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Office 2007 Can't open file from win. explorer

(11 posts)
  • Started 4 years ago by Jishin
  • Latest reply from noones
  • Topic Viewed 4236 times

Jishin
Posts: 5

I am in dire need of some help here. MS tech support did nothing for me. First off, here's the details of how my problem occurs.

I navigate to a folder on my computer that contains a word document (Word 97 - 2003 document or a 2007 document, it doesn't matter) and double click the document to open it. However, it doesn't open. Word does not open (nor the file, obviously). The folder that the file is contained in freezes. I don't get an hourglass icon next to my cursor or anything. While the folder is frozen, I can open word from the start menu without a problem and have a blank document in front of me, as well as any other non-office related program. The only thing I can do at this point is open the task manager and "end task" on the folder.

After I've used "end task" to close the folder, I open MS word through the start menu and it opens fine. I sometimes have the document recovery window on the left, showing the file that I tried to open through windows explorer. The document recovery window does not always appear, though. I've only noticed it a few times.

However, if I open word, then open a file through word (click the open file button, navigate to a file (any version of word), and double click on it that way) there's a lag of about 30-60 seconds and then it opens without a problem.

I've also noticed that word, excel and powerpoint are rather slow with some formatting. IE, changing the row height/collumn width. But, I only have a problem opening Word files.

I originally installed Office Ultimate 2007 about 2 and a half weeks ago. This problem started occuring recently, though I don't recall exactly when. On Wednesday I reinstalled my entire OS (XP Pro) and started from scratch. I updated everything, including SP3 for XP, and I think I've gone through just about every option I can find regarding file associations. This problem still exists. Prior to my reinstall, I spent an hour and a half on the phone with Microsoft Tech Support. His first thought was that this issue was related to mcafee, norton or AVG. I've never had any of those. I use Trend Micro Internet Security, which was installed this last weekend on Sunday. I was so tired of sitting on the phone while he had me search for mcafee, norton or AVG files on my system that I finally just hung up. I thought that perhaps this issue was related to Trend Micro Internet Security, but if I "deactivate" the program and shut it down completely, I still have the same issue trying to open Word files.

I'm sorry that this is so lengthy. I'm trying to give as much detail as possible. I'm a new online college student, and I'm overwhelmed! I use Word on a daily basis and I'm horribly frustrated. Anyone have any ideas?? I would greatly appreciate it!

Thank You!

Jessica

Posted 4 years ago #
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whs
whs
Posts: 17584

This sounds like a corrupted office file. You can try to repair it. Go to e.g. Word Options (in 2007 Word) > Resources > MS Office Diagnostics. If that does not help, I would just reinstall Office 2007 - the iffy part is to uninstall your current office system. You may want to use REVO or if you use the standard Vista uninstall and run into problems see this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928218/en-us

Posted 4 years ago #
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Jishin
Posts: 5

Alright. Thank you for the suggestions. I'm going to use REVO to uninstall. When I installed Office the first two times I used the Install.exe that I downloaded from Ultimate Steal.com. I did, however, purchase the actual discs for office from them, so I'll use the hard copies to install this time. Maybe that will help. I'll let you know. Again, thank you!

Posted 4 years ago #
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Jishin
Posts: 5

Well, I uninstalled and re-installed MS Office Ultimate and I have the same problem. Immediately after install I didn't have an issue opening any files. Then last night when I tried to open a document, it did it again. The computer wasn't shut down or restarted since the new install. I'm ready to pull my hair out...any other suggestions? I'm not using Vista btw...my OS is XP Pro SP3. Not sure if this makes a difference regarding your response.

Posted 4 years ago #
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whs
whs
Posts: 17584

So something you are running does clobber one of the office files or a registry entry (at least that is my guess). Do you remember what you ran between the initial time when it was functioning and the time when it was on the blink? One long shot, which sometimes helps, is to clean the registry with CCleaner http://filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/ - it has helped me recently in a similar situation.

Posted 4 years ago #
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Jishin
Posts: 5

I have CCleaner, and I've run the registry cleaner a few times, but it doesn't help. The only things that have been installed/run on my computer (aside from what was originally there when it worked ok) from the time I installed office are trend micro internet security, ccleaner, and service pack 3. I was using SP2 prior to my OS reinstallation. I do remember that I was having this problem with SP2 as well, though.

Here's the timeline, if it'll help:
1. Installed Office Ultimate 07 - No problems
2. 1 Week later my computer guy installed:
-Soundblaster Soundcard & Creative software
-Trend Micro Internet Security
-CCleaner
He updated Trend Micro and did a scan through Trend Micro and CCleaner
3. Once I got my machine home and hooked up, I noticed that word and excell were slow. It was around this time that I started having the problem opening a word document. At first, when the folder containing the document would freeze, if I opened word from the start menu, word would open a new document and then open another word window with the file I was attempting to open. The folder would un-freeze. Everything would be fine then. Sometimes this wouldn't work and I'd get the document recovery window containing the document when I opened word. It was at this point that I spoke with MS customer service.
4. I couldn't resolve the issue, so I reinstalled my OS (XP). Originally I had SP2, however with the new OS install, I upgraded to SP3 right away. Then I installed all of the previously existing hardware, followed by Trend Micro and Office Ultimate. The problem still occurred.
5. Upon your suggestion, I tried uninstalling/reinstalling Office again, and obviously, the problem still occurs.

I've read other forums where sometimes HP's imaging monitor can conflict with word, so I shut down all the HP processes that were running. That didn't fix the problem either ^^ I also read that using FileMon or Process Monitor can help figure out what, exactly, is going on. I have both of these programs downloaded, but I have NO idea how to use them.

As for my most recent reinstall of office, between the time it worked alright (directly after the installation) and the following day when I noticed the problem again, the only thing I actually did on my system was use Quicklink Mobile to connect to the internet (have wireless internet), browse the internet and complete my school work online. So the only programs I initiated were Quicklink Mobile and Internet Explorer. Trend Micro and various HP programs run in the background constantly, however.

Your help and advice is greatly appreciated. I'm starting to feel like it was a big mistake to spend all this money on Office Ultimate 2007. I guess I should have gone with an older version.

Posted 4 years ago #
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whs
whs
Posts: 17584

Hmm, Office 2007 is a good product. No need to blame it. From what you describe, my first suspect would be Trend Micro. I have no experience with this particular security program, but all security programs snoop around all over the system and are very often the cause of conflicts. You might try to uninstall that and replace it with another (free) security suite like e.g. AVG http://free.avg.com/download-a.....ee-edition - unfortunately you may have to go thru the Office reinstallation again. That is hard to say though, because it is not obvious, what level of damage has already been done. Regarding the "Imaging Monitor" - this is also a heavy handed piece of software. Not sure what damage it could do, but at the least I would make sure it is not in the Startup programs. You could even replace it all together e.g. by Picasa2 or FastStone Image Viewer (one of my favorites). Both of those are free.

Posted 4 years ago #
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Jishin
Posts: 5

Well, according to the guy who built my computer for me, he's a huge supporter of Trend Micro (PC-Cillin), so that's why it's on my system. And since I've already paid for it, it seems silly to get rid of it. I'm changing my startup settings now so that HP doesn't load. I noticed something today. I reinstalled office this morning. After my reinstall, it worked fine. I left the computer on and when I returned home this evening, I tried opening a document. It didn't work, had the same issue. So, I restarted my system. After I restarted it I tried opening a document again. This time it worked alright. I've been trying to open documents periodically for the last 15 minutes or so. I'm hoping that, at some point before I go to bed, the issue will start up again so that maybe I can try to pin-point my problem. It seems that while idle, something happens that interferes with the whole process. If I don't see the issue tonight I'll leave my system on and try it in the morning.

I'll be looking into that software you suggested as well. Thanks :)

Posted 4 years ago #
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whs
whs
Posts: 17584

I did not mean for you to dump Trend Micro forever - just uninstall it for a while as a test and use e.g. one of the feebees like AVG for that period of time so that you have protection. It was just meant as a test. Because if nothing else is working and the office is being messed up anyhow, it can only be one of the background programs of which security is one of them. Your configuration is not very common in the sense that Office 2007 was really intended for Vista and I assume that it is not too common on XP. And programs like Trend Micro may not have taken that into consideration. But then again, it can be any of another million things.

Posted 4 years ago #
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Fraggy
Fraggy
Posts: 13

If you read the blogs and posts, its a 2007 backward compatability issue in Vista and XP that hasnt been fixed yet. But.... there is a work-around which works on my Vista "enabled" machine.

1) Don't try to open the document from within explorer, only open it within the application i.e. XL or Word.
2) In any office 2007 application, click on the round MSOffice button at the top left of your windowed app., then look for the options button at the bottom of the dialogue box that opened up, click on that button and click on the advanced listed item on the left hand side, then scroll down to the heading that says "General", in that section make sure the box is checked which says "ignore other applications which use Dynamic Data Interchange (DDE)".

As I say it works on my Vista machine, but if you read the intarweb posts it an MS Office "feature" not a PC inter application problem.

frag

Posted 4 years ago #
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noones
Posts: 1

In some computers that worked to me:
Try going to Excel Options, Advanced tab, and under the general heading:
Uncheck the box that says: Ignore other Applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)

If not, do the folowing:
- Uninstall Office from add-remowe programs,
- delete registry entry \\HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office
- delete folder C:\Program files\Microsoft Office
- RESTART PC,
- Install Office again.

That really worked to me on other machines.

Posted 4 years ago #
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