Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

jmt356
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Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by jmt356 »

Some kind of an update in MS Office was just installed no my computer. Now all my documents open up in Word 2016 rather than Word 2010 by default. I right-clicked on a Word file in File Explorer and selected Open with, but Word 2010 no longer appears. Only Word 2016 appears. I then selected Choose another app, but it still did not appear. I then selected More apps, but it still did not appear. I then selected Look for another app on this PC. That opened a dialogue that took me to C:\Program Files, but I still could not find Word 2010 in that folder.

I managed to find C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE, which shows in the Details tab of the file Properties "Microsoft Office 2010" under "Product name," but when I choose that program, Word 2016 launches. Where is Word 2010?
Regards,

JMT

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HansV
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by HansV »

Why not simply use Word 2016?
Best wishes,
Hans

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kdock
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by kdock »

As you'll see, I have a boatload of options for you, none of which are much fun, but maybe one will do the trick, or other loungers will chime in with their thoughts.
jmt356 wrote:Some kind of an update in MS Office was just installed no my computer.
Do you have a subscription or a one-time purchase of 2010? I suspect a subscription as I've never known MSFT to install something you haven't paid for. (That would just be crazy! Oh wait...)
jmt356 wrote:Now all my documents open up in Word 2016 rather than Word 2010 by default.
Look in Control Panel and see if you have both versions installed. You could try simply deleting 2016. Then repair 2010.

Or, find the Office14\WINWORD.EXE file and try opening Word itself, but not while trying to open a document. If it starts successfully, you'll see a dialog that asks you to wait while it's configuring the program. This should make 2010 the default, but I've also seen that (a) not work, (b) confuse your computer, or (c) both.

Or, do a system restore to before the mystery update happened. If you have a subscription, turn off Office's automatic updates. Word 2010 isn't scheduled to reach end of life until October of 2020, so MSFT should not just be pushing a version update on you now. (Of course, they never should, but hey! They're Microsoft!)

Or, if you have an installation copy of 2010, reinstall it. When you have more than one version of the same program, the last one installed usually takes over and becomes the default. However, if you have both programs installed, the same concerns as above apply--that it won't work, confuse your computer, or both. Also, do you use Outlook? Was it upgraded, too? For me, updates of Outlook are more aggravating that those made to Word. (But that's just me.) Downgrading Outlook takes a little more care, but can be done. One thing at a time, though.

I prefer Word 2010 myself and use it on my desktop. I'd be cranky if Word 2016 horned in unannounced. But I do use O365 on my laptop and find Word 2016 to be so very similar to 2010, with a more boring interface. And no more marching red ants or confetti, I'm afraid.

Best of luck, Kim
"Hmm. What does this button do?" Said everyone before being ejected from a car, blown up, or deleting all the data from the mainframe.

jmt356
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by jmt356 »

Both Word 2010 and Word 2016 are installed on my computer. I am still using Word 2010. However, I now have to open all files through the File | Open dialogue of Word 2010 since any Word documents that I open in File Explorer open in Word 2016 by default.
HansV wrote:Why not simply use Word 2016?
I had enough trouble with Outlook 2016, which created new OSTs for my Exchange accounts and is slower than Outlook 2010. I don’t now want to have to learn a new platform and deal with the issues involved with features being changed from Word 2010, to which I am accustomed, to Word 2016. Plus, I don’t want to learn new shortcuts, etc. or to have to spend time troubleshooting issues that inevitably come with learning a new version of software.
Regards,

JMT

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silverback
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by silverback »

jmt356 wrote:Both Word 2010 and Word 2016 are installed on my computer. I am still using Word 2010. However, I now have to open all files through the File | Open dialogue of Word 2010 since any Word documents that I open in File Explorer open in Word 2016 by default.
I think kdock hit the nail on the head with the suggestion that Word 2010 needs a repair.
For a long time I had Office 2003 and Office 2010 on my PC (I liked 2003, the volunteer work I did required me to use 2010). Once I had used the later 2010 version (usually without thinking because I double clicked on a Word file), Word 2003 would not then start when I then double clicked on a Word file. I always got the later version opened.
To get round this, I had to open Word 2003 explicitly (no Word doc) and then from the Help menu, do a 'repair'. (Can't remember the option any longer - it was some time ago). This took a couple of minutes and then, after that, double clicking on a Word file opened Word 2003.
HTH
Silverback

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Charles Kenyon
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by Charles Kenyon »

A quick repair of Office 2010 should do it.
Otherwise, running the re-register command line will.

On my computer with multiple versions of office, this is:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE" /r

That is the 32-bit version.

You can get to the command-line Run by Windows+R.

jmt356
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by jmt356 »

I went into Apps and Features, but I could not find Word. I was only able to find Office. I selected Office 2010 and then Repair. I will post again if it doesn't work.
Regards,

JMT

jmt356
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by jmt356 »

I was able to select Word 2010 from from "Choose another app" | "More apps" and now all my files open in Word 2010. However, I went back in to "Choose another app" | "More apps" and navigated to Word 2016, which is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\WINWORD.EXE, and selected it. However, even when selecting Word 2016, my files are still opening in Word 2010. It seems you must choose to open all Word files in Word 2010 or all Word files from Word 2016 from File Explorer. It is not possible to choose a particular version. If one version of Word is the version that is set by default, then the only way to open a file in the other version of Word is to open that other version of Word and open the file through Word's Open dialogue. Is it not possible to be able to choose Word 2010 or Word 2016 by right-clicking a file in File Explorer and choosing Open with?
Regards,

JMT

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HansV
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by HansV »

Going through the "right-click > Open With > Choose Another App > More Apps > Look for another app on this PC" routine each time seems a lot more work to me than opening the document from within Word...
Best wishes,
Hans

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Jay Freedman
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by Jay Freedman »

When you double-click a document file in File Explorer, Windows looks in the registry for the entry that describes the file type, based on the file's extension. For a .docx file, the file type is Word.Document.12. The key entry for that type is HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.12\shell\Open\command, and the value of that key is the path to the WinWord.exe file that Windows will open the document in.

That value is updated each time you select a default in the Apps list or a different version of Word is installed or updated, which is why the suggestions in this thread worked. However, Windows doesn't have any built-in mechanism for letting you choose a different program each time you click on a document file. I suppose such a thing could be built, possibly in PowerShell, but it would have to be reactivated after any update or reinstallation.

jmt356
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by jmt356 »

HansV wrote:Going through the "right-click > Open With > Choose Another App > More Apps > Look for another app on this PC" routine each time seems a lot more work to me than opening the document from within Word...
I usually have File Explorer opened and at the location of the particular file(s) I want to open. For me it is easier to right-click and choose Open with and from there select the program than to launch Word and then navigate to the particular file in the Open dialogue (especially in Word 2016, which has so many intermediary steps to get to my desired document, as opposed to Word 2010, where ctrl + o got me to the browse dialogue).
Regards,

JMT

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HansV
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Re: Can no longer open Word files in Word 2010 by default

Post by HansV »

jmt356 wrote:(especially in Word 2016, which has so many intermediary steps to get to my desired document, as opposed to Word 2010, where ctrl + o got me to the browse dialogue).
See Opening the Browse window in the Open dialogue in Word 2016
Best wishes,
Hans