How do I correct "file is not available" in Word 2003

[Gene Lewis in Orleans Canada]

Hello

I am having trouble with my MS Word 2003 - Student & Teacher's edition.
When I try to open a file, any file, I get the following messsage.

"Filename" is not available.

I clicked OK. Then when I try to close MS Word, I get this next message...

The file Normal.dot already exists. Do you want to replace the existing file?

I don't want to replace Normal.dot, so I click No, and I get a screen asking
me to save Normal.dot.

Since I don't want to do this either, if I click Cancel, Word closes. If I
click the close function, the process above simply repeats a few times until
Word closes.

I loaded the original MS Office 2003 CD, and ran the repair function. The
end result is the same.

Does anyone recognize this "is not available" error and the fooling around
with Normal.dot, and do you have any suggestions as to how it may be repaired?

I also did a Re-install of Word over the original Word, rebooted my PC, and
got the same result. This package has 3 installs, and two are with my
students.

I need Help! I have been looking for a Microsoft Help phone number to use
but the 2003 manual isn't helpful. And the phone service only gets answered
within Monday to Friday business hours. I have been trying to solve this
dilemna since Friday. A newly created file, saved and closed, gets the same
result. Word 2003 doesn't work.

Gene Lewis
1132 St Emmanuel Terrace
Orleans, ON K1C 2J7

613-834-5297 Home phone - voice mail after 6 rings

(e-mail address removed) Home email

 

[grammatim]

Why do you not want to replace normal.dot?

 

[Graham Mayor]

There are two issues here - the file open error and the normal.dot issue.

For the first - see how to re-register Word when problems crop up opening
files
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ReRegisterWord.htm and if that doesn't
fix it select a document in Windows Explorer, right click and choose Open
with...

From the ensuing dialog select Word (winword.exe) and check the box to
always open with this application.

For the other problem - see
http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm with particular
attention to lock files in the user templates folder then
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ProblemsStartingWord.htm. which covers
all the common trouble shooting tips. Pay particular attention to the normal
template.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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