Solved Registry policy setting - can't open old word versions

[sarayu]

I want to open old MSW documents, but I get a message saying "a Microsoft Office document and the file type for that document has been blocked by a registry policy setting". They give a link to learn how to bypass this security setting, but it doesn't apply to windows 7. Anyone know how to fix this? Thanks in advance.

 

[ccatlett1984]

Mind giving us the link?

What version of Office are you using?

Is this a work computer? Is your computer joined to a domain?

 

[whs]

If you only want to read the docs, you could send it to doPDF (works like a printer, but converts to .pdf).

 

[sarayu]

Sorry, of course. the link is: You receive an error message when you try to open or save a file type that was blocked by your registry policy settings in one of the 2007 Office programs or in one of the Office 2003 programs
I'm using office 2007. I'd like to open the documents and convert them to .docx documents so that I can continue using them. Thank you for your help. It's a home computer.

 

[sarayu]

one more thing

for earlier versions of Windows there seems to be a way of creating trusted locations, in which I could open my files. But the directions for creating them doesn't seem to work in Windows 7, or at least I couldn't figure out how to do it.

 

[ccatlett1984]

So you have done the below step and it did not resolve the issue?
Also what version of word was the document created with? I can open .doc files with no issues on my computers.

Word 2007



To disable this restriction in Word 2007, change the value of the FileOpenBlock subkey. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Exit Word.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock
   
   
   If the FileOpenBlock subkey does not exist, you must create it. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Select the Security subkey. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key.
   2. Type FileOpenBlock, and then press ENTER.
4. After you select the subkey that is specified in step 3, locate the DWORD value.
   
   
   
   Note If this value does not exist, you must create it. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
   2. Type the DWORD value for which you want to disable the restriction, and then press ENTER. For example, type FilesBeforeVersion.
   You may check for the different DWORD values in the "More Information" section of this article based on the version of Word that you are running.
   
   For example, if the opening of files that were saved in earlier file formats is restricted, locate the "FilesBeforeVersion" DWORD value in the registry for the FileOpenBlock subkey. When you change the value of "FilesBeforeVersion" from 1 to 0, you can open files that were saved in earlier file formats.
5. Right-click the DWORD value that you want, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
7. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

 

[sarayu]

can't edit registry - different sub headings in Sys 7

when I go into the registry, I only can get as far as HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft. Then the subdirectories are different: two choices, System Certificates and Windows, neither of which have the necessary sub categories.

as for the version of word used to create the original files: too long ago, I don't remember. I don't have any problem opening them up in word for Mac 2008, but I'm trying to get everything off the Mac and onto my PC, which I like better.

 

[ccatlett1984]

In that case the registry keys are not there (meaning they are not active), you can create them. I am uploading a .reg file that you can save and open to merge the changes into your computer.

 

[sarayu]

fixed the problem

Thanks so much, it worked. Really appreciate your time.

 

[ccatlett1984]

Glad that worked for you.

 

[Bakshara]

Microsoft’s help forum was not helpful at all. Your instructions worked perfectly first try! Thank you very much!

 

[sunitha jeevan]

It worked for me also... thankx

 

[9740897813]

YAAAAAAAA its working goooood

Super its working goooooooooooood

 

[dougla1]

I'll add to the happy chorus, yaaaaaaa, it works!!! And I echo Bakshara (Mar 08, 2011.) Thank you!

 

[kikou88]

Thanks man, I spent long time finding something useful !

 

[jav9r]

Your link has solved my problem in a and I am very happy to be able to access my very old Word files from the 1990's once again. Than you very much.

 

[BobbyDoc]

Late Gratitude

Thanks for the walk-through on how to enrich the registry - creating the keys did the trick. Now I am able to view 25 (in words: twenty-five-) year-old Word documents!

 

[dispocard]

All I tried before failed

But your office security.reg worked for me too, instead. FANTASTIC! Thanks so much

 

[sp53]

I'm using Word 2003 and having the same problem with a very old Word document: I get the same message that the file type for the .doc has been blocked by a registry policy setting. Lots of other .doc documents are perfectly fine but I guess this one is quite old - 1994!



I've tried your registry fix even though it meant creating an entire series of sub-keys from "Office\12.0\Word\Security\FileOpenBlock" down to the new DWORD value. And I also tried running the office security.reg. I rebooted my PC and then tried again to open the old doc but no luck.
Now I've looked at the new registry keys created by the above under the sub-key FileOpenBlock: Binary12Files, BinaryFiles, DatabaseandDataSourceFiles, DifandSylkFiles, FilesBeforeVersion, HtmlandXmlssFiles, HtmlFiles, LegacyBinaryFiles,LegacyDatabaseandDataSourceFiles,OpenXmlFiles, TextFiles, XllFiles, XmlFiles. All are set to zero.



I also now have in the Registry a parallel set of Security settings for Excel that I didn't specify!
Do you have any suggestions? The very old document sets out an award I won in 1994, ie it's important to me. Previous times I've tried to open it, I just gave up. It won't convert to pdf or image format using Nuance Power pdf or AVS4You respectively. It won't print to pdf from Windows Explorer. It will open in Notepad but has a lot of rubbish symbols etc so it's unusable.


I look forward to your suggestions.