Word Docs getting ****ed up.

Captshady

What happened to my LIFE?!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
1,286
Reaction score
371
Location
San Antonio, TX
I've written chapter 1 of my WIP like 5 times. I write it in Word, and store it on my thumb drive. I do nothing with it for a day, and when I try to open it up, I get the ascii boxes spread throughout. Other word docs are just fine, all other files open up no problem. But NEW writtend word docs are having this problem for some reason.

I noticed today, that the file system is FAT, and I've been running it on Win2k, which is NTFS. But I'm not so sure that's the problem, because other files open just fine.

Any ideas?
 

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
18,802
Reaction score
4,591
Location
Caledonia
Website
derekpaterson.net
I'm not sure from what you said whether you're opening the files on your thumb drive instead of from your hard drive? If so, try copying them to your hard drive (into a temp directory, just as a test) and opening them from there, see if it makes any difference. Rectangular boxes displaying instead of characters is usually an indication of a character set or font not being available, I'm wondering if MS Word is looking at your thumb drive trying to find these. Wild guess -- if it doesn't apply, forget I spoke.

-Derek
 

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
13,979
Reaction score
1,533
Location
Wisconsin's (sore) thumb
Website
www.firefromthesky.org
I always advise saving onto the HD and then copying to removable media. It's a safety measure, an automatic backup, and also prevents the aggravation of software looking for an absent location next time. I have seen bad cases of file corruption from saving "outside".
 

Captshady

What happened to my LIFE?!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
1,286
Reaction score
371
Location
San Antonio, TX
I always advise saving onto the HD and then copying to removable media. It's a safety measure, an automatic backup, and also prevents the aggravation of software looking for an absent location next time. I have seen bad cases of file corruption from saving "outside".

Yeah, I'm saving straight to my laptop now. I was hoping to be able to work on my WIP in other locations though. I'll just buy a new flash drive and see if it'll work on that one.
 

Tirjasdyn

Outline Maven
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
2,182
Reaction score
183
Location
Mountain of my own Making
Website
michellejnorton.com
Yeah, I'm saving straight to my laptop now. I was hoping to be able to work on my WIP in other locations though. I'll just buy a new flash drive and see if it'll work on that one.


just move the file to the flash drive when you're done and move it to the computer you're working on when you want to write.

Then move it back again. I know it's a hassle but it prevents drive rest problems.