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

Anonymous
2010-10-28T11:18:41+00:00

I too am having the problem many people seem to be having on this forum. I have created a fairly large and important document which includes a lot of maths equations and some graphics. Now every time I try to open it it says there is an error with a mismatch between the start and end tags. I have never worked with XML but have tried to find what feels like a needle in a haystack and can't really see how to proceed. Is there any chance you could help? I have uploaded the document to:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/0ecfpu

Many thanks,

Andrew

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2010-11-01T19:04:17+00:00

Hi Andrew,

The fixed file is at http://www.wordarticles.com/temp/AH%20Statistics%201%20Notes%20-%20Outcome%202.docx

To try to answer your questions:

There is no easy way to do it in Notepad - I generally use Visual Studio; Yves Dhondt - the only other person here, AFAIK, who fixes these documents - has some tool he wrote himself. It isn't very difficult but there is no guarantee of what you will find when you look. Usually - and I'm sure you're right - it happens when equations and graphics are together and an oMath end tag, and perhaps part of the equation it ends, gets misplaced within a structure that is meant to enable the equation be correctly displayed in earlier versions of Word that do not support the new equation engine.

The structure should be:

<mc:AlternateContent>

<mc:Choice>

<m:oMath>

Start of equation

End of equation

</m:oMath>

<mc:Choice>

<mc:Fallback>

Probably some graphics

</mc:Fallback>

</AlternateContent>

but ends up as:

<mc:AlternateContent>

<mc:Choice>

<m:oMath>

Start of equation

<mc:Choice>

<mc:Fallback>

Probably some graphics

</mc:Fallback> </AlternateContent>

End of equation

</m:oMath>

This is a bug so nothing is for certain, and I don't know what circumstances trigger it, or what you can do to avoid it. I also don't know if Microsoft are working on it, although I have informed them and they have replied that 'it has been passed to the appropriate team' or some such.

For my own amusement I am working on an AddIn that will attempt to mend these documents but I don't know how well it will work, yet.

Enjoy,

Tony

www.WordArticles.com

Was this answer helpful?

8 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

207 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2010-11-28T19:28:37+00:00

    I have written an AddIn that attempts to deal with these problem documents - it's still in testing, but if you download it from here:http://www.wordarticles.com/temp/Rebuilder.dotm - it's a .dotm Word template - and copy it to your startup folder (by default "%appdata%\Microsoft\Word\Startup"), then start Word and you will have an extra tab on your Ribbon called "Broken Documents". If you click the button on the tab, you can then select your file and it should be repaired. The original file is not changed, but a new document called "original-file (Rebuilt)" is created and opened. This doesn't mend all broken documents - just ones created in Word 2010 containing equations and exhibiting this particular symptom - and, even then, I can't guarantee it, but if it doesn't work in your case, come back and I will take a look at the document.

    Enjoy,

    Tony

    www.WordArticles.com

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2010-10-28T13:34:38+00:00

    I have uploaded a copy of the fixed file, temporarily, tohttp://www.wordarticles.com/temp/2010%2010%2014%20-%20AH%20Statistics%20Text.docx

    Enjoy,

    Tony

    www.WordArticles.com

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2010-10-28T21:29:10+00:00

    Many, many, many thanks. Hugely appreciated.

    Andrew

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments