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
    2010-11-03T08:56:41+00:00

    Hi folks,

    I solved it myself. An </m:oMath> end tag was misplaced. 

    What I learned: try to open your broken document.xml in Firefox, and it'll tell you what end tag was expected and where. If you fix that and a second error occurs in a different location, check to see if it's because the missing first tag was mistakenly placed in this location. 

    Thanks,

    George

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-11-03T00:31:48+00:00

    Hi, 

    I'm sorry to bother you all, but I have a similar problem (end tag doesn't match start tag, Line 2, Column 138296).

    My docx is here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/jrbu3j

    I'd really appreciate your help. It's a homework assignment that I've spent about 10 hours on. Thank you so much in advance.

    Thanks again,

    George

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-10-31T15:10:54+00:00

    You might find the http://www.gmayor.com/save_numbered_versions.htm macro useful, so you can go back a step or two if you screw it up again :)


    <tuzzaHBFC> wrote in message news:*** Email address is removed for privacy ***...

    Thanks again for your help, think i have learned my lesson on that one. you might well here form me again in a few days time with a similar proble.

    Thanks again


    Graham Mayor - Word MVP

    www.gmayor.com

    Posted via the Communities Bridge

    http://communitybridge.codeplex.com/

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-10-31T14:43:53+00:00

    Thanks again for your help, think i have learned my lesson on that one. you might well here form me again in a few days time with a similar proble.

    Thanks again

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