Can't open saved docs in Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac

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Hello,

I hope someone can help me. I'm running Microsoft Word for Mac 2008 on Snow Leopard, both with the latest updates. I have 3 saved Word documents (which I last saved last month) that I desperately need to recover with all formatting intact (one doc includes detailed footnoting).

Although Word opens fine when I'm creating a new doc, when I try to open the docs I saved a month or two ago, I get the following error message: "Microsoft Word has an encountered a problem and needs to close."

It then gives me the option to recover my work and restart Word, but the same thing happens again.

When I click on the More Information button, I get the following message:

Microsoft Error Reporting log version: 2.0

Error Signature:
Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS
Date/Time: 2010-05-05 14:51:14 -0400
Application Name: Microsoft Word
Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Word
Application Signature: MSWD
Application Version: 12.2.4.100208
Crashed Module Name: QD
Crashed Module Version: unknown
Crashed Module Offset: 0x0008334d
Blame Module Name: QD
Blame Module Version: unknown
Blame Module Offset: 0x0008334d
Application LCID: 1033
Extra app info: Reg=en Loc=0x0409


The message goes on (too many characters to add here) before concluding:

Microsoft Application Information:
Error Reporting UUID: CE7544B1-4189-4A64-AB88-A5BB3BAB7226
Time from launch: 0 hours, 0 minutes, 15 seconds
Total errors on this client: 27"

I've been running Snow Leopard for several months, so that's not the issue. Can anyone give me any pointers based on the above error message? I'd be extremely grateful.

Thank you!

Paulina
 
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You should look at reinstalling MS Office. If you continue to have issues, try opening those documents with OpenOffice.org.
 
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Tx for suggestion! But alas I tried both and still no luck

Word gives me the same error message even though I've reinstalled several times (sometimes it gives me a short glimpse of the document before crashing). Open Office doesn't open it at all.
 

chscag

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I'm not 100% certain, but I believe those Word documents you're trying to open are corrupt. How they became corrupt, who knows? I've had the same thing happen to me. Recovering them can be a real task.

I'm assuming you have no backup of the documents that predate what you're trying to open? Time Machine?

Do you have access to a Windows PC that has MS Office installed? If so, you can try the methods outlined here.

I haven't seen anything for OS X that can recover damaged or corrupt Word documents, but there's no reason you can't use Windows. *.DOC and *.DOCX File structures are the same. Let us know.

Regards.
 
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Have you tried 'known issues' using Word help? Also if you think there may be a corrupted file, go into Home > Library > Preferences > Microsoft . Office 2008 and drag to the desktop Office 2008 Settings.plist and any other Preferences or Settings relating to Word. When you reboot clean preferences are created, check to see if files will open and if so trash the ones dragged to the desktlp.

Also Word is currently up to version 12.2.4 so check to see if you have missed any updates.
 

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