9 replies to this topic

[mickey7]

My father's computer no longer associates word with doc files. All of a sudden the computer just associated all word docs with another program. First is was adobe now they seem to be associated with media center. I am able to open word from the program list and create a test file. It is fine. When I go to the folder it is still listed as a word doc. All preexisting files and any attachments in email do not open with word. In email it does not matter if he tries from the email itself or saves it, it opens in media center. He has a vista hp touchsmart computer with office 2007 installed. I know how to change the associations but the computer will not let me. For example: I right click on a inaccurately associated doc file and choose open with. The file associations listed do not include word, there are only a few including word pad and adobe and media center and the like. There is a link to browse to find other programs. I click this and locate winword. I click on it and it pops into the program type box and then the window suddenly disappears. And no files are changed. It is quite frustrating. Can anyone please offer any suggestions? I have run antivirus, adaware and malwarebytes with clear results. Thank you.

[Mr Bean]

Hey Mickey7, I believe this method should work with Vista (I have Windows 7 but they are similar in many ways). First off, you will need to open your start menu. You should see "Default Programs" somewhere in the Start Menu. If so, click on that and it will open up a window which shows 4 options. Choose the "Associate a file type or protocol with a program" option. It should go to another page which may take a minute or two to load up. Scroll down and find the ".doc" extension and double click it. It should open up an "Open With" mini-window. Find "Microsoft Office Word" from the list (it should be in either "Recommended Programs" or "Other Programs". If this isn't the case (i.e. it doesn't appear on the list), then your best option is to do it manually. First off, click the "Browse" button under the box containing the "Recommended" and "Other" programs and it should open up into the "Program Files" folder, click the "Microsoft Office" folder and search in there for the WINWORD.EXE file. If this isn't there, it will be located in the "Program Files (x86)" folder and you will need to repeat the same process (i.e. choose the Microsoft Office folder). Hope this works for you, -Daniel

[mickey7]

Daniel, That unfortunately did not help. As you may have read before, I already tried the manual association. Whenever I click on winword it clears the window and does nothing. I located winword at: program files\microsoft office\office 12. I did however go to the icon for word 2007 and goto the properties to verify its location. This is where it states it resides: c:\programdata\microsoft\windows\Start... (I can't see the rest). I cannot locate this pathway anywhere on the computer. From the C: there is no programdata. and from program files there is no path that matches above. So what next? Any further thoughts. Mickey7

[Mr Bean]

Hey mate,

That sound like a problem with either Windows or Word itself then.

You could try getting Windows to check that all Windows Operating System files are ok and haven't got any issues.

This is done by typing

sfc /scannow

in the command prompt (you must be an administrator to do that).

If this doesn't solve the issue (you may have to do what I said again), we will try another idea I have.

Thanks,
Daniel

[mickey7]

it will not let me do this - -- it keeps talking about a console session run in administrator. this computer only boots up one way..

[Doug]

Click on the Start Orb - All Programs - Accessories - Right-Click on Command Prompt - Select - Run As Administrator The above will open a dos-like box. You can then type sfc /scannow at the blinking cursor, then press Enter. ____________________ Other question: Do you have the installation media so that you could re-install Office 2007 if necessary?

[mickey7]

Sorry for the delay -- busy weekend. At any rate will try this when I get home. And yes I do have the discs for the office suite. But I find it odd that newly created files are fine. Just older ones or ones that are sent in as attachments and the like....

[Mr Bean]

Sometimes, the program gets bugged and reinstalling files that are known to work solves the issue. Thanks Doug for pointing out how to run the Console as an administrator, use this method and we'll see if that solves the issue before an Office reinstall

[mickey7]

guess I will have to do a reinstall then, that scan came back clean

[Peter1]

guess I will have to do a reinstall then, that scan came back clean

When you ran sfc /scannow, nothing appears on the screen. It just installs missing files.
Did you in fact open Office to see if running it helped? Or did you assume because there was no report, that there was no fix and just reinstalled?