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

Yes, in your case the OEM is ACER if that is who built your computer.

When you talk to ACER ask specifically for, at a minimum, this file: SetupConsumerC2ROLW.exe That is the installer for Starter. It links to other files, that are hopefully still available on the internet (the one I tested still is)

Sorry the replies have been too technical. I / we do try to suit them to the questioner. Sometimes we miss the clues (and even outright statements) that indicate the poster's skill level.

OK, if the built in method of re-installing Starter has been defeated, there are 2 remaining options I know of.

One is to use the recovery partition to completely re-install WINDOWS. This will wipe all installed files and it WILL WIPE all your PERSONAL FILES too. So make sure you have an adequate backup BEFORE DOING IT. And make sure you have all of the required product keys, regsitration numbres and installation files BEFORE DOING IT!

The other is to go google happy looking for this file: SetupConsumerC2ROLW.exe  . It is the 2010 Starter installation setup file.  The last time I looked, about a year ago there was one copy of it on a magazine site. I won't say exactly where so it doesn't get blocked.

Yes, MS has a great deal working for them. They cost millions of hours of lost productivity and don't have to pay a cent.  Sad to say, but we need a "Ralph Nader" for software to beat governments into writing and enforcing consumer protection laws aimed at defective software and forcing companies into taking fiscal responsibility for their defective software products, just as car builders and other manufacturers were forced in the 60's.  Maybe we could even use the software equivalent of "Underwriters Laboratory" ("UL") certification and other independent testing labs.

If I activate the free trial of Office, so that I can access my word documents that have been changed to DOCX files, will I still be able to access them with Office Starter when the free trial ends in 30 days?

I desperately need to find a job to avoid being evicted from my rental property. I need access to my resume to apply for jobs but I can't access any of my documents. Someone from Microsoft suggested I activate the free trial version of Office so that I can access my documents for the time being, until I get another copy of Office Starter. But after doing a bit of research on the net I am worried that when the free trial runs out I won't be able to access my documents even with Office Starter installed. Does anyone know if that is the case? Or will I still be able to use my Word documents when the trial ends if I have Office Starter installed?

Luke:

 

#1 don't hold your breath. MS won't help you with Starter, it is totally an OEM supported product. Neither will the OEM help you, they will LIE and point you back to MS. Look (WAY) below for the instructions I found to re-install Starter.

#2 Here are some download links for Office 2010 installation files. You will need your Product key to re-install:

Here are the instructions I have for re-installing Office

Re-install Office Starter

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=e9a78c332557256f&resid=E9A78C332557256F!212&parid=E9A78C332557256F!132

**http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2465140#method7******

Office 2010 Starter is only officially installed by computer builders. If you google skillfully, there are a few links to the installation files.  Home users do not have access to the installation file so there are only 3 options for “re-installing” it.

There is an option that allows users to re-install Office Starter without using the recovery partition.  It requires that you have the “Microsoft Office 2010 Program Manager” installed. If you go into Programs and Features dialog, look for the “Microsoft Office 2010” entry.  The link above shows how this entry appears in Programs and Features, and how to use it to re-install Office Starter.

---

Support for Starter - OEM responsibility by the license

https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=2b37ad5e-dc64-400b-a00d-88d982292b07&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+MicrosoftDownloadCenter+%28Microsoft+Download+Center%29#tm****

Starter is only installed by the manufacturer. If you have a problem with it, you have to go back to them for support because it is installed under the "OEM" license. They will try to fob you off on MS, but that is not the terms of the license they agreed to when they installed it.

<snip from Starter OEM License Terms>

2.   OEM LICENSE TERMS

These license terms are an agreement between you and

• the device manufacturer that distributes the software with the device;

            or

• the software installer that distributes the software with the device.

Please read them. They apply to the software that accompanies these license terms, which includes the media on which you received it, if any. Printed-paper license terms, which may come with the software, take the

...

17. SUPPORT SERVICES.

For the software generally, contact the manufacturer or installer for support options. Refer to the support number provided with the software.

</snip>

<snip http://oem.microsoft.com/public/worldwide/featured-dls/microsoft\_office\_2010\_opk-all\_up\_download\_license\_agreement\_english.pdf  >

8. End User Support:

For Microsoft Office Starter 2010, under the License Terms, you are the licensor and are responsible for providing end user support.

</snip>

---

MS Instructions to re-install Starter

**http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2465140******

If Word Starter 2010 or Excel Starter 2010 cannot be opened, uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office Starter 2010:

1.   Click Start ****(or Start > Run in Windows XP).

2.   Type appwiz.cpl, and then press Enter.

3.   Before going any further, make sure you see Microsoft Office 2010 in the list of installed programs. You'll need to use this program later to reinstall Office Starter 2010 on the computer.

4.   Click Microsoft Office Starter 2010, and then click Uninstall (or Remove in Windows XP). See image.

5.   Click Yes and follow the instructions to uninstall Office Starter 2010. See image.

6.   To reinstall Office Starter 2010, click Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office 2010. See image.

7.   Click Use. See image.

8.   And then click Open. This will re-install Office Starter 2010. See image.

If the error continues to occur, you may have to do a full restore of the computer to reinstall Microsoft Office Starter 2010. We recommend you contact the computer manufacturer to talk about your options before you do this.        

Thankyou very much for trying to help me Rohn007 BUT these instructions you have provided are exactly what got me into this mess in the first place - THEY DON'T WORK ANYMORE. Please see my post on page 9 of this thread for a full explanation of my problem. I will copy some of the post from page 9 to here:

The first thing I did when all my word docs were changed to orange DOCX files was to un-install Office Starter 2010 - because that is what has fixed the problem in the past when I couldn't open word files, although they've never turned orange docx on me before! I've always been able to easily re-install Office Starter 2010 using Office 2010 like it says to in these instructions (it has always worked in the past):

If Word Starter 2010 or Excel Starter 2010 cannot

be opened, uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office

Starter 2010:

1. Click "Start" then "all programs" and make sure you

see Microsoft Office 2010 in the list of installed 

programs. You'll need to use this program later 

to reinstall Office Starter 2010 on the computer.

2. Open the "Control Pannel" and under "Programs" click on "Uninstall a program"

3. Click Microsoft Office Starter 2010, and then 

click Uninstall (or Remove in Windows XP).

4. Click Yes and follow the instructions to uninstall 

Office Starter 2010.

5. To reinstall Office Starter 2010, click Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office 2010.

6. Click Use. See image.

7. And then click Open. This will re-install Office Starter 2010.

If the error continues to occur, you may have to do a full

restore of the computer to reinstall Microsoft Office Starter 2010.

We recommend you contact the computer manufacturer to talk

about your options before you do this.

BUT NOW when I follow these instructions the box in the image above is there BUT where it says "Use Office Starter 2010" NOW IT SAYS "Try Office free for a limited time" and where it says "Use" it now says "Try". So now I can't re-install Office Starter!!

I rang the Microsoft Help Line and after explaining my situation to the tech guy I gave him remote access to my computer but EVEN HE COULDN'T FIX IT!!! He said I would need to get another Office Starter 2010 and he said the only place I can get one from is my computer manufacturer (Acer) and to contact them and ask them for a copy. He said he will leave my case # open and call me back on Mon to see how I go at getting Office Starter from them. He also said Acer will probably advise me to do a Factory Restore and to back-up my computer before doing this.

I rang Acer a moment ago to see if I can get Office Starter from them somehow, but I was told they are experiencing a high # of calls at the moment and they took my phone# and said they will call me back in an hour or 2.

Rohn007 I have slowly and painfully through trial and error learnt how to do what I need to do on computers over the years but apart from that I don't know much at all about them and as soon as people start using the slightest bit technical language I don't understand what they're saying at all. Most of the information you have provided is like another language to me, I had to google OEM to find out what that means (Original Equipment Manufacturer) - I assume that means Acer?

If there was a Microsoft office near my house I would go down there and start trashing the joint like they have trashed my life and computer at the moment. This is absolute bullsh**. Microsoft have wasted thousands of hours of people's time with their stuff up, why didn't they pay someone to work over the weekend to fix the problem? That would have cost them 8 hours pay to save people thousands of hours in wasted time. Shows how much they care.

I'll post back here after I speak to Acer about getting another Office Starter.

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

Thank you so much for the fix. I spoke with a Geek Squad rep earlier and then someone from India that was doing support for Microsoft - and apparently other companies. He told me that my Office 2010 Starter had expired and wanted me to buy Open Office at $80

• a crappy inferior program.

You would think those that get paid to address these kinds of problems specifically would know of this issue and help you quickly fix the problem. I was on the phone with the guy from India for at least 30 minutes. Your fix took me one minute.