Old Word files wont open... HELP!

[Dean]

I have recently upgraded from ME to XP and also to a up-to-
date Works Suite. I have just realised that some of my
older word (pre 2001) docs will not open in Word now. A
box appears titled "file conversion", asking which
encoding i wish to open the document in to make it
readable. No matter what i pick, the document opens up
with just thousands of little boxes on the page.
Some of these older Word docs (and i have tried a few with
the same result) are very important and this is testing my
patience. Surely Word is Word, right?
Is there some sort of patch to cure this?
I just can't understant why im having so much trouble
opening a Microsoft document with a Microsoft product
(???).


Thanks in advance...

 

[TF]

Dean

It sounds as though you have or have had a virus. If you open one of these
documents in WordPad, does that too show little boxes?

--
Terry Farrell - Word MVP
http://www.mvps.org/word/

: I have recently upgraded from ME to XP and also to a up-to-
: date Works Suite. I have just realised that some of my
: older word (pre 2001) docs will not open in Word now. A
: box appears titled "file conversion", asking which
: encoding i wish to open the document in to make it
: readable. No matter what i pick, the document opens up
: with just thousands of little boxes on the page.
: Some of these older Word docs (and i have tried a few with
: the same result) are very important and this is testing my
: patience. Surely Word is Word, right?
: Is there some sort of patch to cure this?
: I just can't understant why im having so much trouble
: opening a Microsoft document with a Microsoft product
: (???).
:
:
: Thanks in advance...
:

 

[Guest]

Yes it does...... I have realised that this problem is not
in fact limited to old word docs. It is happening to
folders full of stuff right up to 2003. Then i will get
other things open ok. Just seems to open up with thousands
of these little boxes (
When i double clik to open the file a box appears
titled "file conversion" asking me to select the encoding
to make the document readable. Windows is the default
choice but have tried all the others too with the same
result.
It is getting critical now that i access some of these
files and i hope it's not virus connected.
My Norton did pick up a worm a couple of months ago and
eradicated it.

Thanks for your help

 

[TF]

Well this is a typical virus symptom where the contents of the documents are
overwritten by little square boxes but the actual file format remains intact
so that both Word and Windows believe it is still a valid document.

Either you still have a virus active or this is the result of the previous
virus. To make absolutely sure it is eradicated, download and run Stinger
from http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/.

--
Terry Farrell - Word MVP
http://www.mvps.org/word/


: Yes it does...... I have realised that this problem is not
: in fact limited to old word docs. It is happening to
: folders full of stuff right up to 2003. Then i will get
: other things open ok. Just seems to open up with thousands
: of these little boxes (
: When i double clik to open the file a box appears
: titled "file conversion" asking me to select the encoding
: to make the document readable. Windows is the default
: choice but have tried all the others too with the same
: result.
: It is getting critical now that i access some of these
: files and i hope it's not virus connected.
: My Norton did pick up a worm a couple of months ago and
: eradicated it.
:
: Thanks for your help
: >-----Original Message-----
: >Dean
: >
: >It sounds as though you have or have had a virus. If you
: open one of these
: >documents in WordPad, does that too show little boxes?
: >
: >--
: >Terry Farrell - Word MVP
: >http://www.mvps.org/word/
: >
: >: >: I have recently upgraded from ME to XP and also to a up-
: to-
: >: date Works Suite. I have just realised that some of my
: >: older word (pre 2001) docs will not open in Word now. A
: >: box appears titled "file conversion", asking which
: >: encoding i wish to open the document in to make it
: >: readable. No matter what i pick, the document opens up
: >: with just thousands of little boxes on the page.
: >: Some of these older Word docs (and i have tried a few
: with
: >: the same result) are very important and this is testing
: my
: >: patience. Surely Word is Word, right?
: >: Is there some sort of patch to cure this?
: >: I just can't understant why im having so much trouble
: >: opening a Microsoft document with a Microsoft product
: >: (???).
: >:
: >:
: >: Thanks in advance...
: >:
: >
: >
: >.
: >

 

[steam3801]

Well this is a typical virus symptom where the contents of the documents are
overwritten by little square boxes but the actual file format remains intact
so that both Word and Windows believe it is still a valid document.

Either you still have a virus active or this is the result of the previous
virus. To make absolutely sure it is eradicated, download and run Stinger
from http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/.

You can also do (free) online virus scans from
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

You know it makes sense.
steam3801