Word Docs/Excel Opening as Read Only after MS Update

Anonymous

Team after this weeks update from Microsoft all my Word and Excel documents that I create save fine, but when I open them they open in Read only mode. I have to keep performing a save as with a new file name to get by the issue. I also get an error that I had not received before when opening some older Word and Excel documents. The error reads "There was a problem sending the command to the program". I click on OK and the error goes away and the document opens, but again in Read only mode. HELP....

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Anonymous

Hi,

As I understand when you save and open the document, the documents open in read only mode and you also receive an error message while opening the documents. Let me assist you with the issue.

Follow the steps mentioned and check if it helps:

Step 1: Check if Office applications are running in compatibility mode:

· Browse to the location mentioned below:

For Win7 32 bit:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\ClentX86 \Root\Office15

For Win7 64 bit:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\ClientX64\Root\Office15

· Right click on WINWORD.EXE< Properties< Compatibility

· Uncheck the box Run this Program in Compatibility Mode, ensure you also click on the option change settings for all users tab at the bottom of the same screen

· Click on Apply and Ok.

· Open Word and check if it works.

Note: If Word works fine then follow the above steps for Excel applications (EXCEL.EXE)

Step 2: Check the option to save the Word or Excel files in read only mode is check:

· Open Word document.

· Click on File< Save As< Browse to the location where you want to save the file.

· Click on arrow mark pointing downwards next to Tools and click on General Options.

· Ensure the option Read-only recommended is unchecked and click Ok.

· Now try to save the document, re-pen the saved document and check.

Step 3: Repair Office 2013 installation:

If the above steps do not fix the issue then repair Office 2013 installation and check. Refer the link mentioned to repair Office 2013 installation:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-in/project-help/repair-or-remove-office-HA010357402.aspx

I hope the above suggestion helps. Let us know if you need further assistance.

Thank you.

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51 additional answers

Anonymous

2016-02-15T14:10:54+00:00

I run Ubuntu 14.04 in VirtualBox under Windows 10. Both systems are important, and if you kill Windows in favor of Ubuntu or something like it you will be trading your problems of the moment for currently invisible problems that will bite you later. Each OS is a great complement to other one, and using one to the exclusion of the other really limts you.

There is often sloppy workmanship in the Ubuntu user interface that grabs the booby prize from Microsoft for having the most obtuse and useless user presentation. Also, Canonical, the outfit that publishes Ubuntu, seems to pride itself on compulsive non-conformity to accepted conventions of presentation. If they were responsible for designing a car, they would probably transpose the gas and brake pedals just to be different. Doing so would be an innovation to be sure, but would needlessly kill people that are used to driving normal cars. There is no discernible excuse for changing the presentation order of the window controls and then placing them in a different corner of the window. Also, moving the start button to the opposite corner of the screen serves no purpose beyond compulsive non-conformithy.

Canonical simply does not understand that the Microsoft way is probably 80% of the market, and that if they really want to crack that market it is just plain stupid to harass Microsoft users with obtuse or needlessly changed user interface presentations. For Canonical to expect that their users will use Ubuntu exclusively and never anything else is as absurd as if Ford were to assume that every Ford owner would never drive an Audi while owning a Ford. Really.
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Anonymous

2016-02-15T13:00:10+00:00

Bravo! Well said Tom.

Like so many other smaller companies, we are likewise being forced by MS to abandon MS in favor of an alternative OS, which in our case will soon be Linux based.

gripman
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Anonymous

2016-02-01T21:42:28+00:00

For me, it was the preview pane inside of word browsing that was the issue. That was with word 2013, and preview pane was turned off in windows explorer. However when you browsed from inside of words file dialog, the preview pane was on, and would cause random word documents to open as read only. One time they'd open fine, the next as read only. Turned off the preview pane and no more problem.
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Anonymous

2015-12-11T16:05:51+00:00

I found that all local files for a client were opening in view-only mode as well. Did the previous recommendations: repair installation, remove HKCU...Word/Data registry entry, add Desktop folder to Trusted Locations, etc.

In the end the solution was simple. Open a document, it's displayed in view-only mode, click on the View menu, click on Edit Document. Close Word. Now all documents open in Edit Mode.

Not sure if it was by design or a bug, but it sure frustrated the client, as well as myself since internet searches all led to more complicated solutions. She was not aware of switching to View Mode, guessing errant click.

When in this condition, you can open Word from Start Menu or shortcut (e.g., not double-clicking an existing document), select Blank Document, the blank document opens in Edit Mode, type in some text and save it. When you open this document again, it is in view-only mode.
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