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General discussion

Word 2003 will not open, plus Outlook double spacing

by quaysman Jan 14, 2008 8:14PM PST

Just started having problems with Word 2003 not opening - get error message saying it encountered a problem. If I untick "recover my work and restart Microsoft Word", hen the next time I try to open it asks if I want to do so in Safe Mode.

This may be unrelated, but has come just after I started having problems with my Outlook 2003.

When I try to do a new email, it open with my previously OK signatures now double spaced and options button in my toolbar does not have all of the signatures that were once there (I have different signatures depending on which business I am working on at the time).

When I go to Tools, Options, Mail Format and tick "use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit email messages" and then try to start a new email, I get the old "red cross" telling me that although Word is set to be the editor, it is unavailable, not installed or not the same version, and that the outlook email editor will be used instead.

Can anyone assist me with this. It first occured on my office desktop and has now started on my laptop at home which I use as a remote to the office desktop by LogMeIn. I think it started on the laptop when I tried to open a Word document that I had forwarded to the laptop from the office.

The home desktop that I am using at present seems to still be OK.

I am of the belief that nothing that I experience is unique - i'm just not that special! I'd appreciate any help that you can give to get this problem fixed.

Many thanks,

Quaysman
Sydney
Australia

Discussion is locked

2 Posts

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Outlook

by TWG3 Jan 15, 2008 12:39PM PST

Here are the steps I recommend.

1. Reboot your computer - clears any hung processes
2. Make sure show hidden files and folders is selected
3. Search your hard drive for normal.dot - backup this file then delete the original. This file is auto generated by MS Office.
4. Try opening Outlook and then Word.

We have seen this issue before and it usually is a corrupt normal.dot

Message was edited by: admin to remove signature link which prohibited in these forums. Please use your CNET profile if you want to plug your Website. Thanks!

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I had that issue

by rtr4049599 Jul 10, 2009 10:34AM PDT

I upgraded office 2003 to sp3 from the microsoft site....as long as both versions are 2003 it seems a glitch that outlook doesn't recognize word was installed even though it was checked in outlook as the default email editor. Normal.dot is usually the fix when you click reply in an email and it just freezes outlook....this actually gives the error that it doesnt recognize word is installed

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