Recovering a corrupt file.

[PaulG]

I am trying to recover a corrupt file and its template (which may also be
corrupted). In order to be on the safeside I started of by trying to recreate
the Normal.dot template as indicated in
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/RecoverMasterDocs.htm (Creating a
template). After followng the advised procedures I did not get the new blanlk
default normal.dot. I've tried the procedure a few time with the same
conclusion. I need some advice.

 

[Cooz]

Hi PaulG,

It may be possible that you have more instances of Normal.dot on your
computer. Search for them with Windows Explorer (do not forget to check the
Search hidden files and folders option). Rename them or delete them and Word
should come up with the blank default Normal.dot.

Good luck,
Cooz

 

[Charles Kenyon]

The article you read is important, but it is not about the normal.dot
template. The normal.dot template is a global template, but not a "Master
document."

See http://addbalance.com/usersguide/document_corruption.htm and
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/AppErrors/BlankDocNotBlank.htm.

What tells you that your document is corrupt? (Corrupt documents often look
no different from non-corrupt documents.)
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions to
the newsgroup so that others can learn from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[PaulG]

Hi Charles
The document in question crushes almost every time that I try to Paste and,
at times, when I try to restart numbering.

I agree with you that the article in question is about Master Dicuments, but
I thought that once I was about to recover my file and template (not the
Normal.dot template) as advised in
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/apperrors/CorruptDoc.htm, it would be a good idea
if I, as it were, feel good about the Normal.dot template.

I have since tried to Save my file As Web but the 'web' file also crushed.
So I'm back to square one.

Thanks a lot

 

[PaulG]

Hi Cooz

I seached Explorer and did find another instance of Normal.dot. It was
lovated in a folder in which I dumped the contents of another computer. I
deleted it, and renamed the Normal.dot in the Microsoft Templates Folder.

I tried the routine again but have been unsuccessful.

Paul

 

[PaulG]

Re my previous reply - I just checked the Templates Folder properties which
indicates that there's one file more than I can see in Explorer. Could the
hiddeen file be the new Normal.dot file?

 

[Cooz]

Hi PaulG,

That is unlikely.
You can check by selecting in "My Computer": Tools | Folder Options... | tab
View | Show hidden files and folders.

Cooz

 

[PaulG]

Yes you are right Cooz - there is a hidden file .ini which is not a template
(it appeared after I exposed hidden system files).

For the sake of accuracy, new Word files were creating Normal.dot files.
However these files where not being retained in the Templates Folder.

I therefore ended up re-installing Word 2003 and recreating the file
template that is was using from scratch. Up to now (touch wood) I have not
had a crush.

Thanks

 

[Paul Gauci]

The way that I managed to solve this problem was by saving the file to Open
Office and re-saving from Open Office to Word.

I copied a fresh normal.dot to replace the existing one and created a new
template based on the fresh normal.dot.

I have also tried the Open Office on a corrupt Excel file, after being
advised to do so in another discussion group, and also had positive results.

Evidently I cannot say that the Open Office approach works all the time, but
I have been lucky on two occasions.