WordPad problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter noodles
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N

noodles

I have a number of WordPad documents that are several years old on thumbdrives.
I used WordPad with the idea in mind that I would always be able to open them
with WordPad, not knowing the horrible truth that WordPad often will not open
WordPad documents. When I tried opening them with a later version PC at first I
would get a message like:

Cannot open Word for Windows (something or other) documents.

It seems that shouldn't apply to them, since they are WordPad documents not Word
documents. Since they have been on the computer for a while things are now
different. Now when I click on them they do open, but they show text only and
anything that's bold, underlined, and all pictures now show up as just squares
and different types of symbols. I'm afraid the computer has ruined them. If not,
can anyone tell me if there's a way to get them back the way I made them to
begin with, and get WordPad to open these WordPad documents? Or if WordPad won't
open these WordPad documents, is there a program that will? Can anyone help me
understand WTF is going on???

Thanks for any help!
David
 
Your message was posted to 3 newsgroups, 2 of which I don't read. I'm
posting my reply with followups to just the one newsgroup which I do
read, alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt.

I don't like to crosspost messages especially not into groups I don't read.

noodles@. said:
I have a number of WordPad documents that are several years old on thumbdrives.
Click to expand...

You didn't say which version of WordPad the docs were created with or
what extension you used. You also did not say which versions of Windows
you were using when you used WordPad to create the documents, so I will
make assumptions.

I will assume that you used a version of WordPad which came with Win 95,
98, Me, or Win2K and that you saved them as the default .doc extension.
That format was consistent with Word for Windows v.6.0.
I used WordPad with the idea in mind that I would always be able to open them
with WordPad, not knowing the horrible truth that WordPad often will not open
WordPad documents. When I tried opening them with a later version PC at first I
would get a message like:

Cannot open Word for Windows (something or other) documents.
Click to expand...

If you try to open such Word for Windows .doc files as described above
with the WordPad in Win XP, you will get the alert.

Cannot load Word for Windows 6.0 files

You also didn't say what version of windows and wordpad you are using
now, Windows XP, Vista, or Win7, and you didn't say what other
application resources you have such as word processors, so I will assume
none.
It seems that shouldn't apply to them, since they are WordPad documents not Word
documents. Since they have been on the computer for a while things are now
different. Now when I click on them they do open, but they show text only and
anything that's bold, underlined, and all pictures now show up as just squares
and different types of symbols. I'm afraid the computer has ruined them. If not,
can anyone tell me if there's a way to get them back the way I made them to
begin with, and get WordPad to open these WordPad documents? Or if WordPad won't
open these WordPad documents, is there a program that will? Can anyone help me
understand WTF is going on???
Click to expand...

You can open such .doc files as I have described with a word processor
program such as MS Word which is not free, or Open Office which /is/ free.

http://www.openoffice.org/

MS has described a registry fix here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/870883 you can add an
EnableLegacyConverters registry entry that has a DWORD value of 1. To do
this, follow these steps.
 
noodles@. said:
I have a number of WordPad documents that are several years old on thumbdrives.
I used WordPad with the idea in mind that I would always be able to open them
with WordPad, not knowing the horrible truth that WordPad often will not open
WordPad documents. When I tried opening them with a later version PC at first I
would get a message like:

Cannot open Word for Windows (something or other) documents.

It seems that shouldn't apply to them, since they are WordPad documents not Word
documents. Since they have been on the computer for a while things are now
different. Now when I click on them they do open, but they show text only and
anything that's bold, underlined, and all pictures now show up as just squares
and different types of symbols. I'm afraid the computer has ruined them. If not,
can anyone tell me if there's a way to get them back the way I made them to
begin with, and get WordPad to open these WordPad documents? Or if WordPad won't
open these WordPad documents, is there a program that will? Can anyone help me
understand WTF is going on???

Thanks for any help!
David
Click to expand...

I'm not a Word expert. I keep a Word Viewer on the machine. You might start
with

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=3657ce88-7cfa-457a-9aec-f4f827f20cac

then the Compatibility pack to add later document capabilities.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...70-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

After that, you'd do a manual Windows Update and check for security
updates. Or visit the Microsoft download page and look for them.

*******

The purpose of using the Word Viewer, would be to see if the
documents will render in their original form, or whether some
Save you did along the way, modified them.

I tried an experiment here. I created a document with an image in
it, in WordPad. I tried viewing it in Word Viewer, and it rendered
the same as in WordPad. The default document name my WinXP Sp3
Wordpad created was "document.rtf".

At least that might hint at whether they were "damaged" or not.

Paul
 
noodles@. said:
But they also warn us not to do it, and suggest we disable it when we're not
using it if we do. They also say:

"This problem occurs because WordPad's Rich Text Format (RTF) converters are
disabled in Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, and Windows
Server 2003 SP1. Therefore, .doc and .wri files that require an RTF converter
cannot be opened by using WordPad."
Click to expand...

I use WORDVIEW.EXE (free from M$) because I never had M$ WORD,
and occasionally OPENOFFICE, altough that is very slow starting.
Wordview displayed one, which was garbled by wordpad.
19 out of 20 I tested were displayed by all.
The garbled one was only displayed by wordview.
So I advise to try that one, it is fast and free.
 
noodles@. said:
Mike Easter

But they also warn us not to do it, and suggest we disable it when we're not
using it if we do.
Click to expand...

I have a lot of Win98 WordPad .doc files because I used Win98 for about
10 years - until a year or so ago. Most of the documents I made with it
were plaintext made with NotePad, but I also have a lot of WordPad docs.

I didn't make the registry change.

Depending on whether I'm using a linux system or a windows system, if I
handle those files I do it with AbiWord or OpenOffice. I also have a MS
Word that came with Office 97.

There are a lot of ways to change the .doc/s to .rtf/s which will open
with XP or Vista or Win7's WordPad.
2. can we download earlier versions of WordPad and use that to open them?
Click to expand...

I don't know about that. That isn't the way I deal with the problem.
 
I will assume that you used a version of WordPad which came with Win 95,
98, Me, or Win2K and that you saved them as the default .doc extension.
That format was consistent with Word for Windows v.6.0. .. . .
MS has described a registry fix here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/870883
Click to expand...

But they also warn us not to do it, and suggest we disable it when we're not
using it if we do. They also say:

"This problem occurs because WordPad's Rich Text Format (RTF) converters are
disabled in Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, and Windows
Server 2003 SP1. Therefore, .doc and .wri files that require an RTF converter
cannot be opened by using WordPad."

That brings up even more questions, like:

1. did they make later versions of WordPad suck like this deliberately in the
hopes of getting us to pay them for something else that doesn't suck?

2. can we download earlier versions of WordPad and use that to open them?

3. if we can use earlier versions of WordPad to open them, can we copy and paste
the info into new documents made with the later version and have them work ok?

4. why does having RTF converters disabled, have a negative influence with older
WordPad documents but the new ones we make in the same way using the same
program seem to do just fine?

5. if we can and do start using an older version of WordPad, are we in danger of
whatever it is they're concerned with when they suggest: "After you have
finished using the RTF converter, we recommend that you turn off the
EnableLegacyConverters registry entry." ?

6. should we expect that future even lamer versions of WordPad are in the works
so that we won't be able to open WordPad documents we make with current
versions, with future versions of WordPad? If so, what should we use?

7. should we expect to see advanced lameness versions of Note Pad in the future
too, that won't open older Note Pad documents?
 
achp-h only

noodles@. said:
Mike Easter

That is extremely rude.
Click to expand...

It is presumptive for you to assume that you can try to tell me what
groups I should post my messages into. I am an anti-crossposter and I
explained earlier that I do not post messages into groups I don't read
and I don't think that you should either.

If you crosspost any message, you should be reading all of the groups
you post it into because any respondents in any one of your crossposted
groups may only reply in one of the groups.

I have no idea what is going on in alt.computer or
alt.computer.workshop, as I don't read those groups and I'm not going to
post in either one blindly.
 
noodles@. wrote:
NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:18:16 UTC
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:18:09 -0800

.... and your system clock is misconfigured.

Please coordinate your localtime setting with the appropriate timezone
offset.

You are using a localtime setting for Eastern Standard Time US, but you
are using a timezone offset for Pacific Standard Time US -0800
 
Your message was posted to 3 newsgroups, 2 of which I don't read. I'm
posting my reply with followups to just the one newsgroup which I do
read
Click to expand...

That is extremely rude. Your rudeness screwed me over. You have to know it's
rude and has the potential to screw people when you do it too. That being the
way it is, it's amazing from my pov that you took the time to write anything
helpful. This extra clutter of me reposting pretty much the same thing is YOUR
fault for trying to be a net nanny over something that's none of your business.
So your net nannying screwed me and restulted in more clutter in your own group.
Good job I guess. Since there's no other reason for you to have done it, that
must have been your intent.
I will assume that you used a version of WordPad which came with Win 95,
98, Me, or Win2K and that you saved them as the default .doc extension.
That format was consistent with Word for Windows v.6.0. .. . .
MS has described a registry fix here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/870883
Click to expand...

But they also warn us not to do it, and suggest we disable it when we're not
using it if we do. They also say:

"This problem occurs because WordPad's Rich Text Format (RTF) converters are
disabled in Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, and Windows
Server 2003 SP1. Therefore, .doc and .wri files that require an RTF converter
cannot be opened by using WordPad."

That brings up even more questions, like:

1. did they make later versions of WordPad suck like this deliberately in the
hopes of getting us to pay them for something else that doesn't suck?

2. can we download earlier versions of WordPad and use that to open them?

3. if we can use earlier versions of WordPad to open them, can we copy and paste
the info into new documents made with the later version and have them work ok?

4. why does having RTF converters disabled, have a negative influence with older
WordPad documents but the new ones we make in the same way using the same
program seem to do just fine?

5. if we can and do start using an older version of WordPad, are we in danger of
whatever it is they're concerned with when they suggest: "After you have
finished using the RTF converter, we recommend that you turn off the
EnableLegacyConverters registry entry." ?

6. should we expect that future even lamer versions of WordPad are in the works
so that we won't be able to open WordPad documents we make with current
versions, with future versions of WordPad? If so, what should we use?

7. should we expect to see advanced lameness versions of Note Pad in the future
too, that won't open older Note Pad documents?
 
Does this help:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2239690_convert-rtf-file-ms-word.html ?

http://www.officeviewers.com/ (check this for bugs)

Something else to try... Win 7 - Right click the WordPad file(s) and mess
with the OS compatibility.



--------------

I have a number of WordPad documents that are several years old on
thumbdrives.
I used WordPad with the idea in mind that I would always be able to open
them
with WordPad, not knowing the horrible truth that WordPad often will not
open
WordPad documents. When I tried opening them with a later version PC at
first I
would get a message like:

Cannot open Word for Windows (something or other) documents.

It seems that shouldn't apply to them, since they are WordPad documents not
Word
documents. Since they have been on the computer for a while things are now
different. Now when I click on them they do open, but they show text only
and
anything that's bold, underlined, and all pictures now show up as just
squares
and different types of symbols. I'm afraid the computer has ruined them. If
not,
can anyone tell me if there's a way to get them back the way I made them to
begin with, and get WordPad to open these WordPad documents? Or if WordPad
won't
open these WordPad documents, is there a program that will? Can anyone help
me
understand WTF is going on???

Thanks for any help!
David
 
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