Don Schlesinger: WORD question

[Don Schlesinger]

> Change the disk location in the
> "Application used to perform
> action" box

To what?? When I get there, it says: "C:Microsoft Office\OfficeWinword.exe"/n

I wouldn't have a clue what to change it to. But, I sense you're on to something here, so maybe you've found the solution.

> This works on Windows 98. If you have a
> different version, the process should be
> similar.

I have Windows 98. So, what's my last step?

Thanks.

Don

[Don Schlesinger]

> it says:
> "C:Microsoft
> Office\OfficeWinword.exe"/n

This should have had a "Program files" at the beginning of the string. I couldn't see it and left it out.

Don

[T. Hopper]

Try using the Find program from the start menu to look for "winword.exe". Word 97 will be the smaller one. Obviously you have both of them somewhere on your computer.

[SOTSOG]

***

How do you run your Word program? By clicking on a desktop Icon? If so then Right Hand click on the Icon and select Properties. Select the 'Shortcut' tab in the properties box. There is a field labeled 'Target'. This field is the path (or location) of where the executable program resides. This path (you can cut and paste it) is what you need to type into the "Application used to perform action" field as the last step of the process.

***

This tells Windows where to go to get the program when you select files of this type. The new version of Word on your machine automatically changed this to point to itself when it was installed. Isn't Microsoft cool? Some Microsoft software disables competitor's software automatically upon installation. Microsoft wonders why it is being sued for anti-trust.

***

Imagine if you bought a new Ford and it destroys your old Chevy when you bring it home and park it in the garage. In your case, your old Ford refused to run and stopped dead in the road because you drove it by the Dealership and the car realized the new model Fords where out on the showroom floor.

[Don Schlesinger]

> Try using the Find program from the start
> menu to look for "winword.exe".
> Word 97 will be the smaller one. Obviously
> you have both of them somewhere on your
> computer.

Correct. The smaller one, for Word 97, says,
Program files\Microsoft Office\Office," while the one for Word 2000 says "Microsoft Office 2000."

But, the maddening thing is that, in the area where T-Hopper told me to look, there is NO mention of 2000 in the box!

Frustrating.

Don

[Don Schlesinger]

> How do you run your Word program? By
> clicking on a desktop Icon?

Yes.

> If so then Right
> Hand click on the Icon and select
> Properties. Select the 'Shortcut' tab in the
> properties box. There is a field labeled
> 'Target'. This field is the path (or
> location) of where the executable program
> resides. This path (you can cut and paste
> it)

No apparent way to cut and paste, but I copied it and typed it. It's the same as what's there already.

> is what you need to type into the
> "Application used to perform
> action" field as the last step of the
> process.

Unless capital letter matter, it's the same thing that's already there. Might I have to reboot the computer before what's there will take effect??

> This tells Windows where to go to get the
> program when you select files of this type.
> The new version of Word on your machine
> automatically changed this to point to
> itself when it was installed. Isn't
> Microsoft cool? Some Microsoft software
> disables competitor's software automatically
> upon installation. Microsoft wonders why it
> is being sued for anti-trust.

But, someone changed it back for me. Then, when I downloaded a recent document, it got switched back, apparently. However, the path for Word 97 seems to be exactly what is now in that box. That's what's driving me crazy -- unless caps matter or I have to reboot.

Don

[SOTSOG]

When I can consult some PC type gurus.

In the meantime:

Yes, reboot. You may have the incorrect version of WORD running in memory, and your computer is using this, instead of reloading from the disk.

No caps don't matter.

Make sure that all the text was erased in
the "Application used to perform action" box.
Sometimes if the path is long, it scrolls off to the right where you can't see it.

Instead of typing in the path, Use the browse button to the right, and navigate down to the location of the proper version of Word, click on it, and let the computer fill in the box.

[T. Hopper]

> But, the maddening thing is that, in the
> area where T-Hopper told me to look, there
> is NO mention of 2000 in the box!

That is probably just a shortcut, which is a small 1K file that tells the computer to get the file somewhere else, kind of like a link on the WWW. Just replace it with the actual address of the program file you wish to use returned by Find File.

[T. Hopper]

SOTSOG is trying to tell you how to change the link on your desktop, while I'm helping you to get Word 97 instead of Word 2000 to load when you click on a Word file.

[SOTSOG]

> SOTSOG is trying to tell you how to change
> the link on your desktop, while I'm helping
> you to get Word 97 instead of Word 2000 to
> load when you click on a Word file.

Maybe that is where the confusion lies. I am trying to get him to use the desktop Icon to determine where the proper version of Word is.

THEN using that location, fill in the box with that information, per your instructions.

Sorry for any confusion.

[Don Schlesinger]

> That is probably just a shortcut, which is
> a small 1K file that tells the computer to
> get the file somewhere else, kind of like a
> link on the WWW. Just replace it with the
> actual address of the program file you wish
> to use returned by Find File.
No, the actual file name is identical to the actual shortcut. The Word 97 name is:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe"

That is precisely what is in the box I get to from "File types" and "Edit," as you suggested. The Word 2000 file name has a 2000 in it, and that 2000 appears nowhere in where I'm directing the Word documents to be read from.

VERY frustrating and puzzling.

Don

[Don Schlesinger]

> Maybe that is where the confusion lies. I
> am trying to get him to use the desktop Icon
> to determine where the proper version of
> Word is.

> THEN using that location, fill in the box
> with that information, per your
> instructions.
And, I'm doing precisely what both of you are telling me! There is no doubt that the path for Word 97 is the one typed in the box.

Don

[Don Schlesinger]

In My Documents, the icons are Word 97 icons, not Word 2000 ones. When I open one, the computer insists on "preparing to install" Word 2000, and then tells me there's some sort of error, and that I should go to "Setup" and "Programs" to fix it. When I "ignore" that, it nonetheless proceeds to open the Word document in Word 2000.

It seems as if, since I have the two versions on my hard drive, Microsoft is absolutely FORCING me to use Word 2000, whether I like it or not. I explained this once to a guy who fixed my computer, and he did something to remedy the problem (made Word 97 the "default," when opening docs from My Documents). However, the current fixes you guys are proposing don't seem to be taking.

Don