WD: HTML Document Opens in Source View

ID: Q183523

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

When you open a Microsoft Word document that was saved in the format of HTML Document (*.htm;*.html;*htx), it is opened in HTML source view.

CAUSE

This problem may occur for either of the following reasons:

The HTML converter is not installed.

-or-

The HTML converter is registered incorrectly.

WORKAROUND

Method 1: Load the Converter (This may not fix the problem)

Check to see if the HTML converter is loaded and if it is not, install it by following these steps:

In Microsoft Explorer, go to the following default folder:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Textconv

Check to see if the file Html32.cnv is in that folder. If the converter is not installed, skip step 3. If the converter is installed, try the next method, "Method 2: Upgrade to SR-1."

Click Start, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.

Double-click Add/Remove Programs.

Select Microsoft Office and click Add/Remove. When prompted to put your Office CD into the CD drive, do so and then click OK.

On the Microsoft Office Maintenance mode setup dialog box, click Add/Remove.

Select Converters And Filters (without removing the check mark) and then click Change Option.

Select Text Converters (without removing the check mark) and then click Change Option.

Click to check HTML Converter, click OK twice, and click Continue.

Method 2: Upgrade to Word SR-1 (This May Not Fix the Problem)

If you have not upgraded to Microsoft Office, SR-1, install Microsoft Word 97 for Windows, Service Release 1. For additional information about how to obtain the Service Release 1, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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

If the these methods 1 and 2 do not solve the problem, you may need to edit the Windows Registry.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

Method 3: Use Registry Editor to Convert Directly to Text Format

If these steps do not solve the problem, you may need to edit the Windows registry.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

To update the registry entry, follow these steps:

Quit Word and all other programs.

Click the Start menu, and then click Run.

In the Run box, type REGEDIT, and click OK.

Locate the appropriate registry entry:
```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Text Converters\Import\HTML 
```
NOTE: If this registry key does not exist, see the section called "How to Add a Microsoft Windows 95 Registry Key" later in this article.

Check the settings against the following default settings and make changes if necessary.


      For this key               Type this
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------

      Extensions            "html htm htx asp"
      Name                  "HTML Document"
      Path                  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
                             Shared\Textconv\html32.cnv"

On the Registry menu, click Exit.

How to Add a Microsoft Windows 95 Registry Key

If the registry key does not exist, follow these steps to create it:

Select the already existing key under which the new key is to be created (for example, select Import).

On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key. Enter HTML as the name, and then press ENTER.

Select the new key (HTML) and on the Edit menu, point to New and then click String Value.

On the right side of the Registry Editor, select the New Value #x and type in any of the missing items and then press ENTER. The missing items will be any of the following:

Extensions
Name
Path

Select the newly named string and then on the Edit menu click Modify. Under Value Data, type in the correct data as indicated follows for the appropriate key and then click OK.


      For this key               Type this
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------

      Extensions            "html htm htx asp"
      Name                  "HTML Document"
      Path                  "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
                             Shared\Textconv\html32.cnv"

NOTE: The path listed here is the default setting; this path may be Different if you changed the default location of Word.

Repeat steps 3-5 until all of the proper string items have been put in place under the proper keys.

On the Registry menu, click Exit.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

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

Q137667 IA: Document Views with HTML Tags Displayed

Additional query words: word97 word8

Keywords : kbhtml
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug