Microsoft Word Processor

[CraftyCreations411]

Permission to scream?

My computer has Windows 7 and the word processing software suck donkey dinkies. I hate it. I can't do half the stuff that I did with Word.

I installed Microsoft Suite 2008. It has Word. I'd LOVE to get rid of the MS word processor that comes with Windows 7 but I don't now how. I've been through the Control Panel and checked the programs but can't find the one associated with Windows 7.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Candy

[RJK]

I have MS Office 2007 which is fully compatible with Windows 7. It works just like it did under Windows XP. I may be wrong, but I think you may be using WordPad, which comes bundled with Windows 7. This is a simple WP program nowhere near as powerful as MS Word.

If you still have your copy of Word 2007, or Office 2007, install it on your windows 7 PC. It will solve your problems.

[AlexPiper]

If you mean WordPad, it's just part of Windows. It doesn't uninstall, but you can just pretend it's not there. Or is there a particular issue you're having that makes it impossible to ignore WordPad and just use your copy of Word that you installed?

The only thing I could think of is if WordPad is stealing control of .doc and .rtf files, or something similar. If that's the case, you can change what program opens a given file type manually, by going to a .doc or .rtf file, right-clicking, picking 'Open With,' and then selecting Word and clicking the checkbox to always open that type of file with that program.

[kuwisdelu]

The only thing I could think of is if WordPad is stealing control of .doc and .rtf files, or something similar. If that's the case, you can change what program opens a given file type manually, by going to a .doc or .rtf file, right-clicking, picking 'Open With,' and then selecting Word and clicking the checkbox to always open that type of file with that program.

This is all I can think of, too.

WordPad is inconsequential enough, you're best off just ignoring it. It's not meant to be a full-blown word processor like MS Word.

[Kitty Pryde]

It could be the Microsoft Works Word Processor that you're talking about. It comes free with Windows, and is kinda sucky. But, if you installed Word, then why can't you ignore the other program?

[benbradley]

It's POSSIBLE to delete Wordpad, but IMHO you shouldn't do it. If there's a shortcut you're looking at you want to go away, it's not as bad to delete that.

[Cathy C]

I'm not sure why you need to get rid of one to use the other. :Huh: I have like five different word processing programs and they interact just fine. It's not like you're trying to type in one and move it to the other and keep the same formatting, are you? Because that's a whole different creature. If it's just a case that your computer is defaulting to the original program, just make sure you have a shortcut on your desktop and it won't be a problem.

[CraftyCreations411]

Thanks all.

I'm one of those computer illiterate people that can't tell my bum from a hole in the ground! So it's really hard to explain what I want or need to do without questions being asked.

It's not WordPad. It's just the regular Word. I think it came with the XP. At least that's where I learned to use it. It allowed me to get rid of the widows and orphans but whatever it is that comes with Windows 7, won't let me do it. (Or at least I can't figure it out.)

I can save something in Word but when I close it and come back later, it opens with the other program and without my changes! And then when I look at the files, there's 2 copies of it. It's like it got saved in both formats and I can't find the right one to open.

On my old computer when I saved something in Word, there was a "W" on the file. On my new computer, it's not there. It's the same style icon (paper with a pen on it) but there a slight difference in the coloring. I really can't explain it very well.

I was thinking that if I could get rid of the version that came with the computer, then it would be easier. Maybe I should just get used to it and figure which is which? :(

Candy

[blacbird]

On my old computer when I saved something in Word, there was a "W" on the file.

??????????

Really, as several here have suggested, you need to do a bit of self-education about your computer and its word-processing programs, whatever they may be. It really isn't all that difficult. From your comments, it's next to impossible to figure out what problem you are having.

[Kitty Pryde]

It sounds like Microsoft Works, which is a lousy free word processor that comes free with Windows. It also sounds like Works is set as the default for opening your Word documents. Try this to set MS Word as your default: right click on a MS Word file, and choose OPEN WITH. Then click on Microsoft Word, then click the box that says ALWAYS USE THIS PROGRAM TO OPEN THE FILE.

See if that helps! Report back!

I think what happens when you double-click a Word document to open it, is that Works opens the file and saves it as a Works format, leaving the original Word file untouched.

[Cathy C]

We may be talking apples and oranges here.

When you open a folder, a MSWord document will appear as a paper with lines and the letter W set to the side slightly. A Corel WordPerfect document will appear as a piece of paper with the tip of an old style ink fountain pen.

If you're getting a pen on a paper, it's WordPerfect, not Word, and that might be part of your problem.

It might also be that you're now having files saved with a .docx extension, rather than a .doc . That's really messing up a LOT of people and requires that you go to Microsoft.com to upload a converter for your version of Word.

ETA: Kitty might be on the right track. I didn't add MSWorks into the mix. It might well be defaulting. How to check that is to go to Control Panel>Default Programs>Set Associations. Then, for each document that shows the following extensions:

.doc, .docm, .docx, .rtf

You will want to see what program it's picking. If it's NOT Word, highlight that line and click "Change Program." You'll then be given a list of recommended programs. Simply select the version of Word you want and click OK. Then click Close and you're done! :)

[Kitty Pryde]

Microsoft Works files' logos are a piece of paper with a pencil on it, FWIW.

[Clair Dickson]

Oh! I might know what's going on. I bet it's the Word2010 Starter software. It's a dumbed-down (I mean, limited function) version of Word that comes free on Win7 machines these days. Even if you install another version of Word, it kind of hangs around.

I haven't tried this (and I'm not at home on my Win7 machine that has the Office Starter software), but go to the Control Panel. Add/ Remove programs. Look for the Office Starter. It may be called "Office Click-to-Run"? CAUTION: Uninstalling the Starter may adversely affect your regular Office install-- as in it *may* take important bits of Office with it. Just be forewarned that you may need to re-reinstall your full version of Office.

[kuwisdelu]

I will never understand Microsoft's software practices....

Whenever this mystery program opens up again, go to the Help menu, and choose "About [name of program]" and tell us what it says. At least then, we'll be relieved of the suspense.

[Clair Dickson]

I will never understand Microsoft's software practices....


Personally, I think it's because Microsoft doesn't have enough 'normal' people to balance out the geeks. It likely seems obvious to them, but non-technologically inclined folks miss it. It's like when my husband is telling me about something, and because it makes sense to me, he doesn't understand why I'm confused (even though he left out key information that was thought and not said...)

As much as I like their products, I don't idolize them. I don't understand why the Starter sticks around, but then again it's not uncommon for software to have trouble "down-grading" which is what installing Office2008 (or 2007 i suspect) like the OP did would be compared to Office2010 Starter. Office, along with many other programs, simply can't handle going backwards.

Assuming, of course, that the product in question in MSOffice 2010 Starter.

[CraftyCreations411]

Ok, I've checked through some files and here's my latest.

piece of paper with the tip of an old style ink fountain pen is exactly what I'm getting but I don't have Corel or WordPerfect. When you first mentioned that I immediately went to check because my old computer was also a Dell and that's what it had and I uninstalled it. But it's not on this one.

You will want to see what program it's picking. If it's NOT Word, highlight that line and click "Change Program." You'll then be given a list of recommended programs. Simply select the version of Word you want and click OK. Then click Close and you're done!

Did that. I think that may have done the trick. At least now when I check my files, everything had the cute little "W" on it but some of the files still have the pen and paper. Since they're duplicates, I can delete those. Thanks for that awesome tip!

I don't have anything that's labeled Office Starter. As far as Office is concerned all I find is MS Office Powerpoint Viewer (2007).

When I do the "About" for Word, it comes up "Microsoft Word." When I do it for the other version it comes up "Microsoft Works Word Processing Version 9.0"

Office, along with many other programs, simply can't handle going backwards.

I didn't know that. That would definitely explain the problems I had with inserting diagrams when I first started using Word. I had gotten used to the cute little drawing program from, I think it was Works 95, but it wasn't in Word. I think I bought 5 different versions of MS Works before I finally found the right version and it flat out hated Word and Word hated it.

Thanks again for all the help. I greatly appreciate it. Hopefully I've set everything right. At least now when I click on a file that was written in the other Works program, Word finally pops up as a choice. I definitely didn't get that earlier.

Candy

[Kitty Pryde]

If you do this: right click on your document, and choose OPEN WITH. Then click on Microsoft Word, then click the box that says ALWAYS USE THIS PROGRAM TO OPEN THE FILE. Then Microsoft Works shouldn't open any more, because Microsoft WORD will always open instead.

[CraftyCreations411]

By jove, I think I did it! There's hope for me yet! :D

Thanks all,
Candy

[jaksen]

I bought a laptop in 2009, put everything on it state-of-the-art that I could think of. Made sure I had a superb audio system, easy to use, etc. etc. etc. (I listen to EDM while writing, so sue me.) Anyhow, I remember seeing Microsoft Works came with it and LIKE A FOOL, I didn't change it. Give me a break. I'm already spending what I make on my short stories to buy the laptop, and I don't add Microsoft Word?

On my old desktop I had Word 2002 and I loved it. So why didn't I add the newest version available in 2009 to the new laptop? I wrote with the program every day. Did I not notice the difference between the word WORD and WORKS? :(

Anyhow, for the last year and a half I have been writing on Microsoft Works, and I am pretty sure this is what you have, too. Great program if you're a student perhaps - or maybe not. The spellcheck dictionary gets full? It empties itself. The formatting and editing features? Give me a break. Can I save in Word, so I can put it on a USB stick for someone else to read who has a decent program on their computer? Maybe. Maybe not. (Go with NOT.) I drove myself and my two (home) editors nuts and finally I found a (legal) way to move Word onto the laptop. It's not the newest version, but so what.

I am in writing heaven now. What a difference.

[blacbird]

And, as nobody seems to have mentioned it here, there's always OpenOffice, which is free and faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar better than Microsoft Works.

[benbradley]

...
Did that. I think that may have done the trick. At least now when I check my files, everything had the cute little "W" on it but some of the files still have the pen and paper. Since they're duplicates, I can delete those. Thanks for that awesome tip!
I'm pretty sure those files with the same names aren't duplicates, they're different files. It's the file name extension, the .doc or .txt or whatever it says part of MyGreatNovel.doc or MyGreatNovel.txt that you don't see in certain contexts that makes it a different file. And the icon you see for the file is determined by the extension.
And, as nobody seems to have mentioned it here, there's always OpenOffice, which is free and faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar better than Microsoft Works.
Yet another thing to note, when you install a new program that does the same or similar function of an old one, it often sets things up so when you double-click on a file created with the old program, it loads into the new program instead. It all has to do with that magic .doc or whatever it is filename extension.

[dreamer89]

question....(hope this is the right thread to do this)

so all my Microsoft programs completely shut down on me a couple of days ago. I have NO idea why. Does anyone know if I would be able to reinstall the programs via the internet? I don't have the CDs on me (they were left at home when I came back to college).

So now I'm stuck using TextEdit for all my writing (including homework). My next question: does anyone know if there is a word counting tool on TextEdit? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[stormie]

And, as nobody seems to have mentioned it here, there's always OpenOffice, which is free and faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar better than Microsoft Works.
I was going to, but didn't want to sound like a robot, repeating it over and over and over again on AW. Ever since Ray mentioned it about six months ago, I find it to be fantastic, works like Word 2003, but better. And free. I like free. :)
It's www.openoffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org)
.

[CraftyCreations411]

I've never heard of OpenOffice, although I'll go check it out. If you write something in that program and then submit it, does the formatting stay since I've read where most agents are using Microsoft? I'd hate to be copying and pasting everything from one program to another.

Thanks for help,
Candy

[Margarita Skies]

When I got my third desktop back in 2002, I used Microsoft Works for the first time and I've used it other times. I don't use it for my manuscripts, but I use it to write whatever's on my mind at the moment. The document is named 'Writing Exercises'. Microsoft Works is not so bad.

[blacbird]

I've never heard of OpenOffice, although I'll go check it out. If you write something in that program and then submit it, does the formatting stay since I've read where most agents are using Microsoft? I'd hate to be copying and pasting everything from one program to another.

Thanks for help,
Candy

With the OpenOffice word-processor you can save documents in all the standard formats, including .doc (MS-Word document) and .rtf (rich text file), which will probably be the most useful for you. Just as in MS-Word, you choose the SAVE AS option, and a drop-down list of formats will appear for you to choose from. After that, the document remains in whatever format you saved it in.

The OpenOffice download is free, and includes spreadsheet, database, presentation and drawing programs as well. It takes only a few minutes to download. Google "OpenOffice" and you'll get sites from which you can download the suite.

[stormie]

^ What he said :) ^

[Maxinquaye]

If you're really computer illiterate as you say, my advice is to stick with what you know. OpenOffice that others have mentioned is a great program, but you're going to have to learn how it works - which is in many ways different than how Word works.

[CraftyCreations411]

I'm very computer illiterate. My husband and I bought our first computers approximately ten years ago. He's on his second only because he wanted more memory. I'm on my fifth because I've turned the other four into perfect paperweights! I have no idea how I crashed them, but whatever I did, they couldn't be fixed.

My husband said that if I crash this one, I have to go back to pen and paper and if I promise to be careful, he'll let me have a typewriter! :D

I've had this computer for about 5 months now and I can't figure out how the Works program works. One of the threads I read said that I needed to turn off widows & orphans. I can't find it. There was a couple of other things that needed to be done but with Windows 7, I can't figure it out. I knew how to do it with Word. That was the main reason for installing Word.

I went to check out OpenOffice. Just to prove that technology hates me - I clicked the download button and got told that the site was down at the moment and it couldn't be downloaded!

>singing< If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!

I'll check back later to see if I can download it and then play around with it.

Candy

[stormie]

If you're really computer illiterate as you say, my advice is to stick with what you know. OpenOffice that others have mentioned is a great program, but you're going to have to learn how it works - which is in many ways different than how Word works.
I used and still use Word on one of my computers, yet find OpenOffice (which I use on my netbook) infinitely easier than Word 2007. It is a lot like Word 2003. All a person has to do is in the "save as" box, save it to .doc. In fact those using Word 2007 have to do that too, since Word's default is .dox which most editors and agents can't open.

Just my two cents. Now I'll shut up about the virtues of OO. :)

[kuwisdelu]

I have to agree that going from Word 2003 to OpenOffice 3 should be a much easier transition than going from Word 2003 to Word 2007/10.

Not that I use either. iWork all the way. :D

[eslocklier]

Hell yeah iWork. Smug Apple users unite!

[RJK]

I've heard many great things about Open Office. The one negative thing I heard is you're likely to mess up your formatting when saving as a .doc after it was saved in it's default form. This could be a problem for someone who has troubles with computers.
If you already have MS Word installed, and you know how to use it, you may be opening the door with the tiger behind it, by fooling around with another word processor.

If you only had Works, and had no money for a professional word processor, Then I'd advise you to install Open Office. It is a good alternative, but does have some drawbacks.

ETA: there is no way to change Widow/Orphans in MS Works.

[kurzon]

^ Yes - Open Office is a solid program, but if you're emailing back and forth between someone who has created a document in Word, there's a good chance Open Office will mess up some of the formatting. [At least that was my experience when my nicely set-up document was sent back to me by someone who uses Open Office with its headers screwed up.]

[blacbird]

If you're really computer illiterate as you say, my advice is to stick with what you know.

If you're really as computer illiterate as you say, my advice is to become less so. Really, learning how a word-processor works isn't very difficult, and the minor learning curve will pay you back hugely.

[Margarita Skies]

I'm very computer illiterate. My husband and I bought our first computers approximately ten years ago. He's on his second only because he wanted more memory. I'm on my fifth because I've turned the other four into perfect paperweights! I have no idea how I crashed them, but whatever I did, they couldn't be fixed.


Computers must be afraid to death of you! :ROFL: