My work computer that I am having this problem on is Microsoft windows XP, Service Pack 2, with Microsoft Office 2003.

I cannot automatically print docx (word 2007) files which are part of an email. Every other program in an e-mail prints fine including doc files.


What happens with docx files is the window "open with choose the program you want to use to open this file" pops up when I attempt to print a docx file which is part of an email:



I click that I want to open the document in Word, but the docx document does not print, and it does not remember this setting the next time I try to print docx files, so this same open with message opens the next time.

Setting the file association to always open in word does not work either.

I can:

Save the outlook docx file to my desktop and open them normally and print the docx file.



I can right click and open the files from the email and print the docx normally.


The tech folks remoted in today. They:

1. deleted normal.dot and
2. erased all of my Microsoft settings on all office products,

In an attempt to fix this. It didn't work. All they did is erase my settings.

Suggestions? I need to print over 500 documents, many with docx files in them.

thank you in advance.

do you have the MS Converter package installed that allows you to open .docx files with your version of Word?

Yes, the microsoft open xml converter is on my computer. As I mention, I can open Docx files just fine in 2003 word.

Sorry for asking a question that you had already answered.

I use Office2003 but have not installed the converter package because it requires certain upgrades that I do not want to install. But it seems to me that even though you have the converter package installed, your opsys does not know what appl to use for .docx file unless you tell it each time. Have you explicitly set Word as the program to be used with .docx files? Have you checked to see if Word is the appl associated with .docx files? That can easily be done using Windows Explorer: Tools | Folders | File Types

Whenever I encounter a new file type and figure out what appl should be used to open it, I explicitly set up that relationship (as above) so I never have to go through the selection process again.

Thank you MWE, sorry if I sounded bitey. I will try this tomorrow. I will also download Word 2007 and install it on the same computer, that is if both can be run on one computer at the same time.

UPDATE:

You can install both Word 2003 and 2007 on the same computer.


How to get rid of the installer / configuration dialog when running Office 2007 and Office 2003 on the same system - for Vista

Installing Office 2003 and Office 2007 on the same system

Update:

Word 2007 documents are set to be open with Word 2003:

MWE thank you so much for your time and efforts.

The tech reinstalled the entire 2003 office suite and I was still not automatically printing docx documents.

I suggested installing Microsoft Word 2007. The tech said it would erase over 2003. I told him that was not the case based on what I read (you can have both copies of 2003 and 2007 except for Word).

On the 2007 installation screen we unchecked update and choose the second radio button option.

In the second tab, we crossed everything out to not install except for Word 2007.

I then tried to print the outlook items and they worked!



Thank you all!

Same problem. Such good advice last time I thought I would come back with a follow up. I got rid of word 2007.

In outlook, "always use the selected program" does not work with docx documents.

When I attempt to print the entire document with attachments, or

I right click on the document, and on the menu click print:




Then outlook ALWAYS asks me what program I want to open this program with.



I always want docx programs opened with Microsoft Open XML converter. I always select Microsoft Open XML converter and click the check box "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file"

It NEVER works. Everytime I attempt to print a document again, I get the same open with screen.

How can I get rid of this Open with screen and have Outlook automatically open with Microsoft Open XML converter?

Windows Explorer option:

I went to Windows Explorer: Tools | Folders | File Types and created a new registry type "docx". (It was not there before) Windows automatically recognized this file as being opened by Microsoft Open XML converter



When I attempted to print a file, the only change I saw was that on the "open with" screen, Microsoft Open XML converter was highlighted first instead of Internet Explorer.

Any suggestions on how to make Microsoft Open XML converter always open?