xp doesn't read win 7 word files

G

gdurkee

New member
Here's a strange one. When I write and save a Word 2007 file (either doc or docx) in Windows 7 on my network drive, I can't read it in xp on another machine. In xp, either using Explorer or Word 2007, the file shows up as several .tmp files -- though the backup shows up with the file name correctly (except for the first ~ character). This is true on two xp machines. Everything's fine in Windows 7 explorer.

Nothing like this I could find on Google, though one post did suggest AVG (which I have) caused problems opening docx files.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

George
 

My Computer

OS
xp, windows 7
Hi there
Word 2007 isn't Win 7 or XP dependent provided its installed on BOTH machines.

Make sure that your XP system has access to the Network drive where you've saved your word document. Now can you see the word document on XP with Windows explorer.

If you can -- then word 2007 will see it as well. If you can't then you haven't stored the file where you think it is -- do a SEARCH for it.


(Use the W7 system for the search - it's quicker than XP - especially when hunting down files over large network drives with loads of directories on them).

When W7 finds the file mount the drive on your XP system (Mount network drive)

manually such as \\network\directory_of_word_document

Then see if explorer on xp sees the file.

Cheers

jimbo
 

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If you are reading a saved word document that you made in Word 2007 and are reading with say Word 2003 it will not read it unless you saved it as Word 97- 2003 doc. This option is under the save as in the large office icon in the top left. Only Word 2007 can read Word 2007 saved docs.
 

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ilesal said:
If you are reading a saved word document that you made in Word 2007 and are reading with say Word 2003 it will not read it unless you saved it as Word 97- 2003 doc. This option is under the save as in the large office icon in the top left. Only Word 2007 can read Word 2007 saved docs.
Click to expand...

Hi there

the OP WAS using Word 2007.

Your remark is of course quite correct but introducing spurious information just adds to the confusion.

People always appreciate help so thats fine - but please READ the point the OP was trying to make or we'll never get anywhere.


What the OP implied was that he couldn't even SEE (i.e Find) the document -- never mind about actually READING it.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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Custom built, several laptops HP/ASUS
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Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers
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Realtek HD audio
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Jimbo45:

Yes, thanks, it's not a problem with docx vs doc nor is it a problem with 2003 vs 2007. Both machines have access to the Network Drive -- in fact, I'm switching between machines with a KVM switch so I'm able to see this within seconds of saving a file. As a side note, it also happens without the KVM switch but on a remote wifi connection -- even a VPN connection from off-site.

For some reason, Windows Explorer XP is only seeing a list of .tmp files (e.g.: 79D12A7E.tmp) and the backup file (e.g. ~$FE-1 ... .docx). WIndows 7 Explorer (or whatever it's called...) sees the files correctly. From Windows 7, this is true whether I saved the files in .doc or .docx. If saved in XP, everything's find on both sides.

Make sure that your XP system has access to the Network drive where you've saved your word document. Now can you see the word document on XP with Windows explorer.
Click to expand...
I assume I've saved to the intended directory since the new .tmp files show up as well as the backup version with the correct name. The intended folder is highlighted when I save.

I've attached a screen shot.

Many thanks for any ideas.

George
 

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  • XP_FileExample._20100111.jpg
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My Computer

OS
xp, windows 7
Hi there
do you have office 2007 installed also on the XP machine -- mind you even if you didn't you should still be able to SEE the files even if you couldn't read them.

You've got me confused here.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

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Custom built, several laptops HP/ASUS
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Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers
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Intel i7 Intel i5
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8GB, 16GB
Graphics Card(s)
On Motherboard
Sound Card
Realtek HD audio
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Apple Cinema display, Samsung LCD
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1920 X 1080
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4 X 1TB SATA
Mouse
Toshiba wireless laser
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> 20MB up
jimbo45 said:
Hi there
do you have office 2007 installed also on the XP machine -- mind you even if you didn't you should still be able to SEE the files even if you couldn't read them.

You've got me confused here.
Click to expand...

Well, that makes two of us, at least... .

Yes, Office 2007 is on both machines: XP & 7. Using either the Word open file browser or the Windows XP Explorer I get the file set shown in my last post when viewed from the XP machine -- a long list of those .tmp files. When I look in that SAME directory using either the Windows 7 file browser OR the Word 2007 file browser on the W 7 machine, the files show correctly WITHOUT any of those .tmp files -- only the single file as I named it at save.

Also, I just got a call that one of those files that I emailed to my office, using Windows 7, had several repeating sections in the document. I'm less sure of that because when it was mailed back to me, it looked fine on my machine. But another weird anomaly.

Usually when I've got a problem with something, it at least shows up elsewhere on the Internet. I've found no match for this one so maybe there's some strange glitch in my file structure. Still, why all those .tmp files? And why only when viewed in XP?

Always open for suggestions.

Many thanks,

George
 

My Computer

OS
xp, windows 7
Almost sounds like a permissions problem on the Windows 7 machine. You may only have write permissions, and not read or modify permissions. Can you check?
 

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Do you have the document open in Word on either machine when you switch?
 

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Pweegar & Logicearth:

Just spent the morning fiddling around, trying to isolate the problem. I may have solved it, but have no idea why... . Both those suggestions seemed good -- maybe a lock on the file that wasn't releasing (I had closed the program when trying to view/open it on the XP machine). I found that .doc files would save clearly on both os's and .docx started saving correctly (for xp) in other subdirectories, which just added a layer of more weirdness to it (but docx still glitched in the original directory LARO_EA). Then I changed the name of the original folder, taking out the underscore (_) but leaving it in uppercase. Shazzam! It's now saving and visible in both xp & windows 7. So it would appear that the underscore causes some sort of hiccup in the machine (hiccupus ex machina?).

So, I've solved the problem, I guess, but still have a couple of questions if anyone ever runs across an answer:

1) What's the problem with the underscore: LARO_EA vs LAROEA, when saved in Windows 7 (but not xp)?

2) What are those .tmp files? That seems diagnostic. Are they a function of Word 2007. They're all about the same size -- many are equal. It seems that that naming scheme should tell us something??

Many thanks for everyone's help here. If anything occurs to you, I'd still be interested.

George
 

My Computer

OS
xp, windows 7
.tmp files

gdurkee said:
Pweegar & Logicearth:

Just spent the morning fiddling around, trying to isolate the problem. I may have solved it, but have no idea why... . Both those suggestions seemed good -- maybe a lock on the file that wasn't releasing (I had closed the program when trying to view/open it on the XP machine). I found that .doc files would save clearly on both os's and .docx started saving correctly (for xp) in other subdirectories, which just added a layer of more weirdness to it (but docx still glitched in the original directory LARO_EA). Then I changed the name of the original folder, taking out the underscore (_) but leaving it in uppercase. Shazzam! It's now saving and visible in both xp & windows 7. So it would appear that the underscore causes some sort of hiccup in the machine (hiccupus ex machina?).

So, I've solved the problem, I guess, but still have a couple of questions if anyone ever runs across an answer:

1) What's the problem with the underscore: LARO_EA vs LAROEA, when saved in Windows 7 (but not xp)?

2) What are those .tmp files? That seems diagnostic. Are they a function of Word 2007. They're all about the same size -- many are equal. It seems that that naming scheme should tell us something??

Many thanks for everyone's help here. If anything occurs to you, I'd still be interested.

George
Click to expand...


The .tmp files are probably generated by Word when either 1) You open a new file (I know this happens) or 2) The files are generated every time you do an autosave. Word SHOULD clean them up when you close a file. Back in the "good old days" of Word 6, those files never got deleted. Which was sort of a good thing. Delete your document, you could re-open it IF you knew which .tmp file to open. Saved my butt on more than one occassion!

As far as saving to a folder with an underscore, I have no idea what would cause that problem... Have you tried googling for an answer?
 

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Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
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Samsung SyncMaster T260HD
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