My saved documents are no longer the W icons but orange icons that I can't open. Please help.

Anonymous
2013-09-11T14:30:26+00:00

My saved word documents no longer have the W icon but rather an orange icon that I can't open.  Spent 10 mins phoning Microsoft at great expense.  No answer Any help?

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
2013-09-12T10:58:51+00:00

Please try to uninstall Microsoft office 2010 from program list in Programs and features. It will appear there with most recent date of installation. After uninstall of that application, Microsoft office 2010 Starter should work as before the update.

*This will not uninstall your office starter

Detailed steps:

  1. Click Start, then click Uninstall program if you cannot see it click “Programs and features”
  2. Click Control Panel
  3. Click “Uninstall program” if you do not see it click “Programs and features”
  4. On the program list locate “Microsoft office 2010” not “Microsoft office 2010 Starter”
  5. Right click Microsoft office 2010 and click on uninstall option
  6. When uninstall finishes restart windows

Was this answer helpful?

10+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

169 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2013-09-21T02:46:07+00:00

    Have you tried the method outlined in the post I referenced? Many users have reported that it works.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2013-09-21T00:50:59+00:00

    Assuming that the bug is accidental, it may have the "beneficial" to MS bottom line of encouraging people to buy Office (365/2013).

    But, as MANY people have confirmed, that is NOT required. Many people have been able to find fixes that worked for them.

    Yes, MS should be required to provide a timely fix. But many people are not willing to wait for it, and are not willing to use the FILE > Open dialog work-a-round.

    I agree with your rational, MS (and all should be held financially accountable for user financial losses. But the EULA explicitly disqualifies that option (so we need government intervention ... euch!)

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2013-09-21T00:29:57+00:00

    I am not a computer geek. I have tried all of the various fixes suggested here and nothing has worked.  I have spent a lot of time that I shouldn't have to spend trying to solve a problem that Microsoft caused with their update. I read that Starter is an OEM install and not supported by Microsoft.It is not the OEM's fault that Microsoft did an update that caused this problem. Microsoft created Starter not the OEMs and if they can screw it up they should be able to supply a download to fix it. I only need Word and Excel and have no need for the other features in the Office suite. I seems suspicious to me that if we can't use Starter that we will be forced to buy Office to regain the use of Excel and Word. This is like buying a car and finding out that you have to pay to use the spare tire if you get a flat. 

     If this is how Microsoft users are going to be treated I think it is time for me and everyone else to think about who we are going to purchase products from in the future.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2013-09-20T22:16:54+00:00

    See **this post**for an alternative method.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments