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General discussion

MICROSOFT WORD DOESN'T WORK

Feb 7, 2004 5:10AM PST

Whenever I click on Word to open it, or click on a Word file, that little rectangle is shown that says Microsoft Word 2000 right before it opens. However, instead of opening, it just stays at the little rectangle and eventually my computer freezes up. I haven't experienced this problem in 3 years of having the computer and have tried reinstalling it, but nothing worked.

CAN ANYONE HELP ME FIX THIS PROBLEM?!?!?!?!

Discussion is locked

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NORMAL.DOT COLLECTS CRUFT.
Feb 7, 2004 5:27AM PST

Try this simple fix-all for Word.

Find and delete the NORMAL.DOT files off the hard disk. Word creates a new fresh one the next time it starts.

A common problem with a simple cure.

Cheers,
Bob

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Word in MS Office 2000 Small Business not working
Jun 6, 2009 7:50AM PDT

I have a new Think Centre computer so had to reinstall my Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business discs. Everything works great except for my word program. I looked for normal. whatever and can't find it. What else could I do.... I feel like something is missing.

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Keep looking.
Jun 6, 2009 8:01AM PDT

If you ever ran Word there is a normal.dot file out there. Why many fail to find it is the file extensions or other such info is turned off or hidden in Explorer. I won't repeat the long posts about this.

Also, run Word in it's SAFE MODE (see google.)
Bob

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Hidden links
Jun 6, 2009 8:06AM PDT

I did the whole thing about turning off hidden links ( I know that's the wrong terminology) and still found no normal.dot so am wondering if I can just assume i need to do something like: Go to xyz downloads page and download such and such a thing. The only thing I can think of other than that is maybe its normal.doc....? I even did the (Runn...) and ( and this may be a clue.... when I typed in winword.exe/a Word came up just beautiful and asked me for my initals or somthing and then went away again.

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That come up and shutdown is documented behavior.
Jun 6, 2009 8:23AM PDT
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New Keys
Jun 6, 2009 11:41AM PDT

Thanks Bob. How do I go about doing that. Why did they lock out some keys and is this the problem if my Excel, windows publisher, and basically anything from this Suite works? I was at first wondering if it was a conflict between MSO 2000 MS office of which a trial version was preinstalled on this puter.

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Why.
Jun 6, 2009 11:57AM PDT

Why? Because that key was used widely (piracy issue.)

As to the trial version, my method has always been to remove the trial if I have any problems.
Bob

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Updated my software
Jun 6, 2009 12:14PM PDT

I went to the link you provided and first of all I installed the MS office SR-1/SR1a update, restarted my computer and nothing changed. I read further in the article you referred me to and it says: Office was installed by using a CD key that begins with GC6J3. My cd key starts with BDD88 so I hesitate to do anything that is going to mess with my registry without talking to my computer guy. My last idea was to try to get someone at MS online to help me but I guess they're off for the weekend, lol.

If all else fails, at least I know I can open a document using Run and use it. Like I said, everything else: Excel, Publisher, etc work so maybe I'll stop while I'm ahead but I haven't given up yet. And who knows, maybe the machine just needs a good nights sleep to take the changes, I've seen that happen before but never really with a machine that is only two weeks old.

Thanks for all your help,
Sheila

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Office was installed by using a CD key that begins with GC6J
Jun 6, 2009 10:19PM PDT

"Office was installed by using a CD key that begins with GC6J3."

That's not good to read.

"My cd key starts with BDD88"

Aha, mixing CD-Keys and CDs have been the road to ruin in many Microsoft titles. I see the issue clearly now. There is no cure I can offer here as Microsoft might issue you a new proper CD and CD-key "set" which you must keep together.
Bob

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Mixing keys
Jun 7, 2009 1:08AM PDT

I didn't mix anything though maybe the guy I bought it from, a real company here in town did. On the back of disc number one is the key I typed years ago when i bought it and it worked wonderfully until I had to get this new hard drive which has "Microsoft Office Small Business Tools" preinstalled. I don't like that word program right off the bat so I'm going to uninstall that and see what happens. But the CD and key that I bought years ago are together- its on the back of one of the white envelopes and furthermore since everything comes in a white envelope (CD envelope) I write on there which envelope goes to which CD. If it were the wrong code, I wouldn't be able to open up Publisher and Excel anyway. I don't think the problem is the key really. Like I said I can open up a doc if I do Run:winword so its showing signs of life, its just like it's missing one ingredient.

Thanks,
Sheila

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So you have a shortcut to run that?
Jun 7, 2009 2:01AM PDT

This smells like the key issue. But let's say it's not.

Then I would be doing 2 things.

1. I'd create a shortcut on my desktop to winword.exe
2. I'd use Explorer and RE-ASSOCIATE my .DOC files with winword.exe

File associations look to be the issue here. Then again you might have some trial version mucking up the works.
Bob

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Removed all MS 2007
Jun 7, 2009 2:42PM PDT

I removed all the preinstalled 2007 and not only did it work but it worked instantly! Thanks for all your help with this, I learned alot.

Sheila

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Thanks for the report.
Jun 7, 2009 11:27PM PDT

"As to the trial version, my method has always been to remove the trial if I have any problems."

I lied. I always remove the trial versions before I install the version we have. Seems this is why I rarely see this issue.
Bob

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LInk given
Jun 6, 2009 11:42AM PDT

Sorry, didn't see your link there.