missing file

Question

For another issue, someone suggested doing the following:

Hit the Windows key + R and then type in windword \r to see if I am missing a Word template (because only "text" choices appear when I want to make a new document).

But this below is what was spit back after I typed windword \r, which seems as if it might be the issue. Any ideas why this file is missing? Or what it does?

Answer 1

One question per thread, please.

So my previous reply may help others in a similar situation, please re-mark it as an Answer.

Answer 2

/r is a switch, a parameter that is added when called a program from the command line. It's not a document name, but the way you used it confused Word into think you were trying to open a document by that name.

Switches are intended for use in a command line prompt (think DOS window) or batch file. You would use it after the command winword.exe (not windword). Here is Microsoft's page oncommand line switches to use with winword.exe.

You're not missing a template. Word uses the Normal.dotm template while running, but even if that file is deleted, Word will create a new one automatically.

Back to your original problem: If you use File>New in Word, then save the file, what format choices are you offered? You can post a screen shot using the Insert image tool:

Answer 3

Thanks for the follow-up. I'm interested in this, too, so I will subscribe to your new thread at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/word-doc-option-missing-right-click-in-folders/875245aa-48d7-4ba1-a294-5446b307cfe9.

Answer 4

My apologies, you're right, I did follow up with that.

The right-click list of programs is created by Windows rather than Word. It's based on programs that have been installed on your computer. Here's what I see on the machine I'm using at the moment:

I can't promise this will fix it, but it's worth trying an online office repair. I don't know why the other expert was leery about that process, it's essential a reinstall of the software. I have to do a repair about every three months on average, it's harmless. That usually restores the correct Windows file associations, which is what the right-click menu is based on. Here isMicrosoft's page on how to run a repair.

Answer 5

Hi John

Thanks for the explanation... yes indeed I do remember DOS... OK that makes sense.

Now for the other issue.

I can easily create a Word Doc from within a Word document with CTL n . However, if I am in a Folder and want to create another Word Doc within that folder and do not want to go to a Word doc and then do the CTL n, I right-click within the blank area of the folder and scroll to "New." A pop-up box appears with choices. The choices are all the MS365 ones (Excel, PPT, etc.) but instead of "Word" being one of the choices, "text" is the only Word-like choice. Please see screenshot below.

The screenshot did not work. But it is the typical popup box, below when you right click within a Folder.

Folder

Shortcut

---

Microsoft Access database

bitmap image

MS Power Point Presentation

MS Publisher Document

<place where Word Document" choice should be which is now "Text">

MS Excel Worksheet

Compressed (Zipped) Folder