[FOXYGRANDMA]

I uninstalled a version of Microsoft Word (2003), (as it had not been installed right by a computer tech a few months ago when he formattted and intalled Windows XP Home Edition, SP2.), Since I have a disk for Microsoft Word 97, I installed it. I have many Word files on my desktop that I work with frequently. After I had uninstalled the Word version that I had, the word files turned into Note Pad.

When I installed Microsoft Word 97, the Word files took the form of Word. However, when I click on them, they will not open. If I use “Open As” and choose either Word Pad or Note Pad, they will open then. But in the title bar, it shows, for example, W.doc - WordPad. It does not keep the name that I gave it when I Save As. As I type and go to File, Save, I get a message box that says in the Title Bar Unsupported Save For..., and in the box it says: WordPad cannot save this document in its curent format. The documents will be converted to Rich Text Format. I press Okay. Then when I again go to File, Save, I do not get the message box.

How can I make my Word files save in the correct manner and have them open when I click on them? Thanks much.

I have IE6, SP2

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It may well be that the files created in Word 2003 uses features that are not supported by Word 97. In severe cases they won't open at all.
Wordpad has always had difficulties opening Word documents, especially if they use complex formatting that only Word can support.

[Neil Jones]

It may well be that the files created in Word 2003 uses features that are not supported by Word 97. In severe cases they won't open at all.
Wordpad has always had difficulties opening Word documents, especially if they use complex formatting that only Word can support.

[FOXYGRANDMA]

Thank you for your reply, although does not sound very encouraging. Do you think if I uninstalled Microsoft 97 and installed OpenOffice that it might help?

[Neil Jones]

You don't have to uninstall Word to run OpenOffice. But OpenOffice will be more (though not totally) compatible with Word 2003 documents than Word 97.

[FOXYGRANDMA]

Thak you again for your reply. I think I am just lost at sea on this one. I already uninstalled Word 97 (rather I did a system restore as I had made one before I installed Word 97). I had a Word Perfect CD, so I installed that and that does not seem to be doing much good. I can make it compatible with Word 97 but now I uninstalled it but can reinstall. What a merry-go-round. Think I will try the OpenOffice and seee what happens. My Word docs are back to Note Pad and looks really weird when I open them. But I can also open in Word Pad, and looks better. But I want my Word documents back. So will see what I can do with OpenOffice, when I get the patience.

You don't have to uninstall Word to run OpenOffice. But OpenOffice will be more (though not totally) compatible with Word 2003 documents than Word 97.