Can't Read Word 2003 docs backed up Vista now using Office 2007 SP1

[Chad Harris]

Before I had Office 2007, I was using Vista (actually since it's Beta began,
and I backed up what I think were my Word 2003 documents to DVD. I'm not
sure if I can determine what version of Word was used but they should have
been Word 2003 before any Betas of 2007 were available.

I'm using Vista SP1 and Office 2007 SP1 on this box currently and both have
every available update to date.

Now when I go to open up, the backed up docs they show up in gibberish. I
searched the MSKBs, Word Help on the MSFT sites, etc. and I downloaded the
latest version of the MSFT Office Word Viewer. It doesn't help.

I downloaded the "Compatibility Pack" and it did nothing. That'd be this
guy:

For more information about the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, and to
download the Compatibility Pack, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466

I don't believe the documents are corrupted at all. I think there is
something that has to do with XML or the word formatting mismatch that MSFT
has engineered between Word 2003 and Word 2007.

I would appreciate any help at all.

I don't think this is my problem: discussed in this MSKB

How to use earlier versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word to open and save
files from 2007 Office programs
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924074

because I have the latest version of Word.

I'm not getting any particular error message and when I saved the docs,
whether I used Word 2003 or Word 2007 I had all the latest updates.

Thanks much,

CH

 

[Graham Mayor]

If you copy the files from your disc to the hard drive and remove the read
only flag from their properties, will they now open?

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Chad Harris]

Thanks Graham. Your help over the years is much appreciated. But they
won't open after dragging to desktop. I did check Properties>Security tab
and there is no "read only" limitation either checked in the box or in
checking each user profile. All permissions are granted for each user
profile.

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Thanks Graham. Your help over the years is much appreciated. But they
won't open after dragging to desktop. I did check Properties>Security tab
and there is no "read only" limitation either checked in the box or in
checking each user profile. All permissions are granted for each user
profile.

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Graham--Reason for the multiple answers is that Win Mail kept putting up the
false error message that it didn't send the message because the image was
too large when it sent it every time (and the image was never large).
Welcome to Win Mail and the NNTP news reader. Welcome to false Wiudows error
messages.

CH

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

How did you back up the documents? You probably need to use the Restore
functionality of what ever program you used to back them up to restore them
to a form that can be opened.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Graham Mayor]

The attachments suggest (attachments are seriously frowned upon) that you
are trying to open a zip file with Word. You need to extract the files from
the zip before opening them.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[MikeB]

I enclose a small .jpeg.

I'm sorry to derail your thread, but can you please tell me how you
enclose a file (jpeg) in a newsgroup post?

Thanks.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Vista should Unzip the files if you double-click on them - though it sounds
as though you have somehow associated ZIP with Word, so you may need to
reset the association. Do this from inside Explorer, not on the Desktop.

Terry Farrell

 

[Graham Mayor]

I'm sorry to derail your thread, but can you please tell me how you
enclose a file (jpeg) in a newsgroup post?
Thanks.

The messages in the various Word forms are stored on Microsoft's usenet
server. Some of the web front ends to this server allow attachments, others
don't. This is a text only service and attachments are not welcomed; and in
some cases will cause the message to be discarded.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Chad Harris]

I backed them up with Vista. It may have been Vista in some Beta build
since I know the date of the backup was 4/06. There are only 4 ways I back
up Doug. I have not associated Word with a zip file. I checked and Word is
not associated with a zip file and associations are intact and fine. I use
Winrar as my zip utility.

1) Acronis True Image
2) Vista
3) Windows One Care and only to keep it green once in a while or to test the
feature
4) Drag and Drop to an external HD.

Unfortunately I corrupted my external HD by plugging it into a notebook and
not "safely removing" it all the time. I didn't think it would matter and
it did.

Thanks,

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Having been a very prolific helper on the MSFT XP and particular the Vista
general and Vista setup groups for about 8 years (XP before there was a
Vista and Windows 7 builds) which there are now, I am well aware that
attachments are frowned upon, however if they are used sparsely and
appropriately and are small enough, given the penetration of broadband for a
large number of people although to be sure not all countries and the rate of
using attachments is about 3 in 8 years, I don't think it's inappropriate.
And the glitch was that I got a false error message from ole Winmail which
is part of ole Vista last I checked, that it was rejecting the attached
..jpeg because it was too large and to start with it was not large. I kept
getting the false error message, hence the successive attempts to post a
smaller image. Given the error message repeatedly, I had no idea they were
posting until after the fact.

I usually go to the Word group to get help although infrequently and it is
always excellent. On occassion I have given help on the Word groups, Office
groups, and Outlook groups back in the day.

Thanks,

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Thanks Terry although that's simply not the case. I double checked and
there are no file associations of WinRar or any other zip utility with Word.

CH

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The problem with attachments is that most readers won't see them because
most people are reading these NGs through the Office Communities (which
doesn't permit attachments) or some other Web portal that has some other
provision for attachments. Admittedly, most of the people *answering*
questions are probably using NNTP, but that's another issue.

 

[Graham Mayor]

It is much better and everyone can view them if you upload such attachments
to web space.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Graham Mayor]

The fact remains that the the image suggests that this is a zip file and
Word cannot open zips without producing the garbage you see.
Can you in fact open the file with Winzip/WinRar?

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[CH]

You're right. It's a zip file because the backup modality I used compressed
it into a zip file. I didn't associate Word files with Win zip or Win Rar
of course. And I changed the open with functionality to have these zips
open with Win Rar but all that happennedis that a dos screen flashed for a
milisecond. I suspect I need to figure out how to open them up, but they
won't open with Win Rar.

I'll have to dig into how Vista backups that get zipped by default are
opened I guess..

CH