Adobe Reader won't open documents!!!!!

anna2000

Hi


I'm searching for a job and every time I have to download an application form, job description, person spec. etc from websites I get this pop up in Adobe:


'Adobe Reader could not open (xyz.doc) because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged'


For example I'd like to apply for this job, but I can't open the Application Documents: http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/aboutus/guide-dogs-careers/job-board/trainee-guide-dog-trainers-x4-leamington/#.Us17K9qYbIU


I've deleted Adobe Reader twice now and downloaded the latest version, but its still doing it. I've also been all through the trouble shooting on Adobe and can't get a fix.


Just getting a bit frustrating now as I have to keep emailing the webpages to friends and they send me the documents back downloaded, or I have to drive to my library and quickly try and do the application in the 1 hour your allowed on their computers - all getting abit tedious now


Could anybody help? Everything else on my computer works fine, its just this. I don't know what else to do I'd really appreciate some help.


Anna

Bollotom

Looks like it's actually in MS Word. If you don't have that you could open the forms with Libre Office which is free. :cool:

John_Gray

Yes, as Bollotom say, the clue is in the error message:
Adobe Reader could not open (xyz.doc) because it is either not a supported file type...
Adobe Reader isn't supposed to be able to open Word documents!

Have you got Office on your PC/laptop? Use Word from that.
If not, you may be able to find wordpad.exe somewhere in one of the subfolders of C:\Windows (it's carefully hidden!). If you can find this, it's a very simplistic document editor.
Otherwise, LibreOffice will do the job, as previously said.

kes4026

As pointed out above Adobe reader won't open .doc files, if you haven't got Word installed on your computer, you can download a Word reader program from Microsoft (it's free) which will allow you to view/print the documents.


Here is the link to Microsoft's free Word viewer if needed http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=4


If you need to edit the documents and haven't got Word, then as suggested above, LibreOffice is a great free alternative to the Office suite and will do the job for you

want_to_save

alternatively use open org which we use which is a free (legally free) alternative to word/excel etc and can open docs. when saving save a .doc file and they can be opened in word by a recipient

cookie365

By open org you mean openoffice? If so, it's long since been left behind by LibreOffice after the two parted ways.

anna2000

^ thank you everyone for your replies. How come even though it isn't a PDF document, when I click on the application form Adobe opens and that error message comes up? Nothing else tries to open.


I've downloaded Word and the Compatibility Pack for Word, and the same thing happens

pmartin86

Hi Anna

It looks as though you default file association has been changed somehow, try saving the docuemnt to somewhere accessible, like your desktop and right clicking on it, an "Open with" option should appear, look for Word or wordpad in the list that then shows up and click open, if this works, close the document, open with again and then check "Always use this program to open this filetype" and it should work as default from then on.

anna2000

I right clicked on it and the only option I had bar Adobe was Wordpad - so I opened it in Wordpad and just got a load of random letters come up.
I've deleted Adobe completely off my computer because I don't know why it kept defaulting to that and I don't know how I stop it defaulting to Adobe.
I've just downloaded LibreOffice which opens the documents up fine I'm pleased to say!!!!!

anna2000

Thank you for your help everyone, that has been driving my insane for months!

John_Gray

When you installed LibreOffice it will have "sorted out" the file associations, so that when you double-click on a .DOC file Windows will know to open it in LibreOffice's Write, and so on.

If you need to open actual PDFs, you need to reinstall Adobe Reader (or one of the other less-bloated PDF readers, like Sumatra PDF reader, Foxit reader, PDF-Viewer, and so on...).