Uncorrupting "Corrupt" Word 2000 Documents in Word 2003
Applies to: Word 2000, Word 2003
Issue:
Attempting to open a document in Word 2003 created in Word 2000 results in the following error:
"Word was unable to read this document. It may be corrupt."
Try one or more of the following:
Open and Repair the file.
Open the file with the Text Recovery converter.
(C:\Documents and Settings\...\test.doc)
Cause:
Any of these 3 document problems:
- Bad Table and character information
- Missing or bad textboxes and shapes
- Bad smart tag and smart doc data
Resolution:
Microsoft has not disclosed what the underlying issue is with the Word 2000 document other than the above mentioned general document issues. Microsystems recommends either of the below options to resolve this error message.
Option 1:
Open the document via the Open and Repair option in Word's native File > Open dialog.
Option 2:
Obtain a hotfix from Microsoft from the link below: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890932/
More Information:
For more detail on this error message, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article listed below: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;889409
