Computer Help

[jimbo 111]

My old laptop recently packed up and I am now using a new laptop with W10
I don't know how it came about but I have the old Documents folder on the new but when I log into any of the documents I get this message_(for example )


ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿþÿÿÿþÿÿÿ

Can I do anything to change it to alpha????????
jimbo

 

[Al-4]

My old laptop recently packed up and I am now using a new laptop with W10
I don't know how it came about but I have the old Documents folder on the new but when I log into any of the documents I get this message_(for example )


ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿþÿÿÿþÿÿÿ

Can I do anything to change it to alpha????????
jimbo

Think it has something to do with your files needing to be converted to work with the newer version of Word but I'm not 100% on that or how to convert them, if that's what is needed.

 

[Al-4]

Think it has something to do with your files needing to be converted to work with the newer version of Word but I'm not 100% on that or how to convert them, if that's what is needed.

Type your question into Google and see what comes up

 

[nitram]

Assuming the documents were produced on some version of Microsoft Word and that you are trying to open them with Word.

Also assume you are clicking on document rather than trying to open it from within Word.

Press winkey and r at the same time - winkey is between Fn and Alt bottom left of keyboard.

Type in
winword.exe
and click 'OK'

Word should open.
Click on 'File'
Click on 'Open' - you may have to click on the down chevrons to see this
Now browse to the document you can't open and try to open it.

What happens?
Accept any offer to install any converter.

EDIT

If no success open Word again as above and click on 'Help' and then 'About'.
Post the version of Word installed.

 

[Pete R]

My old laptop recently packed up and I am now using a new laptop with W10
I don't know how it came about but I have the old Documents folder on the new but when I log into any of the documents I get this message_(for example )


ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿþÿÿÿþÿÿÿ

Can I do anything to change it to alpha????????
jimbo

"Word" does not come pre installed on new laptops Whoever does the technical stuff for you will have to load it on for you.

You obviously had a version on your old laptop so it shouldn't be too difficult for them. I use a 2003 version on W10 and it opens them up fine even when I get a document sent in a newer version.

 

[nitram]

"Word" does not come pre installed on new laptops Whoever does the technical stuff for you will have to load it on for you.

Several manufacturers bundle a time limited trial version, they get a backhand from MS. If run it can lead to problems if you then try to install your own earlier version, it keeps on insisting 'later version already installed' no matter what you do. It can take a registry hack to sort it out.

If Jimbo has a newer Word installed and the files are *DOC it should offer to install an add on to enable conversion to *DOCX and then save as such.

My suggestion to run winword.exe was to find out if any version of Word was installed.

When I find out what Word, if any, is installed and whether the attempt to open from within Word was successful I'll move onto the next step(s).

 

[jimbo 111]

I am sorry if once again I am misleading every one
I never used WORD on my old laptop
I had Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 installed and used MS Works
I still have the disk etc
jimbo

 

[nitram]

Word is included in Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.

Microsoft Works is a different suite of programs with less functionality using a different file formats.

We need to find out what format the files are saved in.
If you right click on one of them and then left click on 'Properties' does it just give the name of the file or does it have the name of the file with something like .wks, .doc, .docx added if so what. Also is their a small icon alongside the name something like

if so try and describe the icon.

Did winword.exe do anything on your new system?

It will probably end up with an install from your disk but I'm a bit wary of trying to install a different version to something already installed.

 

[nitram]

To see what is installed in your new computer

Winkey+r
Type in
appwiz.cpl
Click on 'OK'

Look for Microsoft Office, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft Works.

 

[nitram]

Let's see what extensions the documents have eg filename.doc

Then we can sort out what you need to have installed to open them.

To make the extension show on any listing of the files

winkey+r
type in
explorer.exe
click 'OK'
and then

 

[Cherryade]

The easiest way to find out if Word (or Works or anything else you fancy) is installed on a Win 10 PC is just to hit the leftmost icon (the one you use to get the power off button) on the bottom bar and type the word in ie Works. It will come up right away with the program if it is installed. If for instance Works is installed it will come up pink with Desktop App written underneath.

Your new PC would not have Works installed as it is now discontinued. My version of Works is V9.0 and that works fine on Win10. If yours is the same version, ask your techie friend to install it from the disk. Your documents should then open ok and Works will look exactly the same when you click on the Works icon on your desktop (ie the screen with all your little icons on it that comes up after you type in your password).

Hope that is simpler for you.

 

[jimbo 111]

I thank you all for your comments and advice
My biggest fear is that because of my absolute ignorance and inability to interpret what comes up on the screen that I shall end up as I have on many occasions having to pay ( quite expensive ) for someone professionally to put it right again
In answer to your recent advice

Cherryade
When I type in either Works or Word they both come up with what I would call a 'yellow' patch alongside
If I tap that in ,again in both cases it takes me to a page wich I don't fully understand , and am reluctant to go any further

nitram
Thank you , following your advice I found that when scrolling down the list with the files are in Documents

WPS t now says "class not registered
with Microsoft Word D
Open Office org1
jpg files
and RTF ( rich text format)
I get a alpha copy of the file in a similar form to what it was in Works ; but this is in only a handful compared to the very long list of WPS files
I will keep this document file in case it can be reopened at some future date

I say again Thank you all for your time
It has not been a total waste as I have gained a bit more knowledge in my struggle to understand W10
jimbo

 

[CeliaW]

Hello Jimbo

I don't know how comfortable you are with downloading programmes but I have used WPS for some time now on various of my devices as I didn't have Microsoft Office for a while until I got this laptop. The programme is free and has a small footprint compared to some so won't take up masses of room on your hard drive.

It is fairly similar to use to the Microsoft products and will usually open the different types of documents etc without any problem. Once its installed, you just have to right click on the name of a document in your normal file manager and go to "Open with" in the context menu that drops down.

https://www.wps.com/office-free

If you want to try this and have any queries, please ask and I will be very happy to help if I can.

 

[nitram]

It looks as if your installed document suite is
http://www.openoffice.us.com/
this is a free Microsoft Office look alike.

The .wps files are Works files which Openoffice cannot handle.

I think you are better converting to Openoffice.

Openoffice, unlike Microsoft Office, does not have a converter add on.

I'll have a look at if there is any good, free, stand alone converter.

You said you had Works install media, you could install Works on the new system, open a file and then see if 'save as' gives options for saving as a .doc file or some other reference to Word. If you save it you should then be able to open it using Openoffice.

If using Openoffice beware that the default saving extensions will not be the standard Microsoft ones unless they have been changed after install, easy to change if you hit that problem.

 

[nitram]

CeliaW
Does 'WPS open office' handle MS Works files with the wps extension?
Jimbo has Works files which he can't open using the Openoffice.org suite.

<Openoffice.org has now morphed into both Openoffice.com and Libreoffice>

EDIT
Jimbo has some install media
Post 7
I am sorry if once again I am misleading every one
I never used WORD on my old laptop
I had Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 installed and used MS Works
I still have the disk etc

I'm wary of suggesting an MS Office install in case his new system came with a later trial version, if the trial is run problems can occur if an attempt is made to install an older version even if the trial has been uninstalled.

 

[CeliaW]

CeliaW
Does 'WPS open office' handle MS Works files with the wps extension?
Jimbo has Works files which he can't open using the Openoffice.org suite.

<Openoffice.org has now morphed into both Openoffice.com and Libreoffice>

Pretty sure it can - see http://kingsoftoffice.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1550625--wps-file-format?b_id=8352

(WPS used to be called Kingsoft )

"About .WPS extension

The file extension of .wps is used for Kingsoft Writer Documents. This extension is also used for Microsoft's Works Word Processor. This format is similar to a Microsoft Word document (.DOC or .DOCX file) and supports formatted text, images, and advanced page formatting. Kingsoft Writer documents can be converted to Microsoft Word *.doc files in the software."

Jimbo, if you have a document that is nothing confidential and is in wps format - if you pm me and let me know I am happy to give you my email address and I can then try opening it in wps on this laptop if you send it to me.

 

[nitram]

Jimbo

I've tried a few free .wps to .doc and .docx converters.
They all work but try to install extra toolbars or PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) so I don't advise you to try them.

I think you have several option to get to the end of the tunnel, post back with progress and/or any questions.