Wordperfect Not Loading Files When they are double-clicked

[Alexander Busch]

I am finding some inconsistent behaviour when double-clicking on files in
Windows Explorer to launch Wordperfect and open the files in WPOffice 2000:

1) Wordperfect always launches.
2) .doc files convert and import, but .wpd files do not open.

3) The process works fine in QuattroPro (even in the same directory tree as
for number 4 below).

4) When trying it in Presentations, it popped up an error box stating that
it
couldn't find the file. The root directory it quoted was "School\....."
instead of "D:\Graduate School\.....". I assume that this means that it
is
having problems with directory names that have spaces in them? The only
one
in this tree with a space is the root directory.

I tried to open .doc & .wpd files in directories with no space in the name
and under the same conditions as for (4). The behaviour is the same each
time, so only Presentations seems to have this space in the directory name
problem.

I have service pack 3 (and 3_2 help files) installed, and am working on a
Windows NT 4 (SP6a) system.

Alex Busch

[Charles Rossiter]

Alex,

I suspect that you have been looking at the file types in Windows
Explorer. Please note that when you check or edit these filetypes,
Windows adds a %1 to the registry, which causes the errors you
describe. Please check the registry for all entries /ddeex and if there
is a trailing %1 for WPWin9 or PRWin9, delete the %1.

Now do the double-clicks on files work?

If not, then in Windows Explorer, do View, Folder Options, File Types
and scroll down to Corel Presentations 9 Drawing. Click Edit, on the
Open option, Edit. You should have (according to my system which works
OK with spaces in folders)

Application: ....\Programs\PRWin9.exe /ddeex
Use DDE: checked on
DDE Message: ShellFileOpen("%1") PRActivate()
DDE Application not running: ShellFileOpen("%1")

For the filetype WordPerfect 9 Document, you should have:

Application: ....\Programs\WPWin9.exe /ddeex
Use DDE: checked on
DDE Message: Display(1) FileOpen("%1") WPActivate
DDE Application not running:
also Display(1) FileOpen("%1") WPActivate

You will then have to repeat the registry check.

--
Charles Rossiter
[Volunteer C_Tech]
South Africa
{Please reply to Group only}

[Alexander Busch]

Charles,

Thanks for the tips. Is there an easy way to check the registry for all
entries /ddeex? I am assuming you meant the Windows registry and not the
file types window. I found that .shw looks exactly as you describe (the
problem was with the .ppt extensions) and .wpd did not have the DDE box
checked, nor did it have the /ddeex extension. The .shw path also has no
quotes around it, while the .ppt and .wpd ones do.

I've done a bit more checking on presentations and it works better than I
had originally thought. The show files work properly, it is only the
powerpoint files that load strangely. I found a couple that I had different
versions of, and the one saved in Office 95/97 format converts fine (it
gives an error message that it can't find the file, then loads and converts
it anyway, popping up a "create new" presentation box along the way).

It is the "default" powerpoint files that cause problems -- as I recall
when I made these a while ago, they always caused problems when I tried to
import them into presentations, so that is probably not a surprise that they
still do. At any rate, they simply crash the program.

On the bright side, the one file that converted worked much better than it
did when I tried to import in before service pack 1 -- all it needs now is
to move a few boxes slightly to the left. I consider this somewhat usable
(although strange) until Presentations can handle whatever format those
powerpoint files I have are in (since I don't really need them that much
anyway).

Thank-you for your help so far,

Alex

[Charles Rossiter]

Alex,

You can run the Windows program RegEdit. Step 1 is to make a backup of
the registry (click Registry, Export Registry file). Now click Edit,
Find and type /ddeex into the text window, deselect all the options
except "Data", Find Next. Use F3 to search for the next.

When you get a data item to be edited, double-click on the item to the
left of the data and then you can edit the data.

--

[Alexander Busch]

Everything now works except for the .wpd file formats. They give a box that
says

Cannot find the file 'D:\ ..... .wpd' {or one of its components).
Make sure the path and filename are correct and all required libraries are
available.

It seems to be associated with Windows Explorer, since WordPerfect loads
over it (not loading the document) and to see the error box one has to click
on Explorer again. On the bright side, it seems to recognize the files and
paths correctly, whether there are spaces in them or not (which it wasn't
doing before).

Does it matter if anything is typed into the Application and Topic boxes?

I also looked at the definition that was set up for the .doc files and
doesn't have the DDE box checked, with the command looking like:

C:\PROGRA~1\Corel\WORDPE~1\programs\wpwin9.exe "%1"

Thank-you for your help so far -- there is definitely progress!

Alex Busch

Charles Rossiter wrote:

[Charles Rossiter]

Alex,

I suggest that you use Windows Explorer to do View, File Types -- delete
all entries for extensions associated with WPWin9.

Now start WPWin9. Do Tools, Settings, Files and into the small box in
the middle of the five: type wpt and click Apply; type wpd and click
Apply; type frm and click Apply; type dat and click Apply; and if you
wish, type doc and click Apply.

[mi...@mikesalkin.com]

On Wednesday, July 12, 2000 2:00:00 AM UTC-5, Alexander Busch wrote:
> I am finding some inconsistent behaviour when double-clicking on files in
> Windows Explorer to launch Wordperfect and open the files in WPOffice 2000:
>
> 1) Wordperfect always launches.
> 2) .doc files convert and import, but .wpd files do not open.
>
> 3) The process works fine in QuattroPro (even in the same directory tree as
> for number 4 below).
>
> 4) When trying it in Presentations, it popped up an error box stating that
> it
> couldn't find the file. The root directory it quoted was "School\....."
> instead of "D:\Graduate School\.....". I assume that this means that it
> is
> having problems with directory names that have spaces in them? The only
> one
> in this tree with a space is the root directory.
>
> I tried to open .doc & .wpd files in directories with no space in the name
> and under the same conditions as for (4). The behaviour is the same each
> time, so only Presentations seems to have this space in the directory name
> problem.
>
> I have service pack 3 (and 3_2 help files) installed, and am working on a
> Windows NT 4 (SP6a) system.
>
> Alex Busch

Had a similar problem with WP8 on my WIN XP SP3 machine. My guess is this procedure will work for 7 - 9. Luckily I had the program loaded on two computers, one of which opened the files properly. Follow the procedure that Charles outlined to edit the association in explorer. I did not have to edit the registry directly.

Find the file type (WPD) and open the advanced tab. Highlight "open" and select "edit".
The editing window should show the following entries:

Action:
open

Application used to perform action
C:\Corel\Suite8\Programs\wpwin8.exe /ddeex %1
or
C:\Corel\Suite8\Programs\wpwin8.exe /ddeex

The machine that worked properly had the latter string and the machine I fixed automatically added the %1. When it loaded the WP document an error message popped up saying it could not open the file, but the file opened fine. My guess is that the %1 caused the error message.

Use DDE should be checked

DDE Message:
Display(1) FileOpen("%1") WPActivate

Application:
WPWin8_Macros

DDE Application Not Running:

Display(1) FileOpen("%1") WPActivate

Topic:
Commands

If you want to associate Templates (WPT) use the same parameters.

Hope that helps the next person encountering this problem.