File Conversion Dialog Box - how do I open these files?

[Anna Sager]

I recently inherited several Word files from an old co-worker, and when I try
to open them, I get a dialog box titled "File Conversion" with a message to
"select the encoding that makes your documents readable." I have selected
every type of encoding available, but none of them opens the file in a
readable way. I just get symbols and nonsense. The co-worker states that
she did not encode the files, and I doubt that she would have known how to do
this.
Also of note, there are about 10 folders worth of files. If one file within
a folder opens without a problem, then they all open without a problem.
However, if one file within a folder pops up the above-mentioned dialog box,
all of the files within that folder pop up this box, as if somehow the entire
folder is corrupt. And if there are other types of files within a corrupt
folder, such as a Power Point file, these also will not open.
Any thoughts????

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?QW5uYSBTYWdlcg==?=,

My best guess would be that the folder(s) may have been backed up then restored
incorrectly (bad backup media or a bad "connection" during backup or restore,
perhaps), scrambling the file content.

I recently inherited several Word files from an old co-worker, and when I try
to open them, I get a dialog box titled "File Conversion" with a message to
"select the encoding that makes your documents readable." I have selected
every type of encoding available, but none of them opens the file in a
readable way. I just get symbols and nonsense. The co-worker states that
she did not encode the files, and I doubt that she would have known how to do
this.
Also of note, there are about 10 folders worth of files. If one file within
a folder opens without a problem, then they all open without a problem.
However, if one file within a folder pops up the above-mentioned dialog box,
all of the files within that folder pop up this box, as if somehow the entire
folder is corrupt. And if there are other types of files within a corrupt
folder, such as a Power Point file, these also will not open.
Any thoughts????

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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