[Phlegmbot]

When I got my Win11 PC, it came with a "free trial" of MS Office 365, of which I had zero interest. I left it alone for a while, but the Word program would just randomly open when I was trying to open a Docx file (I had installed my own Word 2010, which still worked fine at the time), and it was becoming a nuisance.

 

So I completely uninstalled MS Office 365.

 

And that's when the trouble began!

 

Here's what's happening now:

 

1. Word docs no longer preview in File Explorer. (I've tried all the common web-suggested fixes for this specific issue -- they do not work)

2. When I right click my Word icon, recent files no longer appear as a list -- that list NEVER populates, so something isn't being accessed appropriately (it still works to open the app!)

    - note: The "Recent" list of opened files within MS Word DOES keep track of my recent files.

3. When I click a file, I often (but not always -- and it seems random, not related to when a file was created) get the error: "Word cannot open the existing file (Normal.dotm)";

  - I tried a fix I found for this -- it didn't work. Then I just tried uninstalling MS Word 2010 and cleaned up the Registry w/CCleaner. I reinstalled. No change.

4. So then I tried a trick: I had saved my older Normal.dotm file on another drive. So I replaced the new one that was a result of the re-installation. That seems to've stopped the error messages MOSTLY (but not ALL the time, oddly).

 

I've also tried running MS Word Repair w/my MS Word disc (yes, it's a fully legal, registered version). Oh, and I even went to MS online help and was able to get free "help"; the person opened a Command prompt and futzed around and achieved nothing. He or she gave me no code to re-connect after a PC restart, so we disconnected, but it was clear he/she had no idea what to do.

 

Last, I'm also occasionally getting this other error: "ERROR 1907. Could not register font..." Again, it's not consistent. AND I'm getting "Word cannot create the work file." All of the errors I'm getting are attached.

 

I can STILL use MS Word, I can edit files, open old files, create new ones, save them, etc.  The issues are just those listed above. Any help would be MUCH appreciated! Thank you!!!

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

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So I completely uninstalled MS Office 365.

 

 

This could just be a coincidence and may well have happened in any event.

 

Quickest option first, did you create the obligatory system restore point before uninstalling the program, if not, have you checked for any other system restore points that are before you uninstalled the program.

[phillpower2]

So I completely uninstalled MS Office 365.

 

 

This could just be a coincidence and may well have happened in any event.

 

Quickest option first, did you create the obligatory system restore point before uninstalling the program, if not, have you checked for any other system restore points that are before you uninstalled the program.

[Phlegmbot]

 

So I completely uninstalled MS Office 365.

 

 

This could just be a coincidence and may well have happened in any event.

 

Quickest option first, did you create the obligatory system restore point before uninstalling the program, if not, have you checked for any other system restore points that are before you uninstalled the program.

 

Thank you for the reply! No, it's very definitely tied to the uninstall of 365. Removing that seems to have removed aspects of MS Word required for a, shall we say, smooth ride.

 

I didn't think to create a Restore Point b/c I would have NEVER thought that removing a program that was SOLELY a Trial program that came w/the PC would be a problem.

 

I really need actual fixes, some way to repair the registry or the program (the Repair tool doesn't work btw).

[phillpower2]

Computers and their software can be fickle so always expect the worst and try to be prepared for it, system restore points are not infallible but they can sometimes get users out of a hole.

 

I also suggested manually checking for previous restore points, have you done this.

 

Can I ask that you do not quote every reply as we have to read the full post to make sure nothing gets missed,, thanks.

[Phlegmbot]

Gotcha on quotes.

 

Yeah, i know PC's can be wonky, but I've never had problems removing even integrated software before. And when there's been any difficulties, CCleaner helped.

 

Yes, the previous restore points are all too recent (i.e., they're AFTER the incident of removing 365).

 

Thank you.

[phillpower2]

Looking at what has gone on I would have to say that it looks like the pre loaded program and your 2010 program were interacting in some way and when you got rid of 365 it interfered with the 2010 program, an alternative explanation being that CCleaner did it.

 

All we can do then is try a Windows Repair using the steps below, question for you should the repair not, help, have you got all your important data backed up.

 

Download then run the Windows All in One Repair tool from here, disregard the malware guidance but follow the other steps to the letter and in particular ensuring that you first create a new restore point and perform a proper Windows clean boot before running the repair, details for the clean boot here.

 

The above works with up to Windows 11.

[Phlegmbot]

"Looking at what has gone on I would have to say that it looks like the pre loaded program and your 2010 program were interacting in some way and when you got rid of 365 it interfered with the 2010 program"

 

Right! That's what I've been trying to say.

 

"an alternative explanation being that CCleaner did it."

No, I tried CCleaner AFTER the problems began. (As said, after trying MS Office 2010 repair, I uninstalled 2010, ran CCleaner, reinstalled 2010, and the exact sample problems continued [actually the Font error in the image above began at THAT point!].)

 

Before I run Win Repair, is that program generally able to work at repairing apps that aren't really PART OF Win11? Or is it that you're think that the way MS Office 2010 is embedded into the system may be part of the problem? I just like to understand the thought behind approaches before I try them.

 

Thank you!!

[phillpower2]

Just trying to cover all bases with the Windows AIO repair, just in case it is a Windows problem.

 

All we can do then is try a Windows Repair using the steps below, question for you should the repair not, help, have you got all your important data backed up.

 

 

You missed answering the above.

 

NB: Why the need for all the bold text, I`m not the one that has missed anything 

[Phlegmbot]

I was using the bold simply to separate my replies from the quotes.

 

I've all my important data backed up, but a Win Repair doesn't seem like the right answer here if it's going to reset Windows entirely, which is what it sounds like.

 

As a mod, maybe you know of someone on the boards able to offer some sensible alternatives. Thanks for your time as always!

[phillpower2]

Troubleshooting is a process of elimination with the easiest steps always done first, trying the Windows AIO tool will cost you nothing but your time, if it does not help you are 100% going to have to restore the computer back to its factory settings because that is the only way to correct what you have done.

 

If you are not willing to try what is suggested by myself here you are going to have a long wait for anyone else to come along who can or will be able to offer any alternatives.

 

Best of luck with it.

[Phlegmbot]

Sorry for the delay in replying -- been a busy week.

 

I appreciate what you're saying. I can try the Windows AIO tool...but can you tell me if it's going to change or reset Windows settings? Also, since it's NOT a Windows issue but rather a MS Office/MS Word issue, why is Windows Repair your suggestion? Again, I like to understand the approach and not make random changes.

[Phlegmbot]

Hey, not sure if you're still helping on this topic, but I was looking at fixes on this page:

https://learn.micros...ching-to-32-bit

 

When I tried to get help for this issue through Microsoft, the Environment Variables area is where the person at MS immediately went to try and fix the problem (I'd've told you this earlier, but I didn't know where they went until I saw it again and realized I recognized it from when their tech took control of my PC). So, it does indeed seem like removing one version of MS screwed up some back-end thing of how Windows accesses Word. Which DOES seem to jibe w/the behavior I'm getting from it.

 

For example: If I open Windows Explorer and click a Word docx file to open it, that's when I get all the errors; the system seems to be trying to open a version of Word and Normal.dotm that I don't have. BUT...

 

If I click the program shortcut in my TaskBar and then in Word, click Open, and navigate to the SAME file that gave me the errors, it opens w/out issue.

 

Sometimes, having opened the file via the 2nd approach above results in the file being able to be Previewed in the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer (sometimes not); not sure why it's not consistent, but it's all pointing to this same issue of Windows looking for the wrong Word program.

Edited by Phlegmbot, 05 September 2023 - 10:06 PM.