Word will not open attachment in Outlook.

[Guest]

When I try to open a .doc file that has been sent to me in an email, received
by Outlook 2003, Word opens, but the file does not. I have already tried
removing the NORMAL.DOT file, and letting word recreate a new one and have
also tried repairing office install...nothing has worked yet.

Is this a security setting?? Would seem like it's not, considering the
program opens...just not the file.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Graham Mayor]

Even if it would open it is very bad practice - right click and save the
file to the hard drive. Then see if you can open it.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Guest]

I'm aware that I can save and open...that's not the only option. I have been
able to open word docs before with no problem by double clicking the
attachment and answering the warning message.

There is no harm in manually double clicking the Word attachment. We do not
get 'spoof' or virus emails thru our server...ever.

So, again, I ask, why will it open word, just not the file??

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Are you getting any error message? Have you checked to make sure Outlook is
set to allow you to open .doc attachments?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the response Suzanne. No, I do not get any error messages. After
the warning, I click yes, to allow that type of attachment to open, word
fires up, but there's no document. Is there a specific place where Outlook
setting allow, or disallow you to open programs?

Thanks again in advance.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't use Outlook but rather Outlook Express for mail, and OE does have a
Security setting that by default prevents users from opening or saving
"attachments that could contain a virus," which include Word docs. I don't
immediately see such a setting in Outlook's Tools | Options | Security, but
there are some "download" settings that might be relevant.

I doubt that this is really the issue here, though. I know there is another
cause, but I'm afraid I don't recall what it is (because I've never
understood it). ISTR that it has something to do with the settings for .doc
files in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | File Types. Select DOC,
click Advanced, select Open (which should be the bolded entry), and click
Edit. On my system, the box for "Use DDE" is checked, and the "DDE Message"
is [REM _DDE_Direct][FileOpen("%1")]. The file path for the app is
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\WINWORD.EXE" /n /dde (note the
two switches). I don't know whether that will help or not.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the tip, but nothing seems to have worked. Excel files open, pdf
files open...everything except word. Of course the message asking are you
sure comes up, which is good, but when word opens, the file does not. I've
reset default security settings in IE, and reduced the Macro security
(temporarily) to see if I could get a Word attachment file to open thru
outlook 2003. Nothing is working.

I hate to reinstall...there are so many custom visual settings in Outlook,
it will take a month to get them the same.

Hopefully someone can help me figure this one out.

I don't use Outlook but rather Outlook Express for mail, and OE does have a
Security setting that by default prevents users from opening or saving
"attachments that could contain a virus," which include Word docs. I don't
immediately see such a setting in Outlook's Tools | Options | Security, but
there are some "download" settings that might be relevant.

I doubt that this is really the issue here, though. I know there is another
cause, but I'm afraid I don't recall what it is (because I've never
understood it). ISTR that it has something to do with the settings for .doc
files in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | File Types. Select DOC,
click Advanced, select Open (which should be the bolded entry), and click
Edit. On my system, the box for "Use DDE" is checked, and the "DDE Message"
is [REM _DDE_Direct][FileOpen("%1")]. The file path for the app is
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\WINWORD.EXE" /n /dde (note the
two switches). I don't know whether that will help or not.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Thanks for the response Suzanne. No, I do not get any error messages. After
the warning, I click yes, to allow that type of attachment to open, word
fires up, but there's no document. Is there a specific place where Outlook
setting allow, or disallow you to open programs?

Thanks again in advance.

 

[Guest]

How do you set Outlook to open .doc attachments? Every time I try to open an
attachment, a blank Excel Spreadsheet pops up.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Well, the application used to open a .doc file will depend on your file
associations (see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/ReRegisterWord.htm),
but there are settings in Outlook and Outlook Express that prevent opening
certain kinds of file attachments directly (you can still save them to the
HD and then open them, which is recommended, anyway). I don't use Outlook
for mail, and I can't find a setting in Options that seems to cover this; in
Outlook Express there's a setting "Do not allow attachments to be saved or
opened that could potentially be a virus." This includes .doc files.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

I use Outlook Express 6.0 and until recently I could open any attachment.
I can't find a solution to my problem at the site you suggested.
I just need to be able to click on a Word Doc attachment I receive and not
have a blank excel spreadsheet appear. I know I can save any file, but I
want to open the files in my email. My Outlook Express settings are okay. I
can open .gif and other files attachments, just not Word docs.

 

[Beth Melton]

As Suzanne noted, try recreating the file associations for Word which are
used when you open a file outside the application. The instructions in the
article she cited are:

Go to Start/Run and type:

Winword /r

Note the space before the forward slash. Click OK to run the command. You
might see the Windows Installer but Word will not start.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Did you check the setting I mentioned? It would not prevent you from opening
GIFs (which can't contain macros). The setting is on the Security tab of
Tools | Options in Outlook Express. If that is not checked, then file
associations must be the problem.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Suzanne,
I unchecked it, and still cannot open any Word Doc.
What do you mean by "file associations"? I just sent a Word Doc
to myself, went to Sent Mail, and clicked on the attachment, and it
wouldn't open. I've forwarded them, too, to myself and can't open
them. Any other suggestions?

Thank you.
Sandy

 

[Guest]

Beth,

I did start, run and typed it in. Two or three Windows popped up with
something like "installation" in them.
I went back to Outlook Express and tried to open a Word Doc but still cannot.
Thanks for noting the space.
Sandy

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

File associations are what is fixed by reregistering Word (using either the
directions in the cited article or the command Beth gave you). This
reestablished Word's "ownership" of .doc files by creating (or changing) a
Windows Registry key that tells which application is used to open files of a
particular type (that is, with a given file extension). You can also do this
through Windows Explorer by selecting an application to open the document
and then checking "Always use this program to open this type of file" (or
whatever the verbiage is).

Note that this will work only if the document actually has a .doc extension.
Word recognizes its own files regardless of extension, but Windows is not
that smart. In any case, if push comes to shove you can save the document on
your HD and open from there.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.