WD97: Large MS-DOS File Is Damaged When Opened as MS-DOS Text

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Word, if you open an MS-DOS text file that is larger than 32 kilobytes (KB) in MS-DOS Text format, the end of the document may contain extended characters or boxes instead of text.

RESOLUTION

To correct this problem, install Microsoft Word 97 Service Release 1 (SR- 1).

To work around this problem, open the MS-DOS file in Text Only or "MS-DOS Text With Layout" format. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

2. On the General tab, click to select the "Confirm conversion at Open" check box, and then click OK.

3. Open the MS-DOS file. A Convert File dialog box is displayed.

4. In the Convert File From list, click Text Only or " MS-DOS Text with Layout," and click OK.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Word 97 for Windows. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Word 97 SR-1.

For additional information about SR-1, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q172475
   TITLE     : OFF97: How to Obtain and Install MS Office 97 SR-1

REFERENCES

For more information about text conversion options, click the Office Assistant, type "text with layout" (without the quotation marks), click Search, and then click the "File formats supplied with Microsoft Word" topic.

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120802
   TITLE     : Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office
               Program or Component