Windows cannot find C:\ (doc) Make sure you typed the name correct

[Jim Scrivener]

This Vista & Word 2007 problem has been raised by a small number of users in
different locations but there has been no satisfactory solution.

It remains unclear why only a limited number of users have it. But for those
who do, it is a devastatingly annoying issue - one that renders Word 2007
almost unusable.

The problem:

When you double-click on any Word doc or docx icon - or attempt to open it
from Outlook email - it opens a blank page in Word 2007 and you see the
message "Windows cannot find C:\ (doc) Make sure you typed the name
correctly, and then try again".

On trying a second time simply double-clicking the same icon opens the
document in 90% of cases - though there is occasionally a second failure like
the first.

This problem means that every document has to be "opened" twice - a huge
waste of time. (though opening a doc / docx from within the Word program
works fine.)

Note: this also affects Excel 2007 - but I have used this less so am not so
sure if it is equally.

Before you respond with solutions - please note:
This problem is unresolved ie ...
All the supposed Firefox solutions including registry alterations make no
difference.
Changing or uninstalling Virus programs makes no difference.
It is not just an issue to do with .doc vs .docx
I have uninstalled & reinstalled Office. I have doubled the PC's memory. I
have altered every setting I can think of altering (and that is a lot).
Nothing makes any difference.

Can anyone help or suggest anything? I strongly suspect a program clash -
but with what?


A possibly related problem (and possible clue??):


On choosing to SAVE Word attachments rather than open them directly from
Outlook they save as type "All files" unregistered to any program (with no
alternative allowed). This leads to a long-winded opening or renaming process
afterwards.


Any help ... please?

 

[Jim Scrivener]

Can nobody help?
(Even Microsoft hasn't replied to a Support query I have lodged.)
Jim

 

[Terry Farrell]

The bug will be fixed with SP1 which is currently under test. The release
should be soon.

 

[Jim Scrivener]

Really? That's excellent news if true.

But ... How on earth are they going to mend a bug that seems to be hardly
reported and only affects a few people? That presumes they know it exists and
what causes it - but this seems to be something that only hits a very small
number of users and there is no hint anywhere else on the web of any kind of
reason or cure.

Are you sure it's precisely this problem and not similar issues that the fix
will mend?


Jim

 

[Terry Farrell]

Jim

The symptoms seem identical. I cannot guarantee it is the exact bug because
I have not seen the bug in action; only reports via the newsgroups.

Terry

 

[David]

Hi there, I'm the guy who raised this issue in the first place on a couple
of MS forums, and got no satisfactory answert.

I can confirm that it's nothing to do with AV software. If I disable it, I
still get the problem.

I can also confirm that the problem is not to do with Word 2007, but with
Vista Explorer. I get the problem whenever I try to open a Word or htm file
*before* I've opened the associated application (Word or Firefox). If I
double click the file in Explorer, I get 'Windows cannot find the file
specified etc. etc.'.

If I open the program, e.g. Word or Firefox, and *then* click the file in
Explorer, it opens fine. I can also open the file *within* the program using
File/Open.

I've tried everything. I sure as heck don't want to reinstall Vista, so if
it's true that SP1 will solve the problem I'll be very happy. But I share
the scepticism, since it only seems to affect a small no. of users, so are
Microsoft really dealing with it?

Can some kind person please verify that SP1 really will deal with this
hideously annoying problem?

Many thanks,
David

 

[David]

BTW, I can also confirm that I do *not* have this problem in Excel or
Powepoint. I can click any file in Explorer and the file opens in the
relevant app window immediately. So it must be something about how Vista
Explorer interacts with Word and Firefox, both of which I have reinstalled
several times.

David

Hi there, I'm the guy who raised this issue in the first place on a couple
of MS forums, and got no satisfactory answert.

I can confirm that it's nothing to do with AV software. If I disable it, I
still get the problem.

I can also confirm that the problem is not to do with Word 2007, but with
Vista Explorer. I get the problem whenever I try to open a Word or htm file
*before* I've opened the associated application (Word or Firefox). If I
double click the file in Explorer, I get 'Windows cannot find the file
specified etc. etc.'.

If I open the program, e.g. Word or Firefox, and *then* click the file in
Explorer, it opens fine. I can also open the file *within* the program using
File/Open.

I've tried everything. I sure as heck don't want to reinstall Vista, so if
it's true that SP1 will solve the problem I'll be very happy. But I share
the scepticism, since it only seems to affect a small no. of users, so are
Microsoft really dealing with it?

Can some kind person please verify that SP1 really will deal with this
hideously annoying problem?

Many thanks,
David

 

[Terry Farrell]

David

SP1 for Vista is under test too: solely a guess that both Office and Vista
SP1s will be out together. The fix list for Vista is massive - but I only
saw a preview, so I have no idea what will be in the final package.

Terry

Hi there, I'm the guy who raised this issue in the first place on a couple
of MS forums, and got no satisfactory answert.

I can confirm that it's nothing to do with AV software. If I disable it, I
still get the problem.

I can also confirm that the problem is not to do with Word 2007, but with
Vista Explorer. I get the problem whenever I try to open a Word or htm
file
*before* I've opened the associated application (Word or Firefox). If I
double click the file in Explorer, I get 'Windows cannot find the file
specified etc. etc.'.

If I open the program, e.g. Word or Firefox, and *then* click the file in
Explorer, it opens fine. I can also open the file *within* the program
using
File/Open.

I've tried everything. I sure as heck don't want to reinstall Vista, so if
it's true that SP1 will solve the problem I'll be very happy. But I share
the scepticism, since it only seems to affect a small no. of users, so
are
Microsoft really dealing with it?

Can some kind person please verify that SP1 really will deal with this
hideously annoying problem?

Many thanks,
David

 

[David]

I can't say I'm confident this problem will be fixed by SP1. I'm desperate
for help from someone - it is such a terrible bug in Vista!!!

Help!!!!!

 

[Karmana]

Terry, I can further confirm that this problem does NOT exist between Office
2007 and XP. It ONLY exists between Vista and Office 2007. I have used my
laptop as my "mobile device," and my desktop as my "registered device" per
the Office 2007 EULA - my desktop is XP, and laptop is Vista. Both PCs have
all windowsupdate.com updates, and the desktop has several others that people
that have never heard of TechNet don't know exist...

Furthermore, the problem also does not exist with Access database files. I
have not tried other Office programs, other than Access and Word yet. The
error occurrs exactly as described by David above, with Word, on the Vista OS.

Is there any way to get a verification, other than an assumption, that this
problem is to be resolved, or for that matter, a work around until it does?
Don't get me wrong - it is fantastic that you are helping, but we all know
the definition of ASSUME.

Michael

 

[Terry Farrell]

I have no way of testing it nor do I have any other information about the
ServicePack for Vista. I know that it is definitely a recorded bug and it
should be fixed. I am not able to add anything further. If I could, I would.

Terry

 

[Karmana]

I know that it is definitely a recorded bug

Thanks, Terry - that definitive info is at least comforting.

 

[David]

Thanks chaps, I do appreciate your help on this. Let me just reiterate that
the same problem occurs with opening htm files before Firefox is launched -
same error message.

I have just bought a Lenovo Thinkpad to use as a mobile notebook to
supplement my main laptop (the one with the problem). Sure enough, wouldn't
you know it, there is *not* the same problem with the notebook, also running
Vista Business and Office 2007 just like my main laptop!

What *is* it with Microsoft? The *same* software, yet one PC has the problem
and the other doesn't. Really makes me want to go Linux, but I know that's
never gonna happen. Sigh.

If you have any more info at any time, do please post it or email me at
(e-mail address removed).

Thanks again,
David

 

[David]

Thanks guys, I do appreciate your help on this. Just to reiterate, the same
problem and error message occurs when I try to open an htm file before
launching Firefox.

Just to make it all the more annoying, I have just bought a Thinkpad to use
as a mobile notebook to supplement my main laptop (the one with the problem).
It too runs Vista Business and Office 2007. And wouldn't you know it, there
is *no* problem with this notebook!

What *is* it with Microsoft? Same software on 2 PCs, one has the bug and
the other doesn't! Sigh.

Anyway, if you have any further info or update about this, do please post
it. Many thanks.

David

 

[David]

Apologies for posting the same message twice - browser problems.....

David

 

[Kate]

The same is happening for me but not only with Outlook attachments - all .doc
& .docx that I have created. It didn't happen initially and I suspect it was
a Windows update that may be the culprit - I got a security update
mid-August. That's all I can think it is.

 

[Terry Farrell]

David

Frustrating it sure is. However, in defense of Microsoft, with the personal
computers there are literally millions of different combinations of hardware
and firmware. Even something as 'standard' as your ThinkPad may change from
week to week due to parts availability, different BIOS, different wireless
module, different hard drive, etc. You may think that you have identical
PCs, but I bet they are not. So actually testing every combination is just
an impossible task.

Beta testing VISTA and Office 2007 involved several million users: they had
a wide range of hardware and an equally wide range of tasks that they
perform as part of their normal work. But bugs still get missed because some
feature/hardware/firmware combinations are never tested.

So as hard as MS try, there will always be bugs.

Terry Farrell

 

[David]

Contrary to what I said earlier, it turns out that I have exactly the same
problem with *both* of my laptops, one a Higrade and one a Thinkpad, both
runnning Vista Business. This is clearly a generic bug in Vista and needs to
be fixed!!

David

 

[Aaron]

I am having the same issue, with a Thinkpad T42p. Started after a recent
Windows Update, which I also having issues with KB935607, but in any case, it
seems this issue is widespread and unresolved. It always works when I click
the second time, but the first time I get the Windows cannot find error.

 

[kathryn]

Just thought I would add that this definitely isn't a Word 2007 / Firefox
only issue.

I have this problem with Adobe Flash CS3, among other applications.