Some Word docs not opening when double-clicked

[kevanp]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: intel

I recently installed the latest updater for Office 2008, since when when I double-click any Word file that has been sent to me (ie, most likely from a PC) it won't open. The action opens the Word application, but not the file. I have to choose "Open" from the File menu to open the file. What has happened?

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Office 2008 SP1 prevents documents with some very old file types (most
notably WDBN for Word files) from opening on double-click. Probably this
was only intended to affect very old documents, but it turned out that
several browsers and email clients were assigning this old file type to
downloads and attachments, particularly Firefox/Thunderbird, Eudora, and
Lotus Notes, so that even new documents may have the old file types.
Firefox will stop assigning that file type with FF3 (now in beta), but
of course existing documents are still affected. Documents from Windows
may also be hit by this.

There is nothing you can change in Office to make it open documents with
the old file type--MS will have to fix that, if they so choose. You can
request they do so via Help | Send Feedback in any Office app.

Some options for now:

--Use File | Open instead. Once you make any minor change to the
document and resave it, it will double-click fine in the future. Or Save
As a new document.

---There is a script here to batch-change the file types of existing
documents--you may also be able to use it automatically reset
downloaded/attached files:
http://www.cortig.net/wordpress/?p=175
(you may also want to read the two preceding blog posts for more
information about the script)

--a newsgroup poster noted that dragging a file icon into an open Word
document copies the document. This might be a quick way to glance at
attachments you don't need to edit or save.

--depending on what email client/browser you use, it might be possible
to prevent it from assigning the old file type.