Not a valid Win32 application

[Ben]

I am using Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, and have been using it for a
number of years. About two weeks ago, I couldn't open a Word document that
was sent to me as an attachment a few weeks prior. I opened it when I
originally got it with no problem. Then I got an email with a different Word
document, and I couldn't open it.

Then I couldn't open up Word documents in My Documents that I created ages
ago. Now I am worried. I do a Norton AntiVirus scan every week, but I did
another one. I downloaded AdAware 2007, and ran it. Then I went to Help in
Word, and tried to repair Word. Then I uninstalled Office 2000 Professional,
and reinstalled it. But nothing has worked. What else can I do?

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

See http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ReRegisterWord.htm .

 

[Ben]

That was a great suggestion. I didn't know about that. Unforunately, it did
not work. Any other ideas?

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

Please quote the win32 error message exactly and completely. What
version of Windows do you have?

 

[Ben]

When I double click on any saved Word document, it says .....doc is not a
valid Win32 application.

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

In Windows Explorer or My Computer, click on Tools | Folder Options |
File Types. Scroll down the list of registered file types until you see
"DOC Microsoft Word Document", left-click on it once to select it, and
click on Advanced. In the list of Actions, "Open" should be the default
(indicated by bold print). If "Open" isn't the default, make it so. If
"Run" is one of the listed actions, remove it.

 

[Ben]

A new development. If I right click on a Word document, and choose Open with
Microsoft Word for Windows, the document opens up. But if I double click on
the document, it does not open, and I get the message that the .doc is not a
valid Win32 application.

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

That pretty much tells me your .doc file association is screwed up,
which the "Reregister Word" instructions should have fixed.

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

Right-click on a Word document, and left-click on Open With | Choose
Program | Microsoft Word | check the "Always use the selected program to
open this kind of file" box | OK.

 

[Ben]

Thank you so much. I did what you suggested, and that solved the problem.