Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business

Your documents haven't been converted to any other format. What has happened is that the parts of the registry that tell Windows which program to use to open the documents has been scrambled.

Do you have some version of Office installed on the laptop? And maybe more importantly, do you have the installation disk and the 25-character product key for that Office version?

The first thing to try is to go to the Windows Control Panel and open Programs and Features. Locate the icon for the installed Office, click it and then click the Change button. In the dialog that opens, choose the Repair option and click Continue. The program may or may not prompt you to insert the disk -- that depends on how bad the damage is.

If no Office icon appears in Programs and Features, you'll have to use the disk and the product key to install Office.

For photos and other kinds of files that aren't Office documents, you'll have to do something similar for the programs that normally open those files.

Hi, Jay,

Thanks very much for your prompt and most helpful email.

I did everything you asked me to but my problem still remains.  When I reached the Repair option, the dialog box for Continue failed to appear so I couldn't finish the operation.

I then checked my Word program and found it set to Office 2000 Small Business.  Other programs I checked are similarly set.  

Does this mean my laptop Registry is badly corrupted?

Would re-installing the operating system solve my problems?   I do have the CD. Unfortunately, I  have no experience of the procedures involved.

I apologize for bothering you again.   I hope you'll bear with me as I'm a 75-year old computer nerd from Borneo.

With Office 2000, it may not be necessary to click on the Change button and then on Repair as, if it is like Office 2003, you can go directly to Repair

Reinstalling the operating system is a drastic step that will wipe out all of the other programs -- Office and anything else that isn't part of Windows -- and will require you to reinstall those too. It should be considered the last thing to try, after all other attempts have failed.

Take the advice given by Doug Robbins, if possible.

What version of Office do you really have, if it is not Office 2000 Small Business?

Sorry, it is Office 2000 Small Business.

Thanks very much for your help.

I tried what you suggested but it didn't work.   It kept on asking me to insert the Office 2000 Small Business disk.

Where can I download for free or buy this disk, please?

Thank you for your help.

Thank you very much for the information.

You and Jay have helped me tremendously.