Lost important files - Please help

slopemaster

If anyone can help with this, I'd be eternally grateful...

Yesterday I had a power cut, and when I restarted the computer I began to have the following problem.
When I try to open certain Word files – only new ones which I created the previous day, not all files - I get
'impossible to start the converter mswrd632'
'component not installed – do you want to install it'.
If you click yes, it says can't install it.
If you click no, or just close the box, it then says can't install it, and opens a blank file
File size is 0 characters!!!
I need these files!
(I do have a backup on a memory stick, but it was 24 hrs out of date so does not include these files.)
The other weird thing is that, although I can open all other files normally, the computer somehow seems to have 'lost' any modifications I made to them on the day before I had the problem.
I am using Word 97 and Windows XP (French version)

An internet search for 'mswrd632' throws up the following site
http://helpdeskgeek.com/office-tips/word-cannot-start-the-converter-mswrd632-wpc/
I can't understand a lot of this, it is over my head, but it appears it is a known problem related to one of Microsoft's own updates.

There is also a page on the Microsft site
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973904/en-us
which appears to refer to this problem, and which has a button to 'autofix' it.
I have tried this and, although it appeared to run and install it, the problem remains the same.

What I really want to know of course is whether there is any way to restore my files – and it may well be that, even if the 'fix' worked, it would not do this. I once downloaded some data recovery software and managed to recover some files on a damaged memory stick. (It was a single-use thing so I would need to find it again)
I would really be grateful for an informed opinion on whether that kind of data recovery software (designed for damaged discs) is likely to work in this scenario, or another likely way to recover these files.

I would be willing to pay for data recovery, but where I am in rural France this would mean taking it to a shop and being without it for days if not weeks while they bu99er about and go on holiday without fixing it – so better to try and do it myself in spite of my lack of knowledge!

Sorry it's long.
Please help if you can.

financequest

Install "Open Office" ( free from http://www.openoffice.us.com/openoffice/free-open-office-download.php?brand=openoffice.us&s=google&country=INT&c=openoffice.us_suite_alotpf_pg&k={keywords}&pk=1550-4 )
Use it to open your affected Office docs one at a time. Make a minor update eg. add a fullstop, to each doc. Use Open Office to save doc as a MS Office doc, then then re-open doc using MS Office.

slopemaster

Will try that now. Thanks.

Browntoa

use system restore

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084

to go back to a date before it happened , no files/data are lost but it should solve that problem

Lil306

Hi Slope,

Regarding the error, if that message has only appeared since the power cut, it's possible a setting or the relevant file on that computer may be damaged for it.

According to that link, that specific file is used for opening files made in older programs, and judging by the .wpc extension I think it also does WordPerfect (don't quote me on that though).

Anyway, the link above says you can use the suggested fix which will allow your computer to use the built in Office converters for opening these files. You can do as it suggests

1 - Click start - run - type regedit and press enter
2 - On the top left Window, expand each option and navigate to the following location ...HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Text Converters\Import\MSWord6.wpc
3 - When you have found this, delete the little folder on the left called MSWord6.wpc and then restart then try again

Alternatively you could try sourcing that file, and copying it over to the path mentioned in your above link
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\


Regarding your other issues, your "older" files, before the problem occured may be completely gone, it would depend on your autosave settings. If you go to tools - options - general / save, in Word there will be autosave, if it's ticked it should try and autosave things to the path mentioned...

Regarding recovery programs, Easeus do quite a good one, but the best one I'd recommend is Recuva...

slopemaster

Unfortunately the file is still blank when I open it using Open Office

Lil306

slopemaster wrote: »

Unfortunately the file is still blank when I open it using Open Office

When you look at the properties of the file itself, what is it's size?

If it says 0 bytes, or 3-4KB there is pretty much nothing in it,

If it's 200KB or so it still has data.

If it's the latter, can you upload the file for someone to try and recover for you ?

slopemaster

Browntoa wrote: »

use system restore

Thank you, I have just tried that but it did not fix the problem.

slopemaster

Lil306 wrote: »

1 - Click start - run - type regedit and press enter
...Regarding recovery programs, Easeus do quite a good one, but the best one I'd recommend is Recuva...

Thank you, I'll try and get my head around all that now...

slopemaster

Lil306 wrote: »

When you look at the properties of the file itself, what is it's size?
If it says 0 bytes, or 3-4KB there is pretty much nothing in it,

Unfortunately, all the affected files say 0kb.
Does this mean its a dead loss, or data recovery software might still work?

slopemaster

Lil306 wrote: »

Hi Slope,
Regarding the error, if that message has only appeared since the power cut, it's possible a setting or the relevant file on that computer may be damaged for it.
According to that link, that specific file is used for opening files made in older programs, and judging by the .wpc extension I think it also does WordPerfect (don't quote me on that though).
...

Yes, the message has only appeared since the power cut.
Yes, I thought it seemed to be talking about converting other file types. But these files are normal Word files, created the day before I had the problem. Weird...