FastTips: File Storage and Recovery Questions and Answers

• Microsoft Word for Windows versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c
• Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.0 and 3.1

This article contains the text of "File Storage and Recovery Questions and Answers," which is available on the Microsoft FastTips service for Word for Windows. It answers the most frequently asked questions regarding file storage and recovery in Word for Windows.

1. Q. Is there any way to save the text in a document that Word for
      Windows cannot open?

   A. Yes there is, but you will lose all the text formatting. It is
      possible to open almost any file using the Microsoft Windows
      Write program, which comes with Microsoft Windows. To do this,
      use the following seven steps:

      1. Either close or minimize Word for Windows.

      2. Open the Accessories group in Program Manager.

      3. Choose the icon for Write.

      4. Open the damaged file without converting to the Write
         format.

      5. Delete everything that does not appear to be readable text.

      6. Copy and paste the remaining text to a new Word for Windows
         document.

      7. Reformat the text in the new document.

2. Q. Where does the Automatic Save feature of Word 2.0 for Windows
      save files and how can I change this location?

   A. The default directory for the Automatic Save feature is the
      Word program directory. To turn on the Automatic Save feature
      and change the save location, use the following eight steps:

      1. From the Tools menu, choose Options.

      2. Under Category, select Save.

      3. Type or select an interval from 1 to 120 minutes and choose
         OK.

         To change the directory location for the Automatic Save
         feature, continue with the remaining steps:

      4. From the Tools menu, choose Options.

      5. Under Category, select WIN.INI.

      6. In the Application box, select Microsoft Word 2.0.

      7. In the Startup Options box, select AUTOSAVE-path=.

      8. In the Setting box, type a valid drive and directory
         location. Do not use a RAM drive as files would be lost if
         the power goes off.

3. Q. In Word 2.0 for Windows, how do I recover a file after an
      unrecoverable application error (UAE) or general protection
      (GP) fault? Will this work for a file I had not saved prior
      to the error?

   A. If you select the Word 2.0 for Windows Automatic Save feature
      using the Options command from the Tools menu, Word creates a
      backup file with the extension .ASD. You can use this .ASD file
      to recover a document, even one that you had not previously
      saved, with the following two steps:

      1. From the File menu, choose Open, and find the directory you
         have specified with the Automatic Save feature.

      2. Change the extension to .ASD and choose the OK button. This
         allows Word to open the document. The file is updated at
         the interval specified in the Automatic Save Every box of the
         Set Save Options dialog box.