# Windows Vista and Word 2003



## helen_elizabeth (Feb 9, 2007)

I have just got Windows Vista and installed Office 2003. However, Vista doesn't recognise that .doc files are associated with MS Word and will only open them in Notepad. I have been through the Open With... panel many times, taken it to \Program Files x86\MS Office\OFFICE11\winword.exe, but this doesn't get put in the Open With.. panel.

Any ideas??? Although I can start Word and then open the files that way, it doesn't make it easy, and I have problems opening files attached to e-mails.

Strangely, Word is associated with .wbk (Word backup) files.

I've just upgraded from Office XP, where it all worked fine.

Thanks in advance - Helen


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## gurutech (Apr 23, 2004)

highlight a .DOC file, then hold the left SHIFT key and right-click on the file. Choose "Open With", then select MS Word from the list and make sure the checkmark to "Always Use This Program" is checked.


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## helen_elizabeth (Feb 9, 2007)

Thanks for the reply, Gurutech. However, I have tried this. MS Word doesn't appear in the list of available programs, but I have found Winword.exe, which I think is the executable for Word. I click it, but it doesn't 'stick', and when I return it does't appear and doesn't open the application. 

This worked fine when I was using Word XP - I think this is a bug or incompatibility between Vista and Office 2003. I was wondering if anyone else had come across it and found a way round it.


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## RootbeaR (Dec 9, 2006)

Uninstall and re-install.
Or repair.
You won't lose your files.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

One thing that can make things go a bit easier if you need to reinstall again is to copy the source files to your hard drive, edit the setup.ini file with your product ID and then install from the hard drive. Then at least you don't need to keep getting out your CD and you only enter that long product string once. In fact I often make a backup CD with that changed install source code as well.


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## helen_elizabeth (Feb 9, 2007)

What I did in the end is make a copy of WINWORD.EXE in the same directory and associated that with .doc files. That works!

Thanks for the suggestions.

Helen


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