Word document not opening on desktop

[pinkfruiteriin]

Version: 2008

I have word for mac in the student edition and I recently updated the program. After this update I can not longer directly open a word file from the desktop. I can however go into File, then Open and select the document there and it will open. How do I fix this problem so I can just double click the document on the desktop to open it?

Thanks

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Try the easy fix first--select a Word document, do Cmd-I to Get Info,
set Open With to Word, and click Change All.

But if these are documents you've previously downloaded or received as
attachments, then this is a known issue--it's caused by
Firefox/Thunderbird and Eudora (and maybe other programs) assigning a
very old file type to downloaded files or attachments, and then 2008 SP1
installed a security fix so that double-clicking documents with very old
file types no longer works (and the method above will not make a
difference).

When you use File | Open from within Word, then they will open fine, and
once you make any edit and resave them, they will double-click fine
again. Try typing space and then backspace, hit Save, and that document
will be sorted. You can also resave the documents under a new name and
delete the old one.

Corentin Cras-Meneur has a script to batch-change documents:
http://www.cortig.net/wordpress/?p=175

 

[Jack Stoller]

We've just discovered this problem as well, but it seems to apply only to Word files that were created by Word for Windows and never before opened by a Mac.

We are in a cross-platform networked environment. I have a user who switched from a Windows machine with Word XP to a Mac using Word 2008. A couple of days ago I upgraded his Office 2008 to the latest service pack. Today he informed me that he can no longer open his Word files with a double-click. Further testing showed that dragging onto the Word icon in the dock also fails to open the file, as does right-click > Open with...

I copied the same file from the network to his desktop, and the problem persisted.

The only way I could get these files to open is by using File > Open... However, once open, if I make a single change to the file and save it (either to the desktop or network), the updated file opens with a double-click.

I've confirmed this behavior on another machine with the same environment [Word 2008 12.1.0 and Leopard 10.5.3 (but the problem appeared under 10.5.2)].

I can only conclude that a bug has been introduced in Office 2008 SP1.

Jack

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Interesting. Someone else specifically reported that they had no
problems double-clicking documents stored on the network, only
downloaded/attached docs. Is it possible that these documents were
transferred via Firefox/Thunderbird/Eudora, or perhaps also Lotus Notes,
at some point?

 

[kristopherValentine]

I have the same problem. It is driving me crazy.

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, did you try the same solution? If not, that's the place to start. If
you do, in fact, have the same problem it should work for you just like it
has for everyone else

If it doesn't, your problem must not be the same. In that case post a new
question stating all particulars. Replying to another poster's or
responder's message is the best way to get lost in a quagmire unless you are
actually offering a solution or suggestion for that individual.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

I have the same problem. It is driving me crazy.

We've just discovered this problem as well, but it seems to apply only to
Word files that were created by Word for Windows and never before opened by a
Mac.

We are in a cross-platform networked environment. I have a user who switched
from a Windows machine with Word XP to a Mac using Word 2008. A couple of
days ago I upgraded his Office 2008 to the latest service pack. Today he
informed me that he can no longer open his Word files with a double-click.
Further testing showed that dragging onto the Word icon in the dock also
fails to open the file, as does right-click > Open with...

I copied the same file from the network to hisdesktop, and the problem
persisted.

The only way I could get these files to open is by using File > Open...
However, once open, if I make a single change to the file and save it (either
to thedesktopor network), the updated file opens with a double-click.

I've confirmed this behavior on another machine with the same environment
[Word 2008 12.1.0 and Leopard 10.5.3 (but the problem appeared under
10.5.2)].

I can only conclude that a bug has been introduced in Office 2008 SP1.

Jack

 

[Jack Stoller]

No. They were created on a Windows machine attached to the same network and stored on the network storage (Win2003 domain). They've never been transported by any other program.

Jack

Interesting. Someone else specifically reported that they had no
problems double-clicking documents stored on the network, only
downloaded/attached docs. Is it possible that these documents were
transferred via Firefox/Thunderbird/Eudora, or perhaps also Lotus Notes,
at some point?

We've just discovered this problem as well, but it seems to apply only to Word files that were created by Word for Windows and never before opened by a Mac.

We are in a cross-platform networked environment. I have a user who switched from a Windows machine with Word XP to a Mac using Word 2008. A couple of days ago I upgraded his Office 2008 to the latest service pack. Today he informed me that he can no longer open his Word files with a double-click. Further testing showed that dragging onto the Word icon in the dock also fails to open the file, as does right-click > Open with...

I copied the same file from the network to his desktop, and the problem persisted.

The only way I could get these files to open is by using File > Open... However, once open, if I make a single change to the file and save it (either to the desktop or network), the updated file opens with a double-click.

I've confirmed this behavior on another machine with the same environment [Word 2008 12.1.0 and Leopard 10.5.3 (but the problem appeared under 10.5.2)].

I can only conclude that a bug has been introduced in Office 2008 SP1.

Jack

 

[Jack_Stoller]

Sorry to reply to my own post, but I think I may have discovered the cause of the problem I described below and it's may not be Word itself.

The file server in question is running the ExtremeZIP Appleshare server atop Windows 2003. I've discovered that if I attach to the same server using SMB mode I have no problem opening with a double-click the same files that don't open with a double-click using AFP mode. I also discovered that .DOCX files created by Word 2007 open in either AFP or SMB mode. It's just .DOC in AFP mode that is affected.

I'm going to report this to the vendor and see what they say.

Jack

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Jack:

Do you really NEED AppleTalk running on the network?

Most Macintosh applications are quite comfortable with SMB these days?

Cheers

Sorry to reply to my own post, but I think I may have discovered the cause of
the problem I described below and it's may not be Word itself.

The file server in question is running the ExtremeZIP Appleshare server atop
Windows 2003. I've discovered that if I attach to the same server using SMB
mode I have no problem opening with a double-click the same files that don't
open with a double-click using AFP mode. I also discovered that .DOCX files
created by Word 2007 open in either AFP or SMB mode. It's just .DOC in AFP
mode that is affected.

I'm going to report this to the vendor and see what they say.

Jack

We've just discovered this problem as well, but it seems to apply only to
Word files that were created by Word for Windows and never before opened by a
Mac.

We are in a cross-platform networked environment. I have a user who switched
from a Windows machine with Word XP to a Mac using Word 2008. A couple of
days ago I upgraded his Office 2008 to the latest service pack. Today he
informed me that he can no longer open his Word files with a double-click.
Further testing showed that dragging onto the Word icon in the dock also
fails to open the file, as does right-click > Open with...

I copied the same file from the network to his desktop, and the problem
persisted.

The only way I could get these files to open is by using File > Open...
However, once open, if I make a single change to the file and save it (either
to the desktop or network), the updated file opens with a double-click.

I've confirmed this behavior on another machine with the same environment
[Word 2008 12.1.0 and Leopard 10.5.3 (but the problem appeared under
10.5.2)].

I can only conclude that a bug has been introduced in Office 2008 SP1.

Jack

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Beau Buffier]

I apologize if the fix or workaround has already been posted but I am having
the same problems opening by double clicking since I installed SP1 and it
also driving me crazy. I use lotus notes, which is the main source of the
problem, but is there a workaround?

 

[CyberTaz]

For the time being I'm afraid not. The fixes offered will correct the
situation for existing docs, but it appears that - since Notes may be one of
the offenders - that even "fixed" docs will be "unfixed" when passed through
Notes again. As I understand it only Firefox has updated to avoid the type
change. Hopefully there will be an adjustment made somewhere before long in
order to alleviate the inconvenience created for some such as yourself.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Beau:

Just use "File>Open" from within Word to get the documents open.

Someone has suggested that if you correct a file named Internet Config in
Lotus Notes to set the file type correctly, that solves the problem.
Apparently IBM has not updated the Word file type in many years, and sets
all files to WDBN when it saves them. It should be W8BN.

I can't confirm that, since I have the PC version of Lotus Notes...

Cheers

I apologize if the fix or workaround has already been posted but I am having
the same problems opening by double clicking since I installed SP1 and it
also driving me crazy. I use lotus notes, which is the main source of the
problem, but is there a workaround?

--

Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

If you happen to still have Internet Explorer 5.2.3 for Mac OS X around,
someone has posted a workaround for Lotus Notes here:
http://www.officeformac.com/ProductForums/Word/3144

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Jack, if you don't already know (otherwise, for the archives):

GroupLogic has documented this workaround for the ExtremeZ-IP server.
http://www.grouplogic.com/knowledge/index.cfm/fuseaction/view/docID/317

Kudos for chasing down and getting fixed that particular manifestation
of the issue.

Sorry to reply to my own post, but I think I may have discovered the cause of the problem I described below and it's may not be Word itself.

The file server in question is running the ExtremeZIP Appleshare server atop Windows 2003. I've discovered that if I attach to the same server using SMB mode I have no problem opening with a double-click the same files that don't open with a double-click using AFP mode. I also discovered that .DOCX files created by Word 2007 open in either AFP or SMB mode. It's just .DOC in AFP mode that is affected.

I'm going to report this to the vendor and see what they say.

Jack

We've just discovered this problem as well, but it seems to apply only to Word files that were created by Word for Windows and never before opened by a Mac.

We are in a cross-platform networked environment. I have a user who switched from a Windows machine with Word XP to a Mac using Word 2008. A couple of days ago I upgraded his Office 2008 to the latest service pack. Today he informed me that he can no longer open his Word files with a double-click. Further testing showed that dragging onto the Word icon in the dock also fails to open the file, as does right-click > Open with...

I copied the same file from the network to his desktop, and the problem persisted.

The only way I could get these files to open is by using File > Open... However, once open, if I make a single change to the file and save it (either to the desktop or network), the updated file opens with a double-click.

I've confirmed this behavior on another machine with the same environment [Word 2008 12.1.0 and Leopard 10.5.3 (but the problem appeared under 10.5.2)].

I can only conclude that a bug has been introduced in Office 2008 SP1.

Jack