Solved Need to add ".doc" extension

[nottaclue9]

I use mostly Firefox, but also IE11 on occasion. I use Fastmail for my email service. I received an email from a trusted source which includes a ".doc" attachment. Windows won't open it. Can I add .doc as a legitimate extension so that I can open the attachments? If so, how? In 2nd-grade steps, please!

 

[ShoTTaS]

.doc is an extension name for MS Office Word 2003 and below. The Only thing you need to see on your computer is if you have an installed Microsoft Office Applications. .doc extension can be read by later version of MS Office.

 

[Trax]

As mentioned above the .DOC file has been downloaded so you would go to your incoming directory (I use Agent).
Find the file and rename it you will get an alert that's meant be be ignored. If it wouldn't load as a DOC file just drop it into your text editor the header will (should) show what type of file it is. just that key word (type of file) is what you would look for.

If you see a MZ it's an executable file and of no use just delete it.

If u don't have Office, wordpad will read it but not formatted as it was meant to be.

 

[nottaclue9]

Oops. I don't have Word. I use Open Office. Is there no hope?

 

[Alejandro85]

Open Office is mostly compatible with the real MS Office and can open and modify most of its files. Just opening it will do, and if there is ever an incompatibility Open Office Writter would complain then.
If not, open writter yourself, and open the file manually within it.

However, take a bit of caution. I have some suspects that it might be a virus trying to disguise as a Word document, a very frequent tactic used by the most basic viruses. Having the .doc extension and a properly installed Office suite should open the file easily, but failure to do is a warning to me. Double check if the file is something.doc.exe, and remember that Windows by default hides that, creating this sort of security problems.

 

[whs]

Get the free Word Viewer from Microsoft. Then you can read .doc and .docx documents.

Download Word Viewer from Official Microsoft Download Center

 

[ShoTTaS]

You can right click your downloaded file. Open with. then choose OpenOffice Writer.
That should open it. Else. You can try WHS suggested.

 

[nottaclue9]

Well, right-clicking didn't open anything I could use. As far as being suspicious of the email, I'm not. I know the person and I know he's light-years ahead of me with technology. However, I've never seen document icons like this one: It's a lower-case, light blue "a." I'm not offered a "view" option with it. Just "download." So I think now I'll try the Word Viewer download.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got this attached message after I downloaded the reader.

 

[Alejandro85]

The last post shows you trying to open it with Windows Media Player, which obviously can't handle the file, but at least it shows it's legitimaly a .doc, so forget my supposition about viruses.
Most likely it's just a matter of file associations.

But for open the file, download it somewhere, to the desktop for example. Open Writter yourself with the start menu, then click file menu then open, then browse to the desktop and choose the file you just downloaded, this should do it.

 

[Callender]

Check your file type association settings. Control Panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

Scroll down the list and find .doc and .docx and check that they're set to open with Open Office Writer.

If that's not the case click on "Change Program" and browse to OpenOffice swriter.exe

 

[whs]

So I think now I'll try the Word Viewer download.

That is the smart thing to do and will solve your problem.

 

[nottaclue9]

That's when I got that window I posted, whs. Am trying to figure out how to do the two previous suggestions...

 

[nottaclue9]

I went to the associate a program page, clicked ".doc," chose Widows Media Player to open it, and got the window I posted on the other page, plus this one:

 

[nottaclue9]

Eight other people got this type of file from the same trusted source and were able to open it. I feel so stupid!

________________________________________________________________________________
Finally! I was at last given an actual drop-down menu in the associate file with program page, and there was Open Writer. I chose it, and now I have opened the two files. So sorry I was able to open them now. Twenty-five pages!

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this. I appreciate the time you took to walk me through it.

 

[ShoTTaS]

Do not choose Windows Media Player, Choose OpenOffice Writer.
Windows Media Player is for Music and Video files.

 

[derekimo]

The second half of her last post clears that up...

Do not choose Windows Media Player, Choose OpenOffice Writer.
Windows Media Player is for Music and Video files.

________________________________________________________________________________
Finally! I was at last given an actual drop-down menu in the associate file with program page, and there was Open Writer. I chose it, and now I have opened the two files. So sorry I was able to open them now. Twenty-five pages!

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this. I appreciate the time you took to walk me through it.

 

[nottaclue9]

Oh, no. I didn't close WMP. I left it as the default, but was allowed to choose something else (i.e. Open Writer) from the drop-down for the first time. I hope this is the correct procedure.

 

[derekimo]

Hi Notty,

If you were able to open them you did it right.

 

[nottaclue9]

Hiya, Derek! Yes, at long last (with the help of lots of people) I now know how to do the file association cha cha. Never knew about this before. I'm not nottaclue for nothin!

 

[derekimo]

That's good to hear, that's the same thing we did when I helped you that time. Maybe you need to change your name now.