.dot I really hadn't paid much attention to what
came later, and ran Detect and Repair. I didn't even know about
this function (I guess it's the same as is available in
appwiz.cpl, but I hadn't thought about it). Viola, perfecto!

And now WinPatrol tells me the file association wants to be
changed. Looks like when I added the /q switch to the .doc Open
command, to shut off the splash screen, something got messed up.

Very nice. Thanks very much for your help, Anne.

p.

 

[Paul B]

Yikes, I went back to your site, realizing that after I
exonerated normal.dot I really hadn't paid much attention to what
came later, and ran Detect and Repair. I didn't even know about
this function (I guess it's the same as is available in
appwiz.cpl, but I hadn't thought about it). Viola, perfecto!

And now WinPatrol tells me the file association wants to be
changed. Looks like when I added the /q switch to the .doc Open
command, to shut off the splash screen, something got messed up.

Very nice. Thanks very much for your help, Anne.

Looks like Word really doesn't want me to add the /q switch
(there're already /n /dde switches). Doing so causes the addition
of an extra %1 ( a DDE instruction, I believe), which causes the
problem. And I can't get out of the mess manually; I have to
rerun Repair to set things right. Not sure why this is so
complicated.

p.

 

[Anne Troy]

You're welcome, Paul.
****************************
Hope it helps!
Anne Troy
www.OfficeArticles.com
****************************

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Paul,

Are you modifying the shortcut or the file association? The Word command line switches supported are listed at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/210565/en-us?FR=1

=============
Looks like Word really doesn't want me to add the /q switch
(there're already /n /dde switches). Doing so causes the addition
of an extra %1 ( a DDE instruction, I believe), which causes the
problem. And I can't get out of the mess manually; I have to
rerun Repair to set things right. Not sure why this is so
complicated.

p.<<
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Paul B]

Hi Paul,

Are you modifying the shortcut or the file association? The Word command line switches supported are listed at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/210565/en-us?FR=1

=============
Looks like Word really doesn't want me to add the /q switch
(there're already /n /dde switches). Doing so causes the addition
of an extra %1 ( a DDE instruction, I believe), which causes the
problem. And I can't get out of the mess manually; I have to
rerun Repair to set things right. Not sure why this is so
complicated.

p.<<

Hi Bob. I was modifying the file association. for .doc I had
"<winword path>" /n /dde

with dde enabled, message: [REM _DDE_Direct][FileOpen("%1")]

I simply added /q to the action, and all heck broke out, which
could not be repaired through the File Types dialog.

Thanks,
p.