Problems with Office

[jean]

send it to me (i'm stuck at home ill and bored) and i'll make it into a pdf, jpeg, word doc, sonata or anything else you would like and send it back...

Thank you. Can you PM me an email address to forward it to? I can't do anything with it except as part of the email.

You're welcome to read it. You will not believe how anyone could write anything so boring!

[jean]

Is it a big file? If not, display it on your screen...

How can I do that if I can't open it?

[Dave2002]

How can I do that if I can't open it?

I thought you wrote that you could see it on other computers you have access to.
This is beginning to feel like we're in a shaggy dog story, with a weak punch line!

[jean]

Yes that's true. But they're somebody else's screen, not mine!

And I do also need to add to the file myself.

We will see whether Mr GG is able to help.

[johnb]

Although the suggestion to install Open Office is well intentioned it would be much better to solve the original problem.

I would suggest only looking for an Open Office solution if all attempts to solve jean's problem fail.

(It is always difficult assisting people when you only have a glimpse into what has happened and when you often have inadequate information - but here goes.)

My guess (for what it is worth) is that the likely cause of jean's problem is that the file associations on her PC are wrong for .xls files.

(One, but not the only, scenario that would explain the information we have had from jean is that she has a relatively new PC which had Office 13 pre-installed but then installed her own copy of Office 2007, or Excel 2007, and there has been some mix up with file associations and those for .xls files weren't changed correctly.)

As others have suggested, jean should be able to drag the attachment to her desktop:
Open the e-mail program and arrange that e-mail program isn't full screen, so that you can see some blank space on your desktop. Then open the relevant e-mail, find the attachment with the file icon showing - left click on it and hold down the left mouse button whilst dragging it to your desktop.

Once you have done that: open Excel 2007 and go to File Open and navigate to the Desktop, find the file and open it from within Excel 2007. If you can open it successfully this points to the file association for .xls files being set wrong.

jean, what version of Windows are you using?

The way to change the file associations in Windows 7 is:

- Click on the Start button
- Control Panel
- Programs
- Under Default Programs, click on "Make a file type always open a specific program"
- Look down the list for .xlsx and note what program is the Current Default
- Look for .xls and set that to the same program as used for .xlsx

The procedure is likely to be different for other versions of Windows.

[Dave2002]

re msg 35

And one might wonder why I gave up (mostly) on Windows and MS software!

Relevance - http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...C-or-not-to-PC

[johnb]

Dave, one of the intensely irritating things about Mac enthusiasts is how they bang on about how dreadful Windows is and how much better Macs are, with the implication that anyone who uses a Windows computer is at best misguided or at worst a fool.

I have had no problems with Windows.

[MrGongGong]

Although the suggestion to install Open Office is well intentioned it would be much better to solve the original problem.

Which seems to be caused by incompatibilities with the software
your "solution" seems to involve understanding the incompatibilities rather than installing something that's free and is compatible?

and the key phrase?

The procedure is likely to be different for other versions of Windows.

[Dave2002]

Dave, one of the intensely irritating things about Mac enthusiasts is how they bang on about how dreadful Windows is and how much better Macs are, with the implication that anyone who uses a Windows computer is at best misguided or at worst a fool.

I can tell you about problems with Macs as well, but I doubt that you'd be interested. Please don't try to push me into the Mac enthusiast camp - it's all relative. I have already pointed out situations where some people might find Windows and PCs better - such as if they are in a work environment with really good technical support, and a well supported range of applications. Also many people who might consider themselves Windows apologists bang on about XP, Vista, Windows 8 being worse than Windows 7, and heaven knows where Win 10 is in the hierarchy.

People should use whatever they're happy with, or if they're able to adapt and afford it, be steered towards systems which work better for them - of any sort - for whatever they wish to do.

I have had no problems with Windows.

There, that proves it. Teamsaint might approve

I am glad for you.

Which seems to be caused by incompatibilities with the software
your "solution" seems to involve understanding the incompatibilities rather than installing something that's free and is compatible?

and the key phrase?

The procedure is likely to be different for other versions of Windows.

[Lento]

Maybe Zamzar online converter may help?

[Dave2002]

Maybe Zamzar online converter may help?

Interesting idea - see http://www.zamzar.com/

I didn't know about this one. However, looking at the interface, this may require the ability to drag and drop, or have a saved copy of the file to convert, which at present seems to be a major difficulty. Our OP could perhaps get a friend to do that and email the results back.

[jean]

(It is always difficult assisting people when you only have a glimpse into what has happened and when you often have inadequate information...

But I have told you everything!

My guess (for what it is worth) is that the likely cause of jean's problem is that the file associations on her PC are wrong for .xls files.

But I can open other xls files. Just not this one.

(One, but not the only, scenario that would explain the information we have had from jean is that she has a relatively new PC which had Office 13 pre-installed but then installed her own copy of Office 2007, or Excel 2007, and there has been some mix up with file associations and those for .xls files weren't changed correctly.)

I wouldn't attempt anything so complicated! I have a relatively new PC which had Office 2007 pre-installed, an this is the first and only time that it has refused to open anything that was offered to it.

Anyway, Mr GG has converted this thing into a PDF file (thank you,Mr GG) and I can actually open it now and read it, though it is only a prototype as yet.

[Dave2002]

Result. Well done MrGG!