Publisher 2003 files try to open in Publisher 97

[Roy Retreat]

Back again, but with a different Pub 2003/Pub97 issue
Have Office 2003 with Publisher 2003 and Publisher 97 both on my XP Pro system

Recently I find that files created in Pub 2003 are being saved as files with
the Pub 97 Logo, and when you try to open them from the file listing, they
open Pub 97, which correctly posts a box telling me that it cant open the
files.

If I use Publisher 2003 to open the same files from within the application
the work fine.

When I select a 2003 Pub file which contains the Pub 97 icon, the file list
does not contain Publisher 2003, but when I browse and locate the Pub 2003
application exe, and try to change the application that opens the file,
nothing happens.

I also noticed that the "Open With" window dialog has 2003 Office
Applications for Access, Excel, Picture Manager, Power Point, Word, but no
2003 Publisher.
The "Recommended Programs: folder lists only the Microsoft Publisher 97 with
it's logo.

What's happening here?

Richard

 

[John Inzer]

Try this...right click one of your Pub 2003
files and from the menu...choose...Properties /
General tab / Change button.

Choose...Microsoft Office Publisher / OK / Apply / OK.

The .exe for Pub 2003 should be found at:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSPUB.EXE

 

[Mary Sauer]

John, I can look at the properties of a 2003 publication and it is associated with
Publisher 97 even though I can double- click the file and Publisher 2003 opens the
file. It is strange. Like the poster I don't have the option in the associations to
change it to Publisher 2003 because 2003 isn't in the list. All the files I've
created in 95, 97 and 2000 have the Publisher 2003 logo. When I browse to the Office
folder and change the association it does not stick.
I think the poster needs to uninstall 97 and re-install. I installed 2003 before I
installed 97, it may make a difference.

 

[Roy Retreat]

John

I had already found the Office 11 MS Publisher .exe file, but when I tried
to change the file association for the files in question, nothing happened or
changed. Still puzzled why other Office11 application files appear on the
file associations options list, but not MSPUB.EXE (2003)

Mary
Can't remember whether MS Pub 97 was installed before or after Pub 2003, but
will uninstall and reinstall 97 to see if that corrects the problem

Richar

 

[Roy Retreat]

The puzzle continues...
I uninstalled MS Publisher 97 using the add/remove feature

After that, the files at issue, had no icon or file association, and I was
still unable to associate them with MS Publisher 2003

I used the MS Office 2003 "repair" feature, which returned the MS Publisher
icons and file associations to the 2003 pub files.

I reinstalled the MS Pub 97 from the original CD
Behold... the files created with MS Publisher 2003 now show and attempt to
open with MS Publisher 97, followed by the notation that the files can't be
opened.

Without uninstalling MS 97, I used MS Office 2003 "repair" again

Now, the files created in MS Pub 2003 show the correct 2003 Icon, and open
successfully in MS Pub 2003.

Wish there was a way to change the file extensions when the application
changes so significantly that it won't open previous versions... Or, at least
the ability to select a file with a file extension common to two programs and
pick the correct application to open it from a drop down list.

I'm at the point where I think this exercise has come to an end... even
though issues remain.

Thanks for all of you who helped me with the issue
Richard