Office 10 / Office XP file association problem

Leonardo

Yesterday I ran WinXP Pro SP2 OEM in repair mode. It created a couple problems, one of which I've already fixed (Windows Installer 3.1 would not install).

Here another problem I can't seem to fix. All my MS Office (Office 10) applications work, but they won't automatically open when I click on an Office file. For instance, if I click on abcdefg.doc or hijklmno.xls, the application will not open. If I start the application first though, and browse to the file using the Open command, the files open and can be read or edited normally.

How do I fix this?

QCH

Try this....

Start-->Run and type the command-line switch below into the box and hit Enter (or click OK). Note that there is a space before the slash:

• For Word, type: winword /r
• For Excel, type: excel /regserver
• For PowerPoint, type: powerpnt /regserver
• For Access, type: msaccess /regserver

Found HERE

Leonardo

Alright, I entered those commands in "Run". MS word now opens with a click on a .doc file. Excel files still will not open when clicking on them. But at least I'm farther along. Thanks

primesuspect

Right click on the .xls file, cilck "Open With..." and browse to excel, and then make sure the "always use this to open these files" (or whatever it says) is checked.

Leonardo

That was the first thing I tried. Didn't work. Don't know why.

When I do that, afterward, when I click on an .xls file I get one of two error messages: 1) "the specified module could not be found", or 2) "~ is not a valid Win32 application."

What I really need to do is reinstall Office 10 (XP). When I try that, either from CD or from the CD's contents on the hard drive, I get a failure message, "An updated version of the Windows Installer is required to install Microsoft Office XP...This beta version of Microsoft Windows 2000 must be upgraded before installation can proceed". Then another error window pops up, "You must have administrative privilegs to....." There's only one User Account on this computer, and it is set for type "Administrator."

It's not beta or "corporate", it's a legit OEM WinXP Pro SP2 installation. Weird. :shakehead

I also don't understand the Windows Installer bit. Yesterday I installed the latest Windows Installer, which is 3.1. I tried installing an older version of Installer to see if Office would then re-install with that, but attempts to install the older version brings, "Wrong OS or OS version."

BLuKnight

Have you tried running the repair option for Office? You can find it by using the change option for Office XP in the Add/Remove programs area.

Leonardo

Great idea. No, I didn't even think of that. I'll be home again Thursday and will try that. I just hope that the "Repair" option doesn't reject Windows Installer 3.1, and hope it doesn't tell me that the CD is incompatible with "Win2000 Beta"!

Leonardo

You can find it by using the change option for Office XP in the Add/Remove programs area.

What the.... I can't open "Add or Remove Programs". I can click on it, but it won't open.

I've opened a new thread on this topic. This seems to me to be a problem concerning the Windows XP installation I performed last week.

BLuKnight

There's a manual command that you can type into the run box which will open the Add/Remove Programs for you. I just can't remember what it is.

I hate to say it Leonardo, but with all the fuss your system is having, it sounds like you're best bet may be to save all important data, double check you've saved all your important data and then triple check you've saved all your important data. That being said, it's time to wipe the drive clean and rebuild the OS from scratch.

Leonardo

You may be right.