File extension name in Word documents

C

CJBookie

Wondering if somebody can help me. When I right click on my desktop and
bring up a new Word document, if I try to change the name I get this error
message: "If you change a file name extension, the file may become
unstable." If I change the name, the document changes the name to
"name.doc". The file extensions have not shown up before. Also, if I put
something in the documents and save them, the icons change from a Word doc to
something else - like a desktop document with colored items. This has just
started happening after I got rid of a virus.
 
G

garfield-n-odie

Personally, I prefer to see the filename extensions. But you can
go back to "your old way" by starting My Computer or Windows
Explorer and clicking on Tools | Folder Options | View | check
the "Hide extensions for known file types" box | Apply to All
Folders | OK.
 
C

CJBookie

I've tried that and it didn't work. I don't mind if I see the extension in
the name, but why are the icons changing, and why do I get that error
message? When this first happened, one document "crashed" when I tried to
make changes. That's when the icons started changing from the "W"s to
whatever they are now, which are not "W"s. Maybe if I reinstall Office
2000???...
 
G

garfield-n-odie

The W icon is associated with .doc files. The error message and
changed icons are caused by you changing the filename extension
from .doc to something else. When filename extensions are
hidden, you can name a file something like
YourFilename.YourExtension, and Word will quietly save the file
as YourFilename.YourExtension.doc. When filename extensions are
not hidden and you change the .doc part of the filename to
something else, Word will not automatically append .doc to the
filename again.
 
C

CJBookie

No, that isn't the problem. This happens when I'm trying to make a new Word
doc. I right click on the desktop, click on "Word Document" and it puts a
new Word doc on my desktop, WITH the "W" icon. The name (New Microsoft Word
Document) is highlighted. When I try to change that name, that's when I get
the error message. If I go ahead and change the name, the icon changes to
whatever it is (with the different colored, very tiny, icons in it), and adds
the .doc extension to the name. Prior to this, I could right click, add a
Word doc., change the name, without the extension showing, and save any
changes I made.

I have tried checking and unchecking the "hide extensions", but that has not
changed the problem. Some of the documents have "gobbledy-gook" in them when
I re-open them after this happens. You know, those squares, random letters,
etc. I'm thinking maybe the program is going corrupt. I'll try
re-installing it when I get home.
 
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