re: can't open corrupted word doc? encoding garbage?
jon chui
I fix mac computers too, so I'd love your take & expert advice on my
friend's computer w/ these two issues. Searched forums & google with
varying degrees much luck. I DID find this post from google groups:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.mac.office.word/browse_thread/thread/d9a81587a602f5ba/1e19331b62dc937c?lnk=gst&q=corrupted+#1e19331b62dc937c
Thanks in advance for your help!!! Definitely much appreciated!
Here are the two main issues:
1. Corrupted word for mac issues
She cannot open these files. It also seems to be "spreading" to
other files! When we open, it popups asking which encoding to use,
UNICODE, ETC, but whatever you choose you still get GARBAGE
2. Non-persistent desktop icon locations after reboot
1) started a week ago with only one document. Now, it seems to have
"spread" to 3-4 documents, and they cannot be open. Friend's scared
this may be a "virus"
Mac OS X 10.4
white macbook
70% SURE IT'S office 2004
My take:
a) It's most likely a file system corruption? (indicated by the non-
persistant icon changes)
OR
b) It could also be an office-specific issue, when it saves files it
corrupts them b/c of a recent update?
What I'm going to try:
1) I'm going to try out ms' "document troubleshoot diagnostic"
document: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/285393
- also open on another computer, another account, in safe mode,
etc
2) Updating the Microsoft office to the newest version
IF FILE SYSTEM:
- usual ( repair disk permissions, try with safe boot user,
- manually update the mac osx disk combo (TO 10.4.11)
Does anyone have any experience with this specific error? Thanks in
advance for your help!!! Definitely much appreciated!
John McGhie
We don't fix Mac computers here, we limit our efforts to Word on the Mac �
makes the job a little simpler :-)
On 8/02/10 2:50 AM, in article
fe7b9fd4-4011-422d...@j31g2000yqa.googlegroups.com, "jon
chui" <jon....@gmail.com> wrote:
> Here are the two main issues:
> 1. Corrupted word for mac issues
> She cannot open these files. It also seems to be "spreading" to
> other files! When we open, it popups asking which encoding to use,
> UNICODE, ETC, but whatever you choose you still get GARBAGE
There are several things that can cause that: Word is not recognising the
file as a "document" and so is opening it using the wrong import translator.
First, try starting Word, then using File>Open within Word to navigate to
the file. If the file IS a Word document, Word will then open it correctly.
In which case, the file probably has the wrong extension, causing OS X to
send it to the wrong converter.
If you get the file open, use File>Save As... And check "Append file
extension" box on the dialog. Word will then add the correct extension and
the problem should go away.
When you do use File>Open, check that the "Enable" field at the bottom of
the Open dialog is NOT set to "Recover text from any file". If it is, then
every document will open with the binary content showing as garbage. Recover
Text is a "last chance desperation" opening method that can recover only the
Unicode text data from any file. Correct it to "All Readable Documents" to
disable that import converter and all files should open correctly.
Two other things to check:
1) If you are being prompted for an "Encoding" when you open, this means
the file you are opening is either not a Word document, or has the wrong
extension, AND that Word>Preferences>"Confirm conversions at Open" has been
left on. Turn that off, and the file ought to open normally.
In which case, it means the file is one of the "plain text" encodings (for
example, HTML or .docx) and it does not have the correct extension.
Extensions MATTER in Mac OS X: it's Unix, it needs them to work correctly.
2) If the file is a .docx, something on the system or in the email client
may be unzipping it, or the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack has not been
installed.
Internally, a .docx is compressed in Base64 (Zip) format. But if you unzip
a .docx, Word can't open it. If the Compatibility Pack is missing, Word
2004 can't open a .docx anyway: download and install the compatibility pack
from Microsoft Mactopia and all will be well.
You might also look at Word>Preferences>Save to ensure that "Save Word files
as..." is set to "Word Document" (the top selection). If it is set to
anything else, strangeness is possible!
I think it's too early to go hunting for file system problems, but you
should do a Repair Permissions, Shut-down all the way to power-off, and then
restart. That will trigger useful Unix housekeeping.
Hope this helps
This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!
--
John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:jo...@mcghie.name
CyberTaz
likely candidate than repair disk *permissions*. Sounds to me like file
system problems exist on that Mac.
Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac
On 2/9/10 12:30 AM, in article C79713EE.5283%jo...@mcghie.name, "John McGhie"