Trouble opening Word97 format w/ security in Word XP

[Jumper Bob]

Hello all, and thanks in advance for any insight you may be able to offer.

Current configuration:
Dell Inspiron 8100, 1.3ghz, 512RAM
WinXP Pro
Office XP - Small Business (Word/Excel/Outlook) that came pre-installed on
the machine, I DO have the CD
Office XP Pro - installed Access 2002 about 18months ago and have since lost
the CD

I am having trouble opening a number of old files (I am a writer and these
are old versions of a manuscript; last opened probably 2-5 years ago).

The original files were written in Word 97 (I am pretty sure) and I had
saved them with the built-in encryption (strongest version at the time; I
forget exactly what level but it was the strongest offered).

The files have gone through several iterations from living on my OLD lappie,
to being stored on Floppies for archival, to a CD, now transferred to my
external HD.

When I attempt to open these files under my Word XP/2002/whatever
(Help/About Word: Microsoft Word 2002 (10.3416.3501)SP-1)
it prompts me for the file password, which i type in (I am 99%sure it is
the right one because when I type it incorrectly it gives the password error
messge) and then it spits out this error message:

"The document name or path is not valid. Try...
Check the file permissions.
Open the file using File/Open..."

or sometimes This Error instead:
"This object was created in Package. This application is not available to
open this object. Make sure the application is properly installed and that it
has not been deleted, moved, or renamed."

I am certain I am using the correct password.
I looked in the Knowledge Base for the first error message above and applied
the HotFix (some registry edit involving SmartTags), rebooted, and still the
problem. I downloaded the SP3, and it prompts me for the XP Pro CD, which I
do not have. I insert the XP Small Business CD but that will not work.

I am attempting to DL the 58mb version of the SP3 but my internet pipe is
having difficulties on the ISP end and is taking forever.

I then made a copy of the files and attempted to open the copies, with the
same result. I have defragged and Scandisk'd both my lappie HD and the
external HD, thinking that perhaps some file system error was occurring.

Nothing seems to help. I dl'd a trial version from the web of an Office File
Recovery suite but it recovers only gibberish due to the encryption (which is
not the problem because i have the PWs).

Can anybody think of any other approaches to this problem? The files contain
several hundred hours of work and I would hate to lose them....

Many thanks for any advice...

Jumper Bob

 

[garfield-n-odie]

See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=286890 "'The document name
or path is not valid' error message when you use the wrong
password to open a Word document".

 

[Jumper Bob]

See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=286890 "'The document name
or path is not valid' error message when you use the wrong
password to open a Word document".

Garfield, thanks for your swift reply.

Okay I tried this, but I don't think it applies to my situation:
In order to be able to Save/Tools/Security/Advanced....
one must first have the file open (which is what I am having trouble with!).

I read the KB article a couple of times, and unless I am missing something
(distinctly possible!!!) it seems to me to be a bit of circular logic in that
article:
1 - if you are having problems opening the document, simply open and save it
with a different encryption scheme
That is basically what I am understanding that article to say.

I DID go ahead and try this with another random, non-password file from the
same directory - I opened it, saved a new copy of it with the same password
as the ones I am having trouble with, then followed the instructions in that
KB article.

then I opened that new, test file - no problems.
Next I attempted to open the same files with problems from earlier - it does
the same thing. So I am pretty sure that Office is not spitting out the
incorrect error message, or else it would do it for each time i used the
wrong password (which I did with this new test file just to be sure).

Jumper Bob

 

[garfield-n-odie]

I don't see where the article says to click on Save | Tools |
Security | Advanced.

I don't have an 40-bit encrypted Word 97 file to try this on, but
I think the article says to [start Word] click on Tools | Options
| Security | Advanced | Encryption type: Office 97/2000
Compatible | OK | OK, and then try to open the encrypted file,
enter the password when prompted, and reenter the password at the
Confirm prompt.