Word 2010 and Re-install

Dell Vista, 32-bit.

I downloaded a free trail of WordPerfect and opened one file. I found it didn't have a couple of functions I needed so I deleted it. When I opened the file in Word 2010 compatible mode, all of Word seemed to screw up. I've tried for three days to get it to work as it did before, but no joy.

It insists the file I had opened in WP is a column so I can't change margins or page layout. Someone suggested I delete the program (after backing up everything) and re-installing. Is this feasible?

One problem - I bought Word 2010 from a reputable store in an unopened package. MS refused to register it. After a few days of heckling, they gave me a new product code. I'm not sure what I did with it. All I have is the Customer Service case number. Oddly, unusual for me, I also copied the program onto a disk.

Should I try using the disk before I use the official Word disk? Scary stuff because there is no program out there to touch Word, unfortunately.

What would you suggest? Is there something like a MrFixit for Word?

 

Top-end versions of Vista have a feature called Previous Versions, and with it you can recover earlier versions of your files. You probably have Home Premium, which doesn't have this feature, but despite that your OS is actually storing these previous versions and all you need is a means of recovering them.

Get Shadow Explorer and, depending how far back you need to go, you should be able to recover versions of your files before WP modified them.

Of course, if you keep older backups of your files, you may be able to get a pre-WP file from there.

 

I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

I found MrFixit it but it didn't address my problem with 2010. It's just trying to sell 7.

 

Well, if I knew all the numbers and letters that pertained to the file, I'd be able to retrieve it. Unfortunately, they're all Double Dutch to me.

Thanks for trying.

 

A Shadow Explorer window displays the same view of your files as you see in Windows Explorer, same folder names, same file names, as below. All you have to do is select the date you want to recover from and browse to your file, as in pic.

This works - don't just dismiss it.

 

Unfortunately it didn't work for me. The document had its own name but no names showed up only numbers and letters. They were meaningless. It would help if it showed files in date order, then I might have some sort of a clue, but it went in number order.

 

As in all Explorer windows you click the column heading to sort by that. Clicking it again reverses the order.

It's strange that the filenames are not showing normally. Can you see the file you want in Windows Explorer?

 

No, I deleted the earlier versions.

 

OK, that explains the scrambled filenames, but the file extensions may still be showing so by combining those (.doc?) with arranging the window in date order you may find what you are looking for.

 

Before I delete an earlier version, I always give the updated version a different name, if only with a date reference or -2. Surely none of them would have numbers or letters instead of a name?

 

Presumably you have since emptied the Recycle Bin? If not ........

and how about a screenshot of the folder you are interested in as shown in Shadow Explorer in date order?

 

The document was in my D drive and nothing shows up there, only C drive. Then it shows me all my programs except for Word or .doc or docx.

Explorer only tells me what is on my computer now, not anything I deleted.

 

To the best of my knowledge Shadow Explorer only keeps shadow copies of files on the Vista partition so if I had known these documents were not on the C drive I would not have gone down this road.

Do you not routinely keep backups of your documents?

 

No daily backups kept of D drive. I was editing that document every day and sometimes twice a day, and giving it a new name. When I had two or three updated versions, I deleted the old ones. I didn't expect Word to screw up as it never has in all the years I've used it. The backup I have of that document on USB is too recent to help, as it is the screwed up version.

I didn't realize have a split drive made a difference or I would have told you sooner.

Thanks for trying to help me.