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Can't open Word Documents


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#1
brycrip

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Hi Geeks…

I’ve got one of the old Dell laptops with the wandering cursor problem. I was double-clicking on a folder when I guess the cursor zigged or zagged and the folder disappeared! I did a System Restore and got the folder back but now can’t open the Word Documents inside the folder. The message I get is: “The document name or path is not valid. Check file permissions. Or use the File Open dialog box to locate document.

How can I open these Word Documents? There are over a hundred of them in the folder.

Thanks for considering my dilemma.

Bry
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#2
Incoming

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Check and make sure the extension on the folder is ".doc, or .docx" on the documents.
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#3
brycrip

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Thanks Freshman.

The Word Documents are .doc
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#4
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Is your computer HP? If so, check here.
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#5
brycrip

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Computer is a Dell laptop.
Bry
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#6
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Did you restore to a point before they were made?
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#7
brycrip

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No... I only backed up four days. All .doc were stored in the folder months earlier.
Bry
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#8
happyrock

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for the wandering cursor...try unchecking enhance pointer precision in the mouse properties...in the control panel in the mouse settings
I think open office will open the missing documents...get it here...
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#9
brycrip

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Hey Happyrock

Nice to hear from you again.

The good news is your suggestion for solving the wandering cursor problem has really helped. Thank you!!!

I downloaded the OpenOffice program but am still “denied access” to my files. Some of the files are flv. files as well. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks again...

Bry
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#10
happyrock

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try this ...
How to take ownership of a folder
Note You must be logged on to the computer with an account that has administrative credentials. If you are running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you must start the computer in safe mode, and then log on with an account that has Administrative rights to have access to the Security tab.

If you are using Windows XP Professional, you must disable Simple File Sharing. By default, Windows XP Professional uses Simple File sharing when it is not joined to a domain.


To take ownership of a folder, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the folder that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.

2. Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).

3. Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.

4. In the Name list, click your user name, or click Administrator if you are logged in as
Administrator, or click the Administrators group. If you want to take ownership of the contents of that folder, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.

5. Click OK, and then click Yes when you receive the following message:

You do not have permission to read the contents of directory folder name. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control?

All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes.

Note folder name is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of.

6. Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and its contents.
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#11
brycrip

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Hey Happyrock:

Sorry it took so long to get back to you… I live on a small boat without internet so I have to walk to the village to get connected.

I carefully followed the procedure you outlined, re-trying it several times, but I’m afraid it made no difference. I am still denied access to the files. Go figure!!!!

Appreciate your efforts. Anything else I can try?

Bry
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#12
happyrock

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try installing FLV Player...its here...yhen see if you can play any of the FLV files

also try creating a new folder on your desktop...then drag and drop one of the files you can't open into the new folder...see if you can open it there...

funny that recently I started thinking I might want to live on a boat
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#13
brycrip

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Hi Happyrock…

Yah… living on a boat is a great lifestyle. Not for everyone, but if you love the water and getting away from all the [bleep] of “modern” society… it could be the answer. You visit interesting places and meet the friendly folks who live there. I haven’t done as much traveling as some but have enjoyed the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, the Turks & Caicos and now am on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. But it is a lot of work. Keeping a boat up and running in some of these third world countries is a challenge. Do you like fresh fish?

As to mundane computer problems: I downloaded the FLV player but couldn’t open the corresponding files. I opened a new folder on the desktop and copied and pasted a file into the folder. Then tried to open the file but couldn’t and interestingly enough, I can’t delete the folder from my desktop; I can’t move it to the Recycle Bin! That’s a first… at least for me.

Thank you for your patience.

Bry
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#14
happyrock

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for the folder you have trouble getting rid of ...go here and get MoveOnBoot
after you have installed it it will put in the contex menu so just right click on the folder you want gone and use the move on bot option to delete it...the next time you boot it will be gone...


I used to take scuba diving vacations every year...dove all over the world and about 2/3rds of the list you have been to and many others...
I love to catch fish but only like to eat a few kinds
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#15
brycrip

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Did you dive the Bay Islands in Honduras? I was there for about 6 months and folks told me it was some of the best diving in the Caribbean. I taught scuba many, many years ago but my sailboat is a bit small, at 34-feet, to carry all the gear. Still enjoy snorkeling though, and carry pole spears. But more often than not, I fish the reefs from my inflatable, jigging for yellowtail snappers and mutton snappers. On passages, I troll for dorado-dolphin and mackerel. The larger fish go on the BBQ… the smaller ones into the frying pan!

Getting rid of the folder on my desktop worked out ok. But, though I copied the files to the folder on the desktop, when I deleted it from the desktop, the original folder was also deleted. That make sense? …oh well…

Bry
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