Can not open files with ext. .rtf

[Karl]

In My Documents folder, Notepad works fine, but Wordpad disappeared.
Replaced with all such files ending in .rtf. Right clicking those files
gives about six choices for opening file, but only using Notepad works.
However, I lost the ability to click on links previously possible with
Wordpad? Any solution would be appreciated.

Thanks, Karl

 

[Newbie Coder]

Karl,

Try holding down the left shift button before right-clicking an RTF file the OPEN WITH
option should appear

Otherwise, open a folder, TOOLS menu FOLDER OPTIONS | FILE TYPES tab & scroll to the RTF
extension & change to WORDPAD there

The OPEN WITH list is held in the registry & programs like SPybot S & D cleans them out
when using the USAGE TRACKS option in ADVANCED MODE | SETTINGS tab | File Sets

 

[Rey Santos]

Unless you actually deleted the file "wordpad.exe" from the system folder on
your hard drive its impossible to uninstall it through the normal process of
removing software. If you accidentally deleted the shortcut from the start
menu, the easiest way of finding out if the program is still there is to go
to the Start > RUN menu and type in "wordpad". If it comes up, then you know
that you only deleted the shortcut and not the whole program. If you still
need the program and you want to restore it , then you might want to go to a
computer that has it and then copy the file "wordpad.exe" on floppy disk
since its only 210KB.

Mine is located here:
"C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe"


Wordpad can also be re-added through Control Panel, Add/Remove Windows
components (left pane). Remove and reinstall "Accessories and Utilities.

 

[Karl]

Newbie Coder,

I followed your suggestions. "Wordpad" was not one of the options there
either. You mentioned Spybot S&D. Updating that program has caused
constant warnings to come up regarding the registry. That is about the time
this issue came up. I've been allowing all changes, as I previously never
had any prior warnings anytime I opened up a file. Please see my reply to
the second post of "Rey Santos".
Karl

 

[Karl]

Hi Rey,

Wordpad is apparently deleted, from my WIN XP machine, perhaps through using
Spybot S&D.

I found a post pointing to " kellys-korner-xp.com/xp-tweaks.htm", which on
line 308 has a way to restore "Wordpad.exe". While I can use Wordpad from my
desktop, how could I make it a permanent part of my computer again? My
folders still do not have Wordpad as an option to read documents.

All documents in "My Documents" folder which were Wordpad saved, change, all
at once, when I choose "Notepad or IE" to open those folders. Need more
help, please?

Karl

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Have you tried restoring with System Restore to a point before this all
happened?

 

[Lem]

Hi Rey,

Wordpad is apparently deleted, from my WIN XP machine, perhaps through using
Spybot S&D.

Highly unlikely.

I found a post pointing to " kellys-korner-xp.com/xp-tweaks.htm", which on
line 308 has a way to restore "Wordpad.exe". While I can use Wordpad from my
desktop, how could I make it a permanent part of my computer again? My
folders still do not have Wordpad as an option to read documents.

All documents in "My Documents" folder which were Wordpad saved, change, all
at once, when I choose "Notepad or IE" to open those folders. Need more
help, please?

Karl

If you can "use Wordpad from my desktop" then it *is* "part of your
computer."

Take a deep breath and start over.

Click Start > Search and select "all files and folders".
Enter "wordpad.exe" (without quotes).
Look in "Local Disk (C"
Click Search

Your search results should look something like this:

wordpad.exe C:\WINNT\$NtServicePackUninstal$
wordpad.exe C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories
wordpad.exe C:\WINNT\ServicePackFiles\i386
wordpad.exe C:\WINNT\system32\dllcache

Post back with your actual search results, and we'll take it from there.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Lem]

Highly unlikely.


If you can "use Wordpad from my desktop" then it *is* "part of your
computer."

Take a deep breath and start over.

Click Start > Search and select "all files and folders".
Enter "wordpad.exe" (without quotes).
Look in "Local Disk (C"
Click Search

Your search results should look something like this:

wordpad.exe C:\WINNT\$NtServicePackUninstal$
wordpad.exe C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories
wordpad.exe C:\WINNT\ServicePackFiles\i386
wordpad.exe C:\WINNT\system32\dllcache

Post back with your actual search results, and we'll take it from there.

Forgot to mention, in doing the search, go to "more advanced options"
and check the boxes to:

search system folders
search hidden files and folders
search subfolders

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Karl]

Hi Lem,

Is there a way to copy and paste the search results? When I attempt Ctrl+A,
it only selects the first word on the left. Same with dragging the mouse.

Spent maybe 30 min. typing results manually and after pushing "Post",
message failed @ said I was not connected. Have always on cable modem
service at 100Mbps.

Thanks, Karl

 

[Karl]

Hi Lem,

Here are the search results:



wordpad C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB885836_0$ 8/29/2002
wordpad C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386 8/4/2004
wordpad C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents 10/28/2004
wordpad C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$ 10/28/2004
wordpad C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\StartMenu\Programs 3/26/2008
WORDPAD.EXE-0A5E2F00.pf C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
3/26/2008

Hope you can take it from here.

Karl

 

[Lem]

Hi Lem,

Here are the search results:



wordpad C:\WINDOWS\$NtUninstallKB885836_0$ 8/29/2002
wordpad C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386 8/4/2004
wordpad C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents 10/28/2004
wordpad C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$ 10/28/2004
wordpad C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\StartMenu\Programs 3/26/2008
WORDPAD.EXE-0A5E2F00.pf C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch
3/26/2008

Hope you can take it from here.

Karl

Sorry, as you discovered, there's no easy copy/paste from search results.

You *do* seem to have deleted the executable file somehow. On the other
hand, you also seem to have a copy of the executable file in
"C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents". This is probably what
you downloaded from Kellys Korner.

A couple more bits of info:

1. If you go to Start > All Programs, do you see an entry for Wordpad?
Assuming you do, if you click on it, does Wordpad open?
2. Go to Start > All Programs, and right click on the entry for Wordpad.
Then select Properties and click the Shortcut tab. What does it have
in the "Target" box? (You *can* copy and paste from here). What does
it have in the "Start in" box?
3. Go go Start > My Documents and find the Wordpad file. If you double
click it, does Wordpad open.


--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Karl]

Hi Lem,

Answer to Q.1) Yes, Wordpad opens.
2. After selecting properties, there is no shortcut tab. Tabs are:
General, Version, Compatibility and Summary tabs. (Note: At the bottom of
General tab it says: "Security: This file came from
another computer.... to protect this computer." Then a button: "Unblock".
Should I press this
Unblock button?
3. Yes, Wordpad opens, after a security warning to "RUN or Cancel".

Thanks so far, Karl

 

[Lem]

Hi Lem,

Answer to Q.1) Yes, Wordpad opens.
2. After selecting properties, there is no shortcut tab. Tabs are:
General, Version, Compatibility and Summary tabs. (Note: At the bottom of
General tab it says: "Security: This file came from
another computer.... to protect this computer." Then a button: "Unblock".
Should I press this
Unblock button?
3. Yes, Wordpad opens, after a security warning to "RUN or Cancel".

Thanks so far, Karl

Oy! It gets more complicated.

The "Blocked" button and the security warning are intended to protect
users from themselves. Assuming that (a) you got Wordpad.exe from
Kellys Korner and/or (b) you have an up-to-date antivirus application
running, go ahead an click the Unblock button. Because I don't appear
to have that issue on my computer, I don't know whether you'll *always*
have to click the button or if clicking it once will do the trick.

Let's forget about the entry in Start > All Programs for a while,
anyway. What you want to do (I think) is to be able to double-click on
your *.rtf files and have Wordpad open to edit them.

1. Copy wordpad.exe from
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\ to a floppy disk or USB
(thumb) drive.

2. Copy wordpad.exe back from the floppy or USB drive to
C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\

The point of steps 1 and 2 is to remove the information about where the
file came from so you won't get the security warning. If you don't have
a floppy drive or a USB drive, you can skip these steps and just copy
the file directly to C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\

3. Double click on one of your *.rtf files. I assume that you will get
the message that "Windows cannot open this file." Select the button to
"Select the program from a list" and click OK.

4. Scroll down the list. If you see Wordpad, select it (one click).
Enter something like "Wordpad document" (without quotes) in the
description box. If Wordpad was not in the list (probably), click the
"Browse" button and go to C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\
highlight wordpad.exe and click the "Open" button.

OK your way out and you should be good to go. This should also deal
with right-clicking on *.rtf files.

If all of that worked, and you always (i.e., after clicking the unblock
button at least once) get the security warning when you start Wordpad
from Start > All Programs, there is an easy fix for that. Post back and
let me know if you want those directions too.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[Karl]

Hi Lem,

You are the "Man." All your instructions worked to a "T". (The security
warning is gone, so all is working).

Thank you so much. You truly are a MVP.

Sincerely,

Karl Schultze

 

[Lem]

Hi Lem,

You are the "Man." All your instructions worked to a "T". (The security
warning is gone, so all is working).

Thank you so much. You truly are a MVP.

Sincerely,

Karl Schultze

Great. Glad you're back in business.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm