Can't open Word File because of end tag/start tag mismatch error...need XML help!

Anonymous
2010-06-09T00:42:38+00:00

I get the following message when i try to open a word document that i desperately need

  The name in the end tag of the element must match the element type in the start tag

Location: Part: word/document.xml, Line: 2, Column: 96760

I know how to "unzip" the docx files and get to the main document.xml file, but i know nothing about xml programming. Any suggestions? i got an xml editor and found that there are 6 mismatch errors, but i don't know how to fix them. I also don't know how to rezip al the files back into a docx format. I would love any help. Thanks.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2011-04-25T16:26:25+00:00

You're welcome Catherine.

Going forward if you or anyone else comes across this issue again, we have a FixIt solution created that should address this problem.  You can go to the following KB article and it should give you the details about how you can correct these documents.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2528942

Brandon

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-04-12T16:31:59+00:00

    I am not sure what's going on with word 2010.  It's kind of scary to not being able to open my word file.  Does anyone know why this problem is happening?

    @Small Ice Forest,

    There are known problems with the newer equation editor supplied with 2007/2010 and the .DOCX file format. This thread (8342 views/407 replies) is certainly evidence of that.

    I'm sure Microsoft is working diligently on the issue but I wish they would hurry up. In the meantime, the volunteers here do what they can to provide assistance.

    Glad things appeared to have worked out for you, and thanks for the feedback report.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-04-12T16:05:21+00:00

    Thanks to both Jeeped and brandondesjarlais.  I really appreciate your help.

    I found a weird thing.  I downloaded both of the saved file.  I couldn't edit the one that Jeeped saved for me.  More correctly, once I edit it and save it, the similar error message occurs (although at different column).

    I did the same editing to the one brandondesjarlais saved for me.  The same error didn't happen.  (at least for now)

    @brandondesjarlais: could you please specific what is the problem with those two equations? I created them using the in-build equation editor.

    I am not sure what's going on with word 2010.  It's kind of scary to not being able to open my word file.  Does anyone know why this problem is happening?

    Thanks a lot again.  You guys are life savers!

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-04-12T04:34:03+00:00

    I think you were having a problem with the textbox on the bottom of page 7 and the equation at the top of page 8.  If you come across anymore problems, post it back here and we'll see what we can do.

    http://uploading.com/files/99d2dc42/paper_v2%2528Fixed%2529.docx/

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-04-12T04:20:55+00:00

    Actually, that document may be OK. It sure looks a lot better in the SkyDrive Word Web App than in my own copy of Word.

    Please find the repaired document here. Click Open in Word in the upper right, then Save As to copy to your own computer.

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