Word insists on WordPad file format

[Rob B.]

After uninstalling a trial version of WordPerfect, I installed MS Office
2003 (Word and Excel). Right after that uninstall, before the Office install,
I found that my (many) text files had been converted to WordPad files. They
remained that way even after Word 2003 was installed. I tried opening one in
Word and using "Save As" to save it as a Word Document. No joy. It remained a
WordPad file.
Then I created a test page in Word and saved it as a Word Document. It
ended up as a WordPad file. When I click on it to open it, it launches
WordPad.
This is very bad. The conversion to WordPad has probably permanently
wrecked some documents with tables in them. I need to get the remains of my
files back into Word's format, soon. Any thoughts?
I'm running WinXP on my nearly new PC, built from top-quality components.
The PC runs very well.

Thanks,
Rob B.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Word hasn't done anything to your files. They are still Word documents -
provided you haven't saved them again from WordPad. It is merely the file
association in the registry that is confused thanks to the installation of
software that uses the same filename extension - Word Perfect!. You should
be able to correct it by re-registering Word

How to re-register Word when problems crop up opening files
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ReRegisterWord.htm


--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

See http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ReRegisterWord.htm .

 

[Rob B.]

Thanks for replying.
I see what you mean; the file extension is still ".doc."
I did re-register Word as suggested. Nothing's changed. The files still have
the WordPad icons, and are still listed as "Wordpad" documents, and launch
WordPad when opened.
How can I change the program association of these files? I have hundreds of
them.

A related, but much smaller problem is that at least one document that I
created in OpenOffice (I was curious about other word processors), then later
modified in WordPerfect, now has the ".doc" extension, and is noted as type
"Wordpad," but opens as hash in WordPad... and Word says it's a WordPerfect
6.x file and can't open it at all. Can I run some kind of converter on that
one (and a handful of others that may have the same characteristic)?

Rob B.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Right click a document in Windows Explorer.
Select Open With
Select Choose Program
Pick Word from the list and check the box to always open with this program.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Graham Mayor]

A related, but much smaller problem is that at least one document
that I created in OpenOffice (I was curious about other word
processors), then later modified in WordPerfect, now has the ".doc"
extension, and is noted as type "Wordpad," but opens as hash in
WordPad... and Word says it's a WordPerfect
6.x file and can't open it at all. Can I run some kind of converter
on that one (and a handful of others that may have the same
characteristic)?

If the standard WP filter doesn't open it, try the old one linked from the
downloads page of my web site.

 

[Rob B.]

That did it, Graham. Now most of my documents sport the Word icon and open in
that program. Jeez, it's so simple, but during years of using Word, I never
experimented with other word processors and never had to learn how to change
file/ program associations.

Now I'm going to look into converting those WordPerfect documents.

Thank you very much.

Rob B.

 

[jwliberator]

Hi,

I am having a big problem. I just installed Microsoft Office Professional
Edition 2003 on my new Dell Inspiron 1501 pre loaded with Vista and I am
unable to associate a file type to open up with winword. I cannot get the
icon to go into recommended programs or other programs. I need big time
help. I had my MIS guy look at this & he was unable to do anything. We did
a Microsoft update and it still does not work. We tried to drag the icon to
the open with file & it still did not work.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE...
IF YOU SEND ME A .DOC ATTACHMENT TO MY E-MAIL - THE DEFAULT IS SET FOR
WORDPAD & IT OPENS IN WORDPAD (GIBBERISH STUFF). THE ONLY WAY I CAN OPEN IT
IS TO SAVE IT TO MY DOCUMENTS AND GO & OPEN MSWORD 2003 AND LOOK FOR THE
DOCUMENT. ALSO, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS IF I HAD A DOCUMENT IN MSWORD AND SAVE IT
TO MY DESKTOP IT IS SAVED AS A WORDPAD DOC.

I installed office professional edition 2003 and I can see & use
Microsoft Office Wood 2003 from my programs list. I have no other problems
with word.

I have done this:
Default programs
If I open set your default programs, on the left is a list of programs and
Office 2003 is not there.

If I use associate a file type, I select an extension .doc (it is showing
current default as Word Pad). I select change program. It is not showing in
my recommended or other programs. I select browse and scroll to Microsoft
Office and open it. Go to the Office11 folder. Scroll to winword select open
get back to open with file and it is not in recommended or browse.

Also, I have completed the Activation process since installing Office.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

See http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ReRegisterWord.htm. If Word is
actually installed on your machine, then reregistering it will accomplish
what you want.

 

[jwliberator]

I did the uninstall & reinstall & it did not work. I am getting the same
problem.
I called Microsoft (1-800-936-5700) & they told me that I am registered.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Did you read the article? This has nothing to do with uninstalling and
reinstalling, nor does it have anything to do with registering the program
with Microsoft. It has to do with reestablishing Word's file associations in
the Windows Registry.

As a shortcut, click Start | Run and type

winword.exe /r

and press Enter. Notice that there is a space before the forward slash.

Nothing will appear to happen, but Word will be reregistered.

 

[jwliberator]

I have Vista & I am not sure how to do this.

Did you read the article? This has nothing to do with uninstalling and
reinstalling, nor does it have anything to do with registering the program
with Microsoft. It has to do with reestablishing Word's file associations in
the Windows Registry.

As a shortcut, click Start | Run and type

winword.exe /r

and press Enter. Notice that there is a space before the forward slash.

Nothing will appear to happen, but Word will be reregistered.