WD: Error: "Word Cannot Open Document" with Long File Name

 Last reviewed: March 4, 1998
Article ID: Q139849
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

You get the following series of error messages when you double-click the "New Microsoft Word Document.doc" icon on your desktop: 

   Word cannot open the document C:\Windows\Desktop\New.doc
   Word cannot open the document C:\Windows\Desktop\Microsoft.doc
   Word cannot open the document C:\Windows\Desktop\Word.doc
   Word cannot open the document C:\Windows\Desktop\Document.doc
This icon is created when you right-click the Windows 95 desktop, click New, and then click Microsoft Word Document.

NOTE: These error messages may also occur in Windows Explorer when you try to start a document with a long file name if the file name contains spaces.

CAUSE

The registry contains a string value with an incorrect value data string, as in the following examples: 

   c:\msoffice\winword\winword.exe /n

   -or-

   c:\msoffice\winword\winword.exe /n %1
In these examples, the %1 represents a file name. Because the %1 not part of the statement (example 1) or is not enclosed in quotation marks (example 2), each word in the long file name is interpreted as a single document. As a result, the file name "New Microsoft Word Document.doc" may be interpreted as four documents, not one. Because Word cannot locate these four documents, it displays the error messages.

RESOLUTION

To correct the registry, use the following steps:

  1. Right-click the Windows 95 Start button, and click Explore. In Windows Explorer, on the View menu, click Options.

  2. In the Options dialog box, click the File Types tab.

  3. Under Registered File Types, select "Microsoft Word Document," and click Edit.

  4. In the Edit File Type dialog box, under Actions, select Open, and then click Edit.

  5. In the "Editing action for type" dialog box, the "Application used to perform action" line should point to <path>\Winword.exe. 

        For example:


        "C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\OFFICE\WINWORD.EXE" /n %1


        NOTE: The %1 may or may not be present on the this line.

  6. Change the above line to the following: 

        "C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\OFFICE\WINWORD.EXE" /n "%1"


        NOTE: The %1 must be enclosed in quotation marks. If the %1 is
    not on the above line, add the %1 with the quotation marks.

  7. Click OK to close the "Editing action for type" dialog box.

  8. Click Close to close the "Edit File Type" dialog box.

  9. Click Close to close the Options dialog box.

MORE INFORMATION

Errors similar to those listed in the "Symptoms" section of this article will appear for any program that has an invalid registry entry, such as that described in the "Cause" section. Other programs that appear on the context menu when you click New include: 

   Text Document
   Bitmap Image
   Wave Sound
   Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
   Microsoft Excel Worksheet
   Microsoft Office Binder
   Microsoft Publisher Document
You may also encounter these errors in Windows Explorer when you double- click any file that has an undefined file name extension. Windows 95 will prompt you with an "Open With" dialog box so you can choose which program you want to use to open the file.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q133217
   TITLE     : How to Create Multiple Associations for One File Name
               Extension

Additional query words: 7.0 word95 word7 cannot can not open document
truncates file name text.txt document.txt bitmap.bmp image.bmp wave.wav
sound.wav microsoft.ppt microsoft.xls microsoft.obd microsoft.pub
powerpoint.ppt presentation.ppt excel.xls worksheet.xls office.obd
binder.obd publisher.put document.pub new.doc microsoft.doc word.doc
document.doc error message lfn
Keywords : kberrmsg kbnetwork kbfaq
Version : 7.0 7.0a 97
Platform : WINDOWS

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Last reviewed: March 4, 1998
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