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Question

Microsoft Works 9: Help Retrieving Data from a Disc!!!

Aug 27, 2011 4:27AM PDT

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Hey guys, does anyone know of any freeware that I could DL which'll allow me to retrieve data I have saved to a CD using Microsoft Works 9? My brother's XP-based PC can't seem to open them (I hadn't saved them as a Word doc. before my own Vista-based PC crashed); yet, his PC will read similar docs that I have saved onto a flash drive that were preliminarily saved using Works 9! I have a LOT of manuscripts in various stages of progress on these discs which I could really use access to.<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Thanks,
<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Wade

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Can we see "files" on said discs?
Aug 27, 2011 4:33AM PDT

If so let me share what I use to regain access.

1. Microsoft Works 9. Yes I've been known to go get the app needed. I see it on amazon.com for 46 bucks. Some balk at this and that only tells us that the work is not worth 46 bucks?
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-070-03545-Works-9-0/dp/B000Q6ZK3K/

2. Open Office. Worth a shot.

3. Google Documents. I've had some luck sending the files to Google Documents and it allows me to save them in other formats.

Best of luck.
Bob

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Answer
Other than Bob's post
Aug 27, 2011 6:37AM PDT

was this CD "Finalized" when you added the documents to it?

It's a grey area, but a CD that isn't closed and finalized when data has been copied to it can only be used on the machine it came from. Any other computer just sees a blank disk.

If your brother's system can see the docs, then he should be able to access them. You don't say why he cannot.

Does your brother's system have Microsoft Word or Microsoft Works?

One method I have used successfully in the past is to open Microsoft Word first, then use File > Open to navigate to the CD and open them from there. If that works then you can re-save them onto the hard drive.

Mark

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More info.
Aug 27, 2011 7:53AM PDT

They are CD-RW so they don't need to be finalized. I believe my brother's PC has Word, not Work; though, that difference doesn't necessarily explain why I can open up identically-saved files from a flash drive.

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There's the big clue.
Aug 27, 2011 8:06AM PDT

Unfinalized media like CDRW may or may not be readable as you go from machine to machine. I find that some only learn this by loss. Others try it and find it works then they lose something.

It's a shame folk will lose stuff in the process. With memory sticks so cheap and sites like DROPBOX there is little excuse to lose any file today.
Bob

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Again I agree with Bob
Aug 27, 2011 8:02PM PDT

Did you try my method? Open the Word processor first, use File > Open to attempt to open those files.

Sorry for repeating that, but we only see what your type, so where you said "Every time I attempt to open the discs", the method you use isn't clear.

Mark

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Mark's Meathod
Aug 28, 2011 6:33AM PDT

Yes, Mark, I attempted to employ your method with the same results... I even tried to save the file to my Google Docs account to no avail. Oh, and re: my "every time", the method I most casually employ to open a doc is simply opening up the disc and clicking on the file itself. :o)

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If the file is on CDRW then all bets are off.
Aug 28, 2011 6:47AM PDT

This is why we copy then off said media to some hard drive and try again. The issues swirling around CDRW as a read write medium is well, legendary. Some folk keep trying that and the losses keep happening.

Some Cnet Moderator keeps writing "We only lose what we didn't backup."

Try this. Get the file onto the hard drive.
Bob