Unspecified Error, word/document.xml, Line:2, Column: 0

Anonymous
2012-05-27T15:48:53+00:00

Dear document savers,

It appears that due dates for assignments makes Word eat documents.

Like others I have a corrupted .docx document.  I have tried every trick in the book I can find and am now resorting to the next level of knowledgeable help.

The document crashed whilst working on a formula around the 3rd last page from memory (page 12 I believe).  After waiting etc. I closed and reopened the document and found then that it would go crazy when I got to the area I was last working in, and wouldn't scroll or display content properly.  When I tried again to close and open it wouldn't open it.  Nothing so far has worked.

It now gives the message:

"The file Assign 3 Answers.docx cannot be opened because there are problems with the contents."

"Details"

"Unspecified Error"

"Location: Part: /word/document.xml, line: 2, column: 0"

I have uploaded the file here

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8CyUQXlwkYeUXdmVl9acWZTUEU

I can open in Googledocs but without drawings or equations.  It opens in viewer.zoho.com but still cannot open a saved copy in Word 2010

I would greatly appreciate if anyone had any fixes for me.

Sincerely,

Rowan

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2012-05-27T18:16:27+00:00

... https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8CyUQXlwkYeUXdmVl9acWZTUEU ...

The Google Docs copy was a DOC rather than a DOCX, but I downloaded it and had a look. I snipped out the  BH  from the second formula following "for Triangle CBH" on page 19. That will need replacing and close proofreading that area is highly recommended.

                  

There is some strange pagination and I don't know exactly why that is nor even if the pagination is intentional.  The actual corruption looked like it was due to many reformatting changes, resulting in empty formatting tags.

I've uploaded a repaired copy of the DOCX to my SkyDrive here for you to download . Be sure to get service packs for Office 2007 or 2010 installed whenever possible before further editing is performed.

Office service packs

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-01-28T00:52:54+00:00

    Thanks for the clarification.

    The point you made, that is clear from the cries of pain we see posted, the changes are all too often happening near the end of the writing process. Minor edits.  This highlights another preventative measure. Making frequent "incremental" file copies. The following tools and macros add functionality that Word / Office! is still missing, doing true "autosaves" (NOT autorecover!) and optionally adding timestamps to the autosaves. 

    Sure Graham's "Autohistory" tool creates a lot of "clutter", apparently unneeded, wasted space, extra copies of the files. But at least you have the option of cleaning them up when you don't need them, AND they are there when you DO need them. At the last minute disasters we are seeing posted! That is why I like the tool so much and set the interval to 5 minutes when I'm working on "important" documents.  I just have to remember to periodically go back an prune out extra copies I know I no longer need. I typically start by keeping just the full hour copies. farther back I keep just 2 or 3 copies per day and even farther back, just one copy per day.

    Autohistory for Word 2007 / 2010, Excel 2010 (Version Control)

    https://autohistory.codeplex.com/

    (equivalent to GMayor tool) Creates a Date&Timestamped copy of file every time you perform a normal Save. You can access any of the older versions. It creates a folder for each document affected. You have to the option of creating a single “universal” backup location.  The History is located in a NEW GRROUP on the View Tab.

    Automatically backup Word documents

    http://www.gmayor.com/automatically_backup.htm

    Graham has created an addin that does something MS should have done 20+ years ago.

    <snip>

    Contrary to popular opinion, Word has no integral means of automatically saving the current document, nor of backing-up the current document. What it does have is an option to save AutoRecover information after a specific and configurable interval and an option to save a backup copy of the previously saved version of the document with the default file extension of WBK (and although there is no reason to do so, Word also allows the option to change this extension to the user's choice). This is not a true backup in as much as it is not a copy of the current version of the document.

    A function to create a true automatic backup is provided by the **Save In Two Places add-in which is detailed in a separate page**, There is also available from this web site a complementary add-in which provides numbered versions of a document. **Again that has its own web page.**

    </snip>

    Save Numbered Versions Add-In for Word 2007 & 2010

    http://www.gmayor.com/SaveVersionsAdd-In.htm

    Save Numbered Backup Versions of Document

    http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/SaveIncrementedFilename.htm


    Save Dated & numbered Backup versions of a document - Word

    http://www.gmayor.com/save_numbered_versions.htm


    Saving Everything Macros

    http://word.tips.net/T001469_Saving_Everything.html

    Summary: Need to force users to save their work? It may be as simple as implementing an AutoNew() to force every new file to have a filename, and an AutoClose() to save the current document BEFORE closing. It could, however, also have something to do with training users.

    Controlling Names of Backup Files

    http://wordribbon.tips.net/T011760_Controlling_Names_of_Backup_Files.html


    Save the current document in two locations add-in for Word 2007 & 2010

    http://www.gmayor.com/SaveInTwoPlacesAddIn.htm

    Performs a normal save in one location, then does a DOS copy to the second location (ie USB)


    Making Backups as You Work

    http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=731710&seqNum=5


    Win8 Tip: Enable File History

    http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-tip-enable-file-history-143579

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-02-13T19:33:50+00:00

    I am having the same issue. Word 2007 lists the location as Line 2, Column 47461. I'm not sure how to go about removing any problem areas and then resaving it though.

    I've tried uploading the file to skydrive.

    https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=2A8AF368AAA78AC6!107&authkey=!ACYXSpNR4sbvh8E

    Hopefully the link works, this is the first time I've ever used sky drive.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-02-13T20:00:00+00:00

    There was a rogue <m:ctrlPr/> XML tag that was gumming up the works. The document opened conventionally as soon as I removed it.

    I do not believe that any content was lost but you will want to check the formulas just above the phrase "The directivity is just the radiated power density in that direction [...] " on page 2 (of 13).

    I've uploaded the repaired DOCX to my SkyDrive here.

    ECEN 638 HW2 - Jeeped.docx

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-02-13T20:07:47+00:00

    Thanks a ton, and for such a fast response too. You're amazing. 

    From your earlier posts on this forum and a little look at basic xml syntax rules, I thought that might be the problem.

    For future reference, If I don't have winrar or notepad++, but just use visual studio to edit the xml file, how do I then turn the zip folder back into a doc file. I haven't figured that part out.

    Again, thank you very much for the help.

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