Word 12.2.3 still not opening Word 2007 files

[bostonbri]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel The issue is I cannot open some word 2007 files (WIN) on my office 2008. Well I removed the normal.dotm file as suggested, have all the updates on the 2007 version. I renames the file and still I cannot open in word 2008. I'm at a loss of why I can't open some files.
Any clue to fix?

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Brian:

There are potentially four issues here:

1) The file has been munged by the email system on the way through. A
..docx file is compressed with the zip format. Incorrectly configured email
systems sometimes unzip the file to be helpful! If you unzip a .docx file,
Word can't read it.

2) Some email systems remove the extension from the file name. The content
of a .docx file is plain text. If it doesn't have its .docx extension, Word
doesn't know HOW to open it.

3) There was a bug in early versions of Word 2007 that caused it to write
invalid code. If the Word 2007 owner has not applied their updates, their
version of Word 2007 will write code that no XML reader other than itself
can read. Tell them to run Microsoft Update, then open their file, make a
small change, and save it as a different file name to correct the bad code.

4) Some users embed things in a .docx file or use formatting that Mac Word
simply can't understand. For example: if the document is encrypted with
Digital Rights Management encryption, Mac Word can't open it (you should see
an error dialog telling you this). Ask the author what's in the file:
chances are you will fin it contains something such as MS Project for which
there is no Mac equivalent.

Hope this helps

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
The issue is I cannot open some word 2007 files (WIN) on my office 2008. Well
I removed the normal.dotm file as suggested, have all the updates on the 2007
version. I renames the file and still I cannot open in word 2008. I'm at a
loss of why I can't open some files.
Any clue to fix?

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[bostonbri]

Actually I created the Word 2007 file at my work. I even put the file on a pen drive and still will not open. 2007 is up to date. I have changed file name. Cut and past using formatted text. I even deleted the normal.dotm file. Also made file in a compatible 2003 version and still no luck.

I'm at a loss. I am pretty sure it's on the 2007 version side, I'm just trying to figure how I can fix it so I can keep on bringing work back and forth using 2007 and 2008.

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Brian:

My first suggestion would be to take that stick back to work and see if
"Word 2007" can open the file. I schlep files back and forth between PC
Word and Mac Word on a data key constantly. There's never an issue: it
"just works".

How did you get the file onto the stick? "Save As" will often cause
problems on a removable drive: you should always close Word then use Windows
Explorer to copy the file across.

Check the file size: the Windows version and the version on the data stick
should be within a few bytes of each other.

Make sure you are NOT using any kind of data encryption or file protection:
Mac Word can't open files protected with WinWord's DRM.

When Word opens a file, it expects to be able to create up to 20 new files
in the same place. These are hidden, so you do not normally see them, and
they're deleted when Word closes. But if there's not room for them, Word
can't open the file.

Use Finder on the Mac to copy the file from the data stick to your hard
drive and you may have better luck.

Hope this helps

Actually I created the Word 2007 file at my work. I even put the file on a
pen drive and still will not open. 2007 is up to date. I have changed file
name. Cut and past using formatted text. I even deleted the normal.dotm file.
Also made file in a compatible 2003 version and still no luck.

I'm at a loss. I am pretty sure it's on the 2007 version side, I'm just
trying to figure how I can fix it so I can keep on bringing work back and
forth using 2007 and 2008.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[bostonbri]

I did just do a copy to the drive, not a file save as. The file sizes are the same & date.

No date encryption. The file had a logo in the header. I will take out and see if this fixes the issue.

 

[John McGhie]

Good thinking: What kind of data is the Logo? There are various kinds that
Mac Word can't read.

Cheers

I did just do a copy to the drive, not a file save as. The file sizes are the
same & date.

No date encryption. The file had a logo in the header. I will take out and
see if this fixes the issue.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[bostonbri]

Well This WORKED!
That was the issue. I didn't realize it but worked after removing the header. It must be some funky header. I didn't make the logo, it was on our company letterhead, so don't know what type of data. I will convert to a JPG and should resolve future issues.
Thanks for the help.

 

[John McGhie]

It may not even be the data type. Word is notoriously flaky if a picture is
the first character in a document. They've been fiddling around the edges
of that bug for a few years...

Cheers

Well This WORKED!
That was the issue. I didn't realize it but worked after removing the header.
It must be some funky header. I didn't make the logo, it was on our company
letterhead, so don't know what type of data. I will convert to a JPG and
should resolve future issues.
Thanks for the help.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!