Micros**t Word problem

[FourWheelDrift]

Running Office 2000 Professional and Word has started to do some odd things.

If I try to open a document or save a currently open document it sometimes just flashes it's Task Bar button blue, when I click on the task bar button it displays the Save/Open file dialog box but I cannot navigate the folders only the currently open folder is accessable. I have to click cancel and then Open or Save As again and then it works.

Does that make sense?

Tried to Google this problem but it's a bit difficult to search on.

Anyone discovered this "feature" before?

[Plotloss]

Are you starting Word via the Quick Launch toolbar?

[FourWheelDrift]

Nope, double clicking a word document to open it, then saving it elsewhere produces the problem.

[Plotloss]

There is a setting somewhere to change the format of word windows between SDI and MDI

Its something like 'group windows on taskbar'

If you uncheck this it works like it used to with many document windows in once instance.

Theres a documented issue thats similar that is apparently resolved by this...

[FourWheelDrift]

Not a normal fix on Word2000 (it was disabled) I have found a 3rd party workaround for it, well someone talking about it but the link goes to an updated forum with no visible search option so I'll have to plug through page after page to find it.

But that fixes the multiple Word taskbar problem, I don't think my problem is linked to it because this is a single copy of word open and I happened when I try to save it.

[GreenV8S]

Is it possible there's something wrong with one of the mounted file systems on your machine? One time I accidentally put about a million files in the system drive wastebasket, and various file related operations more or less stopped working until I cleared it out.

[ATG]

Not sure how you would sort it out, but my guess is that the following is happening. When you double click on an file, Windows launches the app with which the file is associated and must also pass it the location of the file that was double-clicked as a start-up parameter (or something similar). Sounds like Word is failing to interpret the file's location properly ... so it can't find the file, doesn't open it, opens a file browser instead but initialises it pointing to a folder that doesn'r exist, hence you can't navigate from it.

[FunkyGibbon]

check out this site for FAQs and help on fixing word problems.

running winword /r from a command line may solve your problem.

[FourWheelDrift]

FunkyGibbon said:

running winword /r from a command line may solve your problem.

Unusual.

'winword' is not recognised as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Oh great.

[FunkyGibbon]

FourWheelDrift said:

FunkyGibbon said: running winword /r from a command line may solve your problem. Unusual. 'winword' is not recognised as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. Oh great.

ah OK - looks like the location of winword is not in the system path.

from the run option off the start button type cmd to get a dos window.

in file explorer find the directory path where winword.exe resides. on my pc that is

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10

in the dos window change the directory to your location then run winword /r

HTH

>> Edited by FunkyGibbon on Wednesday 29th September 13:16

[FourWheelDrift]

Ok, sees it now, but what exactly does "winword /r" do?

[FunkyGibbon]

FourWheelDrift said:

Ok, sees it now, but what exactly does "winword /r" do?

it re-registers all the default file types i.e. word document so that it correctly opens/saves.

did it work? if so you should be able to run word again as normal.

[FourWheelDrift]

Right, seems to have solved it, thanks for that.

Although it still flashes the Word taskbar button when I choose "save as" and I have to click on it to make the folder box to appear, but aleast it's navigable.

[Plotloss]

Its flashing to say its thrown a dialog window (open dialog) that needs a response for processing in word to continue.

Why its being thrown underneath the main document window is the tricky part...

[pdV6]

I'm always getting problems like that when automating Word. Seems to behave differently for every version and service pack MS comes up with

You should see some of the disgusting code I und up having to botch together to try to force the dialogs to the top

[FourWheelDrift]

Problem still exists.

[FunkyGibbon]

FourWheelDrift said:

Problem still exists.

OK - now try winword /a from a dos window. This should reset word to "factory defaults".

Good luck.

FG

[FourWheelDrift]

FunkyGibbon said:

Good luck.

Is "winword /a" best avoided?

[FunkyGibbon]

FourWheelDrift said:

FunkyGibbon said: Good luck. Is "winword /a" best avoided?

The good luck message was just that - i.e. I hope it gets sorted.

[FourWheelDrift]

Thanks.