# Solved: Strange lettering and symbols in word pad



## ecb50 (Feb 28, 2011)

Just started up my new computer with Windows 8.1. I plugged in my flash drive into the USB port and I think I hit note pad by mistake while reading one of the files on the flash drive. Now I go to read any of the files and all I get is a page full of different letters and symbols that look like some kind of a code. This only appears on all the files in word pad. I can not eliminate those crazy looking screens and get back to normal text. What happened?


----------



## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

Is this file a Word Pad or a MS Word file?

Windows does NOT include the Office products.


----------



## ecb50 (Feb 28, 2011)

It is a word pad fie. This problem does not occur when I read my documents (in Word pad) on the hard drive in my computer stored in One Drive. Only occurs when I plug in my flash/thumb drive in to the USB port. It is not the flash drive because it works fine on an other computer. I have pugged in an other flash drive and the same problem appears. The problem is in the computer software.


----------



## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

Then I would say that files on the flash drive are corrupted! 

What is the 3 letter extension of these files?


----------



## ecb50 (Feb 28, 2011)

WPD. It can't be corrupt files. My two flash drives work fine in my laptop but not in the new desktop computer. I have a brand new WD Element 3 terabyte external drive plugged into the USB 3.0 port. The same problem occurs with my external drive. It must have been a wrong thing I did on my computer. Before that the flash drives worked fine. There must be away to eliminate the problem in my software.


----------



## cosmicbay (Aug 18, 2014)

ecb50 Can you post a screenshot of your problem??? It would help to understand the problem better.


----------



## ecb50 (Feb 28, 2011)

Cosmicbay I have a screen shot pix in a folder and my documents but I am not sure how to go about posting it . Can you help ?


----------



## cosmicbay (Aug 18, 2014)

Just attach the image file using advance option.


----------



## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

Here are more detailed instructions from our wiki:

http://library.techguy.org/wiki/TSG_Posting_a_Screenshot


----------



## ecb50 (Feb 28, 2011)

I may have found the reason for my problem but not the cure. The documents and files on my flash drive were originally created on my old computer using Word Perfect 12. I am now trying to read the files and documents on my new computer in Word Pad. There must be a conversion somewhere in my software. Does any one know? This Windows 8.1 is a magnanimous challenge.


----------



## DaveA (Nov 16, 1999)

If you still have your WP12 CD, why not install it on your new machine?
Then you could convert these files.

Also remember that WordPad is a very limited word processor!


----------



## ecb50 (Feb 28, 2011)

I had loaded Word Perfect 12 but I also had to install MS Word Viewer and Compatibility Pack. All is well now the files and document's convert to WP 12. Thanks for the help.


----------

