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When you double-click a .doc file to open it using Word 2003 or Word 2007, the following error may occur and the document does not open:
However, you may be able to open the file using the File/Open… option within Microsoft Word.
The above symptom was observed in my client’s PC. The file association for .DOC appeared correct when inspected using FileExtInfo tool. The error sounds as if DDE is not working correctly or some program is interrupting it. Here is what which worked in my client’s PC running Windows Vista and Word 2003.
Instructions for Windows Vista (also applies to Windows 2000/XP)
1. Click Start, type regedit.exe and press ENTER:
2. Navigate to the following key and backup the key:
3. Right-click the ddeexec key and choose Delete. Click Yes to confirm.
4. Navigate to the following key:
5. Double-click (default) and set its value data to:
For Word 2003
For Word 2007
6. Exit the Registry Editor.
Instructions for Windows XP
In Windows XP, you can use the Folder Options applet to disable DDE for a file type action. Here are the instructions:
1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Click Tools, Folder Options, select the File Types tab.
3. Select .DOC file type from the list
4. Click Advanced
5. Select open and click Edit
6. Uncheck Use DDE checkbox and click OK.
7. Click OK, OK.
If that above does not help, check if one of the Office Add-ins is causing the error.
SEE ALSO
Excel opens without displaying a workbook
You cannot open a Word 2007 document or a Word 2003 document from Windows Explorer
How to troubleshoot problems that occur when you start or use Word
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I’ve a similar problem with Excel and it’s related to DDE. I went to Excel Option, Advance and clear the “Ignore all other applications that use DDE”. Hope it helps.
Hi guys, the problem is not with Word, is with the shit of Vista. Check that in .exe file properties you DO NOT have the Run programme as administrator checked. That should, hopefully, sort the problem. As I always said, VISTA SUCKS
thank you so much. worked on my windows vista machine. this has been quite the nagging problem
Worked perfectly first time for Word 2007, vista 64 bit install.
Thanks very much!
I have been having this problem and after reading these instructions I realized that I had recently downloaded a word Add-in. This was for a book search program; Once I went into remove programs and removed it I stopped having any trouble opening files. Now I just need to see if the Book search people have a updated add-on.
Thanks
I tried your procedure for fixing Win Vista, Word 2003 “Cant find doc problem”. But ,I got the same result/problem as Sebastian (above). Word opens now but there is no document in it.
I don’t know enough about how to fix this.
Any advice/help would be much appreciated
I changed registry to %1 as instructed : the error message is gone but the file still does not open,. I get an empty winword
I had the same annoyance opening .doc files with Word 97 on Windows 7. The fix for Vista worked like a charm. On Step 5, the value data for Word 97: “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\WINWORD.EXE” /n “%1″.
Many thanks. My hat off to you!
Although this may not be current date wise. I have had a similar problem, when I click on an excel doc. in my documents foler I would keep getting an error message — Windows cannot find “Filename/Path” make sure you typed the name correctly and try again. This was sligthly annoying as I could access the file by opening excel first and then opening the doc. After searching and reading through many forums for a fix I finally found a resolve for myself…I simply inserted the Office 2003 install disc and got it to repair instead of install. Problem solved within a few minutes.
I have a feeling that when I used the trial version of Office 2007 bundled on my PC this had some kind of affect in the registry, which in turn affected my Office 2003 which did not fix when i finished with the trial version
I had the same error trying to open various Doc & DocX files from Vista Windows Explorer, and yet the same files opened fine within Word 2007. I checked the programs associated with the various file extensions and found many of the Word files were associated with MS WORD VIEWER. I am guessing that this user’s computer initially had MS WORD VIEWER & Office 2007 was later installed. After some experimentation, I deleted MS WORD VIEWER, rebooted, launched Word 2007 directly & Word automatically changed all of the file extension associations to Word. All is well again.
Manually changing the file extensions was not sufficient (I suspect the user was accidently launching Word Viewer sometimes which switched back the associations).
Good luck.