File Recognition

[TeaNSympathy]

Operating System - 10.5.6
Office/Word 2004 - 11.5.3

I've been having trouble with Microsoft Office / my computer recognising
file types that I create. If I create a Word document, I can save it as a
Word document (file type) and reopen it on my computer. However, in Mac
Finder it does not recognise the file "Kind" as a word document and the image
icon won't be a "Microsoft Word" image, it just has a black and white "doc"
image - whereas other files have blue Word images or green Excel images.
Also, I sometimes have trouble opening my files (saved to my usb) on other
computers or emailing files (it doesn't recognise file kind/type).

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[John McGhie]

That sounds like your system icon cache has gone south for the summer...

First use the start up disk to start up your mac and then run disk
first-aid, or use a disk repair system like Alsoft.com disk warrior

If that does not fix it, download OnyX:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/system_disk_utilities/onyx.html

Use it to delete the kernel caches, both local and system.

Read the help for more.

Hope this helps

Operating System - 10.5.6
Office/Word 2004 - 11.5.3

I've been having trouble with Microsoft Office / my computer recognising
file types that I create. If I create a Word document, I can save it as a
Word document (file type) and reopen it on my computer. However, in Mac
Finder it does not recognise the file "Kind" as a word document and the image
icon won't be a "Microsoft Word" image, it just has a black and white "doc"
image - whereas other files have blue Word images or green Excel images.
Also, I sometimes have trouble opening my files (saved to my usb) on other
computers or emailing files (it doesn't recognise file kind/type).

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

--
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]

 

[TeaNSympathy]

Thanks John. I've used Disk Utility to verify disk and repair disk
permissions (but no change to file icons after this), I've now downloaded
OnyX - it checked SMART status and verified startup volume - which seemed to
report things were ok. But I'm not sure how to delete kernel caches?? The
only place I could find 'kernal' was under cleaning and I tried that - the
icons are still not showing properly in Finder (although they do briefly when
I first open Finder, then quickly revert to the generic doc icon not the Word
doc icon).

Appreciate any further advice/help

 

[CyberTaz]

The black & white file icon labeled "doc" or "docx" actually is what should
be there in Leopard. It isn't "generic", it's a Preview. If you look closely
at the B&W icon [use the "Columns" view in the Finder window] you'll see
that the content displayed in it represents what's on the first page of the
file. The blue Word icon is the "generic" one & should be the exception...
unless the majority of your files are as described below.

I'm not sure this fully applies here but this is a reply I gave to another
user on a similar issue regarding the preview icons:
____________________________________________________________
I'm sure someone knows but nobody has been willing or able to share the
insight here

What I have noticed is that the Preview capabilities of OS X appear to be
somewhat limited. If it can't render a preview image it simply throws up the
generic icon. It appears that Comments & Tracked Changes are included in
that category.

I haven't looked into it all that much, but in some brief testing: a file
with neither Comments nor Tracked Changes displays a preview in Finder. If I
open the file & insert a Comment then close & save the file the icon goes
generic. Opening the file & deleting the Comment allows it to display the
expected preview again.
____________________________________________________________

I've looked a bit more since then & found that it further revolves around
what's contained on the first page of the document. Footnotes on the first
page, for example, will also cause the generic Word icon rather than an
actual preview of the document. There may be other elements that prevent the
preview as well, although images seem to appear with no problem.

For further clarification in your case: You wrote that the Kind isn't
indicated as a Word document, but you didn't indicate what *does* appear
where the Kind should be displayed. That might be helpful to know.

As for the attachment issues: Make sure you're saving the files with the
extensions - Use the checkbox in the Save As dialog to always "Append file
extension" & send a zipped version of the file. The setting in your email
software for encoding attachments may also need to be changed.

And re the USB device: Never save directly to or open directly from that
type of storage device. Copy/Move the file to/from the HD & work with that
instance of the file.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[TeaNSympathy]

Thanks Bob - that makes sense. Most files have the correct 'Kind' in Finder,
but sometimes instead of Word document, it just has two dash lines.

Re saving - yes, I'm making sure I save with the file extension/append file
extension box is ticked.

Cheers.

The black & white file icon labeled "doc" or "docx" actually is what should
be there in Leopard. It isn't "generic", it's a Preview. If you look closely
at the B&W icon [use the "Columns" view in the Finder window] you'll see
that the content displayed in it represents what's on the first page of the
file. The blue Word icon is the "generic" one & should be the exception...
unless the majority of your files are as described below.

I'm not sure this fully applies here but this is a reply I gave to another
user on a similar issue regarding the preview icons:
____________________________________________________________
I'm sure someone knows but nobody has been willing or able to share the
insight here

What I have noticed is that the Preview capabilities of OS X appear to be
somewhat limited. If it can't render a preview image it simply throws up the
generic icon. It appears that Comments & Tracked Changes are included in
that category.

I haven't looked into it all that much, but in some brief testing: a file
with neither Comments nor Tracked Changes displays a preview in Finder. If I
open the file & insert a Comment then close & save the file the icon goes
generic. Opening the file & deleting the Comment allows it to display the
expected preview again.
____________________________________________________________

I've looked a bit more since then & found that it further revolves around
what's contained on the first page of the document. Footnotes on the first
page, for example, will also cause the generic Word icon rather than an
actual preview of the document. There may be other elements that prevent the
preview as well, although images seem to appear with no problem.

For further clarification in your case: You wrote that the Kind isn't
indicated as a Word document, but you didn't indicate what *does* appear
where the Kind should be displayed. That might be helpful to know.

As for the attachment issues: Make sure you're saving the files with the
extensions - Use the checkbox in the Save As dialog to always "Append file
extension" & send a zipped version of the file. The setting in your email
software for encoding attachments may also need to be changed.

And re the USB device: Never save directly to or open directly from that
type of storage device. Copy/Move the file to/from the HD & work with that
instance of the file.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Operating System - 10.5.6
Office/Word 2004 - 11.5.3

I've been having trouble with Microsoft Office / my computer recognising
file types that I create. If I create a Word document, I can save it as a
Word document (file type) and reopen it on my computer. However, in Mac
Finder it does not recognise the file "Kind" as a word document and the image
icon won't be a "Microsoft Word" image, it just has a black and white "doc"
image - whereas other files have blue Word images or green Excel images.
Also, I sometimes have trouble opening my files (saved to my usb) on other
computers or emailing files (it doesn't recognise file kind/type).

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[CyberTaz]

The -- indicates that OS X hasn't been able to fully recognize which
application the file is associated with. This can happen for a number of
reasons, such as if the file was handled by some email servers as an
attachment [especially if from a non-Mac source] or downloaded from the web
via certain browser versions.

Try doing a Get Info on one of those files that displays the -- , make sure
the Open With is set to Word, then click the Change All button. That should
properly hook them up.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Thanks Bob - that makes sense. Most files have the correct 'Kind' in Finder,
but sometimes instead of Word document, it just has two dash lines.

Re saving - yes, I'm making sure I save with the file extension/append file
extension box is ticked.

Cheers.

The black & white file icon labeled "doc" or "docx" actually is what should
be there in Leopard. It isn't "generic", it's a Preview. If you look closely
at the B&W icon [use the "Columns" view in the Finder window] you'll see
that the content displayed in it represents what's on the first page of the
file. The blue Word icon is the "generic" one & should be the exception...
unless the majority of your files are as described below.

I'm not sure this fully applies here but this is a reply I gave to another
user on a similar issue regarding the preview icons:
____________________________________________________________
I'm sure someone knows but nobody has been willing or able to share the
insight here

What I have noticed is that the Preview capabilities of OS X appear to be
somewhat limited. If it can't render a preview image it simply throws up the
generic icon. It appears that Comments & Tracked Changes are included in
that category.

I haven't looked into it all that much, but in some brief testing: a file
with neither Comments nor Tracked Changes displays a preview in Finder. If I
open the file & insert a Comment then close & save the file the icon goes
generic. Opening the file & deleting the Comment allows it to display the
expected preview again.
____________________________________________________________

I've looked a bit more since then & found that it further revolves around
what's contained on the first page of the document. Footnotes on the first
page, for example, will also cause the generic Word icon rather than an
actual preview of the document. There may be other elements that prevent the
preview as well, although images seem to appear with no problem.

For further clarification in your case: You wrote that the Kind isn't
indicated as a Word document, but you didn't indicate what *does* appear
where the Kind should be displayed. That might be helpful to know.

As for the attachment issues: Make sure you're saving the files with the
extensions - Use the checkbox in the Save As dialog to always "Append file
extension" & send a zipped version of the file. The setting in your email
software for encoding attachments may also need to be changed.

And re the USB device: Never save directly to or open directly from that
type of storage device. Copy/Move the file to/from the HD & work with that
instance of the file.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Operating System - 10.5.6
Office/Word 2004 - 11.5.3

I've been having trouble with Microsoft Office / my computer recognising
file types that I create. If I create a Word document, I can save it as a
Word document (file type) and reopen it on my computer. However, in Mac
Finder it does not recognise the file "Kind" as a word document and the
image
icon won't be a "Microsoft Word" image, it just has a black and white "doc"
image - whereas other files have blue Word images or green Excel images.
Also, I sometimes have trouble opening my files (saved to my usb) on other
computers or emailing files (it doesn't recognise file kind/type).

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TeaNSympathy]

I just wanted to say thanks to those who replied to my post - I've never used
a forum before and it was great that you took the time to help someone in
need - Cheers.