# in filename

[garryfordjr]

Version: 2004 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel When I open a file through Finder or a browser with '#' in the Word filename, Word 2004 opens up a blank document. I can open and save the file through Word (File > Open/Save) no problem... but the '#' in the filename is a class requirement and I have to review 10+ documents each week.

Any patch or workaround? Does Word 2008 have the same issues?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm using Tiger (10.4.11) with both Office 2004 & 2008 but not seeing
anything of the sort here. I haven't had an opportunity to test on Snow
Leopard so I can't say if that makes a difference.

The inclusion of a '#' anywhere in the filename makes no difference here
whatsoever, & AFAIK there's no reason why it should. Any .doc files open
straight away, .docx files trigger the Converter dialog. If I click Convert
in the Conversion dialog the file opens as expected. It's only if I click
Cancel that the blank document is created... but a new blank document on
launch is expected.

The only way I get a repro of what you're describing is if the file happens
to be a .docx format. Double-Clicking it in Finder causes the Conversion
prompt to display. The file must be converted from .docx to .doc in order
for Word 2004 to open it. If I click Cancel the program launches & opens a
new blank document.

All I can suggest is that you make sure Office & OS X are fully updated &
that you repair disk permissions using Apple's Disk Utility or comparable
tool. If the problem continues you might try using the Control/Right-Click>
Open With... Method rather than double-clicking. I don't know whether that
will make a difference or not.

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

 

[garryfordjr]

Two iMac's OS X 10.6.2 (one just out of the box yesterday) and everything up to date. Same problem on both.

I created a test Word and Excel file with '#' in the file name. Test#1.doc and Test#1.xls. Double clicked and selected Open With > and they both don't open. Remove the '#' and they open correctly. Those same files with the '#' open up with Pages/Numbers and TextEdit correctly.

Obviously a Microsoft problem.

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Garry:

Two iMac's OS X 10.6.2 (one just out of the box yesterday) and everything up
to date. Same problem on both.

I created a test Word and Excel file with '#' in the file name. Test#1.doc and
Test#1.xls. Double clicked and selected Open With > and they both don't open.
Remove the '#' and they open correctly. Those same files with the '#' open up
with Pages/Numbers and TextEdit correctly.

Obviously a Microsoft problem.

I hope your Teacher does not see your statement above, otherwise, your
grades are in a lot of trouble!

That's a classic case of jumping to conclusions before researching the
available evidence, and you will find that your Teacher tends not to reward
such leaps of faith in a fact-based world

You see (well, you would have seen, had you done a moment's research...) if
you double-click a file, the outcome is in the hands of Apple OS X, and it
remains so, right up to the time that Word imports the file. Nothing made
by Microsoft has even seen the file at this point. The same applies to the
"File>Open" dialog: it's actually an Apple Finder window.

So while it may be "obvious" to you that this is a Microsoft problem, it
won't be so obvious to those who have taken the opportunity to do a little
research and equip themselves with the facts before posting. Such as your
Teacher...

Now, if the only thing I have done for you with this post is make you less
likely to post without proof, I will have done you one of the ten most
important favours anyone can do for you in life. If I had managed to learn
not to run off at the mouth when I was your age, I would be a lot richer now


Cheers


This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, I've had an opportunity to test it on my Snow Leopard system and
although I am getting the same result you reported I certainly can't draw
the same conclusion.

The versions & update levels of Office I'm running on my Tiger system are
identical to what I'm running on Snow Leopard. If it were "Obviously a
Microsoft problem" it would occur regardless of OS. It would also occur
regardless of whether accessing the file that way or from the File> Open
command if Word were a fault. Further, if it's a .docx file the OXML
Converter isn't being called when attempting to open from Finder.

I don't claim to know for sure, but the fact that it occurs in SL but not in
Tiger points IMHO more in the direction of the OS. As John pointed out, the
program is not involved when you double-click its icon. The OS just wakes
the program & sends the data it finds in the file. It would appear that SL
is not completing its tasks.

It's also a very commonly recommended practice to avoid special characters
when naming files & folders for exactly this reason. Even though a character
may not be defined as an illegal character it can still present problems.

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

 

[Rob Schneider]

It's a well-known "best practice" in computerland to avoid using
"special characters" in file names. It's easier to get on with
important things like writing the document and doing the spreadsheet
than it is to spend time figuring out why things don't work an
appointing blame -- even if they appear to work or friends say it does.

Avoid things like: # ! @ % & * { } [ ] : ; " '.

Try to use only things like letters, numbers, _, -, spaces work (but I
use _ to make it so that when you email links to file names the email
programs will retain the URL active link).

(the reason is that computers often use these sorts of letters in
special ways, e.g. regular expressions, etc.)


--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[garryfordjr]

The '#' in the file name is a class requirement by the instructor (information systems/library science) and I'm fully aware of the "well-known best practice" of not using special characters in file names... not my call.

CyberTaz, thank you for testing and duplicating the problem. Is it the same result for 2008?

The fact that I tested opening files with a '#' in the file name on numerous other OS X program's led me to the Microsoft conclusion... and Apple will not be sending out an update to fix it. Microsoft problem.

 

[garryfordjr]

Programs I tested that open up correctly with SL and a '#' in the file name...

Pages
Keynote
Numbers
TextEdit
Photoshop
Dreamweaver
Fireworks
Flash
Illustrator
TextWrangler
Coda

Program's that don't open correctly with a '#' in the file name...
Word 2004
Excel 2004
Powerpoint 2004

 

[Michel Bintener]

CyberTaz, thank you for testing and duplicating the problem. Is it the
same result for 2008?

Hi Garry,

I've just tried to reproduce this in Mac OS X 10.6.2 with Word 2008
(entirely up-to-date), and everything works as expected, i.e. there is
absolutely no problem with files which contain the #-sign as part of
their names.

 

[garryfordjr]

Hello Michel,

Thanks! I'll look into purchasing 2008 through a work software purchase program.

Garry