incorrect file association in Word (I am using Word 2007, but icons are showing as 2016)

[seeker78]

Hi everyone,

I have searched high and low for an answer, but still need help. I have a Dell Inspiron laptop, and am running Windows 10. While asking a tech support person for help with another issue, he accidentally changed the file associations in Word. I believe he changed the file associations in “default apps”. Now all of the icons for my Word files are for Word 2016. I am running Microsoft Office 2007, but MO 2016 came pre-loaded on my computer. I don’t want to have to buy MO 2016, as MO 2007 works fine. I tried completely uninstalling MO 2016, which it appears got done, but the Word 2016 icons are still there. If I double-click on a Word file icon it says “This app cannot run on this PC”. However, I can open Word files fine through the program itself fine (File > Open ….), but that obviously takes more time.

I have tried several things to fix this:

- I went into the settings in default apps to change the associations for .doc and .docx files, but it won’t give Microsoft Word 2007 as an option. It keeps giving “Microsoft 2007 component” and MO 2016.

- right-clicking on the icon and using “open with” –
there too it says “Microsoft 2007 component” and MO 2016, but does not give the option
for MO 2007. “Microsoft 2007 component” does not work. So I choose "choose another app" and navigate to where it looks like Microsoft Word the program should be, but it is showing as a shortcut (.lnk file). I found this program from this link: (the program shows a little ways down the screen) which looks like it might help:
https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html
However, I am a little scared too use it, as it looks like it may change the registry.

I also tried changing the file association in the Control Panel, but again no option for MO 2007.
And then I run into the issue with the .lnk extension again if I try to navigate to the actual Word program.

I have uninstalled and re-installed Microsoft Office at least a couple of times, and tried “repair”, but that didn’t help.

The Microsoft “Fix it” tool didn’t help.

I would greatly appreciate your help.


Sincerely,

seeker78

P.S. -- P.S. -- I also tried all these steps, but there is no "user choice" key showing:

1. Open the Registry Editor (click Windows + R, type regedit, hit enter).
2. Navigate to this registry branch: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.lnk
3. Find the subkey called User Choice and delete it.

 

[gardenman]

Hi, I've been using this program for a few years now, it's a simple free little utility to change icons, associations, and other options for the file types. You may have to look around in the program as it offers alot of different choices. https://defaultprogramseditor.com/

I used it a few days ago to change INI file association to a text editor that I use (instead of notepad). When I did that, it also changed the icon for INI files, so I had to use the program to change the INI icons back to how they originally looked.

I believe it could help you accomplish what you want to do. As for the .lnk, are you sure you are browsing to the correct folder where the program is located? Which folder are you trying to browse to? Try this, right click on the Word program and choose Properties. Click on the "Open File Location" button. This should show you were the actual program is located.

Always Backup your registery before editing it. [How to Backup Registry]

I don't have Word so hopefully the above can help, and if not, reply back and maybe someone else can help.

 

[Chicano]

The Seven Forums download you linked doesn't even include a MS Office file asociation regedit... so that wouldn't have made a difference.


The Microsoft Fix-it should have helped.. but did you use the right tool for the Office version?... This tool is for Office 2016 just in case you didn't use tehe right tool for the Offcie version.
http://techdows.com/2015/10/download-microsoft-office-2016-fix-it-tool.html


I the Office fix-it tool was correct, download this tool to completely uninstall Office 2016 to see if it helps. If it runs it will fix it and if it doesn't you may have to remove all Office 2016 residual files manually. If you get to the point you have to remove all Microsoft Office 2016 residues manually, use the "Everything" file search tool.. and type search words such as "Word", "Excel", ".docx", ".xls", and other Office apps extensions the install included.
https://www.voidtools.com/


I ran across the same issue a while back and Office 2007 was not installing... the Program Files Office folder only incuded a Microsoft Office folder or two. After several failed attempts to install Office 2007.. I managed to install it correctly after a Windows restart.
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Uninstall-Office-from-a-PC-9dd49b83-264a-477a-8fcc-2fdf5dbf61d8

 

[seeker78]

Thank you very much, gardenman! I will definitely check out that program. Yes, I did check for the file location by right-clicking on the Microsoft Word program icon and choosing "open file location" in the start menu. But later I realized that the file it pointed to has an extension of .lnk (shortcut file).
Does that mean the .lnk extension needs to be changed?

 

[gardenman]

I wouldn't mess with the .LNK extension or registry for it. I don't think it's messed up on your PC (but I could be wrong). I think you are not finding the correct path/location to Word 2007. I think the correct path is probably something like:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\winword.exe
See this link for more information: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_word-mso_other-mso_2007/word-2007-executable-located/94b9ab4d-7f68-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5?auth=1

I was assuming the shortcut worked and loaded the correct program. If not, then yes it needs to be updated/changed.

Usually the icons for associated files such as DOC and DOCX are located within the same EXE as the program (for example: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\winword.exe) and you can use the Default Programs Editor I mentioned above to change the icons for those file types and tell it the icon is located in the .EXE file.

 

[seeker78]

Thanks a lot, Chicano! I'm pretty sure it was the Microsoft Fix it tool for Office 2016. But I may try that again just in case. If that doesn't work, it looks like that page has other good info, and the link you sent looks helpful too. I'll let you know how it goes ....

 

[seeker78]

Hi, I've been using this program for a few years now, it's a simple free little utility to change icons, associations, and other options for the file types. You may have to look around in the program as it offers alot of different choices. https://defaultprogramseditor.com/

I used it a few days ago to change INI file association to a text editor that I use (instead of notepad). When I did that, it also changed the icon for INI files, so I had to use the program to change the INI icons back to how they originally looked.

I believe it could help you accomplish what you want to do. As for the .lnk, are you sure you are browsing to the correct folder where the program is located? Which folder are you trying to browse to? Try this, right click on the Word program and choose Properties. Click on the "Open File Location" button. This should show you were the actual program is located.

Always Backup your registery before editing it. [How to Backup Registry]

I don't have Word so hopefully the above can help, and if not, reply back and maybe someone else can help.

I wouldn't mess with the .LNK extension or registry for it. I don't think it's messed up on your PC (but I could be wrong). I think you are not finding the correct path/location to Word 2007. I think the correct path is probably something like:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\winword.exe
See this link for more information: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_word-mso_other-mso_2007/word-2007-executable-located/94b9ab4d-7f68-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5?auth=1

I was assuming the shortcut worked and loaded the correct program. If not, then yes it needs to be updated/changed.

Usually the icons for associated files such as DOC and DOCX are located within the same EXE as the program (for example: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\winword.exe) and you can use the Default Programs Editor I mentioned above to change the icons for those file types and tell it the icon is located in the .EXE file.

 

[seeker78]

Oh, I think maybe you hit the nail on the head! I was looking for the Microsoft Word application file, which I thought was named "Microsoft Word", but it's actually named "winword.exe"?

I navigated all the way to "Office 12", but there's no "winword.exe" file in that folder or the subsequent folder (1033).

 

[seeker78]

Just did some more checking. There were actually two "Progam Files" folders: just plain "Program Files" and "Program Files (x86)". If I go into the second one, I do find a file called WINWORD, which is listed in the file type as an application. Is that the file I need to associate with the .doc and .docx files? Maybe this is not it though, it just says "WINWORD", not winword.exe like you said. If I go into "properties", it doesn't give a file extension.

 

[gardenman]

Double click on the WINWORD that you found and see if that is the correct program. If it opens Word 2007 then that's the exact file that you are looking for, to associate the files with and get the icons from. (The one you found is very likely the correct file).

You probably have file extensions hidden (which is how Windows is normally set up) so you don't see the .EXE on the end of the file. You can right click and look at it's properties and it's probably WINWORD.exe.

 

[seeker78]

Double click on the WINWORD that you found and see if that is the correct program. If it opens Word 2007 then that's the exact file that you are looking for, to associate the files with and get the icons from. (The one you found is very likely the correct file).

You probably have file extensions hidden (which is how Windows is normally set up) so you don't see the .EXE on the end of the file. You can right click and look at it's properties and it's probably WINWORD.exe.

Well, the WINWORD file I navigated to appears to be the right one. Thanks for the file path -- that was helpful.
I opened a test file by double-clicking on the WINWORD file, and it opens in Word 2007. But if I try changing the file association in the control panel, it won't do it for some strange reason. I clicked on "change program" in the control panel and navigated to the WINWORD file, but it still shows as Word 2016. I guess I'll have to try some of the other suggestions.


UPDATING -- Good news!! After trying the file association I just mentioned above and thinking it didn't work, I tried another repair of Microsoft Office, and now it works!! In case any one needs to know how, I right-clicked on the file in the "add or remove programs" list in the control panel, and then clicked change. When prompted, I chose the "repair" option. Whew............ Thank you very much to both of you guys! There's still a recurring issue (it was doing this before the last repair of Microsoft Office) with the windows in Word -- it won't let me drag from one screen to another, i.e. from one monitor to another. It was working fine before. It does the same thing in Excel. Other windows in other programs work fine. I guess I need to post that as a separate question?

 

[gardenman]

I'm glad the repair option worked and you got it working!

I would start a new thread because that's a different subject and one that I'm not familiar with.

 

[seeker78]

I'm glad the repair option worked and you got it working!

I would start a new thread because that's a different subject and one that I'm not familiar with.

 

[seeker78]

Thanks a lot, gardenman! I just wanted to add for the benefit of anyone else having the same issue, that when you change the file association, you need to right-click on the file and click "properties", and then "change", and then look for the program file (e.g. Winword). If you click "open with" and try to change the association that way, it doesn't work, at least it didn't for me, which is strange. But the other way worked fine.