I can no longer open document directly in Windows 10

[Wordsmasher]

Hello:



Recently, after Windows 10's latest upgrade, I haven't been able to open word documents directly. What I get when I click onto a file is a blank word screen. I now have to go through word itself, find the file and open it up. How can I get Windows 10 to open files anywhere as it had before? Is there a way to get Windows 10 to open my document files directly again? If this is, in fact, an update problem, how can I delete the update. I've tried everything I can think of. Help!

---- Wordsmasher

[Stefan Blom]

In File Explorer, locate a Word document, right-click its icon; choose Open With, navigate to winword.exe and set it as the (new) default.

[Wordsmasher]

What you suggested I did of course. All it does is allow me to bring up another blank Word screen. To demonstrate this problem, I wish I could insert a screen shot, but your forum is limited. Normally, I could go right into a document no matter where it was. Opening it after right clicking solves nothing. Ever since I began using Windows 10, I have discovered how inferior it is to previous versions. I don' t care about its supposed bells and whistles. I don't need bells and whistles; I want the old Windows back!

Thanks anyhow! --- Wordcrafter

[Stefan Blom]

You can insert a screen shot, or even attach a document in Word format, by clicking the Go Advanced button at the bottom of the Reply form.

[Stefan Blom]

What happens when you right-click the icon for a Word file? Do you see the Open With option listed?

[Wordsmasher]

Thanks for your patience:

The problem I have with opening word is not that word won't open. It will. It's that it won't open in a specific document, which is did before. The attached screen shot should tell the story.

---- Wordsmasher

[Charles Kenyon]

Try pressing the Windows key + R.
In the box that appears, type or paste the following:

winword.exe /R

Then press Enter.

[Wordsmasher]

Thanks but that didn't work. I'll keep trying.... Wordsmasher

[Stefan Blom]

If I understand your description properly, you can open documents if you start Word first and then navigate to the document in Word's Open dialog box.

My question was: Can you right-click a the icon for a Word document and choose Open With? If that works, try that approach again and this time choose to set Word as the default for *.doc files.

[Wordsmasher]

I appreciate your help, but what your suggesting was something I did right off the bat when I discovered the problem. I have set Word as default. Ironically, Open Office and Libre, two programs I tried out, can be opened directly, but a word document can't. What I get is a blank word screen as I showed you. Since Open Office and Libre aren't the defaults I find your remedy dubious. Evidently, you don't need to have a document be the word processor to directly into it.

---- Wordsmasher

[Stefan Blom]

Originally Posted by Wordsmasher

I appreciate your help, but what your suggesting was something I did right off the bat when I discovered the problem. I have set Word as default. Ironically, Open Office and Libre, two programs I tried out, can be opened directly, but a word document can't. What I get is a blank word screen as I showed you. Since Open Office and Libre aren't the defaults I find your remedy dubious. Evidently, you don't need to have a document be the word processor to directly into it.

---- Wordsmasher

When double-clicking doesn't open a file, the issue is with file associations in Windows. In this case, it is possible that having both OpenOffice (or LibreOffice) and Microsoft Office on the same machine is causing trouble, because they may "compete" over file associations. I suggest that you uninstall word processors that you don't need; then it should be easier to set the default that you want.

[Wordsmasher]

That's not it. I appreciate your effort though. I think its one of Windows blasted updates!

Wordsmasher

[Stefan Blom]

Originally Posted by Wordsmasher

That's not it. I appreciate your effort though. I think its one of Windows blasted updates!

Wordsmasher

I have never experienced that a Windows patch has affected the file associations for Office. Perhaps if you are running an Insider (preview) version of Windows, unexpected things may occur.

Have you tried uninstalling OpenOffice and LibreOffice, assuming that you are no longer using those programs?

A certain file type may have no default program assigned at all, or it may have the "wrong" program assigned, meaning that the default is a program that usually does not open or create such files.

I suppose you can still open the "problem" files by starting Word first? Or has the symptoms for this problem changed?

[Wordsmasher]

I uninstalled Open Office and Libre and I am following the guidelines for opening a document. You are very patient to respond, but nothing works so far. It could be a glitch in a program, but there's nothing wrong with Word. I can still open a document inside Word, so I guess I'll settle for that. By the way, I recently switched from Word 2000 to Word 2016. It has a lot of bells and whistles I don't need but little more is offered for what I need in a word processor. Windows 10 has caused me problems in the past and, in fact, crashed as soon as I brought a new laptop home. Sometimes I wish Microsoft Word would just leave things as they were, especially that flawed monster Windows 10. Of all the Windows operating systems I was happiest with Windows XP, but every time I bought a new laptop I was stuck with an inferior upgrade.

Thank you for your patience.... Wordsmasher