Word & Excel files unavailable after loading XP SP2

S

stever761

After installing Windows XP SP2 I can't open Word or
Excel files. Either through the My Documents shortcut,
clicking on the file directly, trying to access through
the Open option from the File menu in the apps, etc.
Clicking on the file it opens the appropriate app(Word or
Excel) and then a warning dialog appears saying that the
file named xxx is not available (xxx is the name of the
file).

The Word documents have to be opened through WordPad and
then cut and pasted back into Word for manipulation. If
you then Save and close then immediately try to open it
again the same error occurs. The same happens with
Excel. It does not happen with any non-MS application
documents.

I thought that maybe I needed an Office patch and tried
to use the Office updater and it won't run. It keeps
saying I need to load ActiveX, which I have done about a
half dozen times, but it still thinks it needs it. I am
running Office XP Professional and as far as i know it is
w/o any patches.

I uninstalled it and reinstalled from the package disk
and it seemed to work briefly, but after I logged off and
logged back on I had the same problem.

Additionally, if you switch between users or if the
screen saver pops up you and you don't save the document
your changes are lost. Word for example says the file is
recoverable, but when you try to open it it says the
document is not available.

One other odd thing, every time you shut down Word a
warning dialog opens saying: The file Normal already
exists. Do you want to replace the existing file? If you
say NO a save dialog box pops up so you can save it under
another name. If you say cancel the dialog goes away,
but Word stays open. You either can click yes, and then
a dialog pops up asking if you really want to overwrite,
or you can save it as another file name.

Any suggestions? This seemed to happen immediately after
I installed XP SP2 through automatic update.
 

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