"error in the Microsoft Word previewer"

Anonymous
2010-08-06T03:09:22+00:00

Is there a fix for this problem?

I have Office 2010 operating on Windows 7 64 bit

When I select File >> Open and click on a Word file (new format or 2003 format) the preview pane has a message as follows

"This file can't be previewed because of an error in the Microsoft Word previewer"

Even if I create a new document and save it, trying to see it in the File Open dialog box gives the same message

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2011-01-20T22:10:35+00:00

Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/983097 for workarounds.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-02-14T13:21:25+00:00

    Rohn007 - I can't comment about the technical ability of the MS staff. I imagine they DO have the expertise, but that company policy is to work on new stuff rather than fix old issues deemed too trivial to spend valuable resource over. I don't know. I certainly feel very frustrated with the lack of progress on this issue and my "Apple" comment wasn't just a throw-away quip. I read enough about Macs to know they have their faults, but I just feel they care more about their customers than MS. My perception anyway.

    As regards the FreeFile Viewer - many thanks for pointing me in the right direction of something that works. I'll give it a go and see.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-02-14T12:28:54+00:00

    Chas, thanks for that last line...

    Since the Word programmers at MS are too incompetent to fix the problem, or more likely, the managers are too cheap to pay for the fix.

    I just found the file viewer that can handle all office file types and about a hundred more. It was even able to open a DOCX with the XML end tag missing corruption that Word couldn't open at all.  The equations were not displayed, but the body text was still there to be recovered.  Better than nothing.

    FreeFileViewer – reads 100+ text, Office, audio, video format file types -http://www.freefileviewer.com/formats.html****

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-02-14T07:50:11+00:00

    I think we should cut Microsoft some slack here. Our expectations are just too high. After all, if you look at the latest disaster on the horizon that is Windows 8, you will realise that Microsoft needs our sympathy and understanding.

    Now, what's the address of my nearest Apple store ... ?

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-02-14T00:21:43+00:00

    On August 10, 2010 reply #1 said :This is due to a bug in Office 2010. Microsoft is aware of the bug and is working to resolve it... I'm told.

    And surely Microsoft has got to know about the problem as many times as it is posted and their software is what generates the error message.  How did that get in there?

    AND Surely Microsoft does not want people saying "You can preview Excel in Word and you can preview Word in Excel" ???????  But not in their respective programs.  OMG  (Stated in one of the replys.)  And surely Microsoft has got to know about the problem as many times as it is posted.

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