I've developed a problem with my Word program. It won't let me save anything. It's just begun a couple weeks ago.

Any thoughts?

Bob

Check your registration. It is possible that the file containing the serial number got corrupted and when this happens you can open and read documents but not save any changes. Easiest way is to uninstall and re-install the program.

If you can't get anywhere with Word, download and install OpenOffice.org which can edit and save documents in excel and word formats. It's free, and excellent. You won't look back.

John:

Thanks, but the problem is that the program was installed on my computer when I bought it and I didn't get a copy to use for this purpose. So I guess I'm sentenced to buying a new Office set.

As far OpenOffice.org is concerned, I tried that last night and got as far as part of it that wanted $50 for an anti-virus program that was packaged with it.

Bob

From here? http://www.openoffice.org/download/

You don't need to pay for it. It's free. I'm not sure what you got.

JDC:

Thanks for the link. This is a totally different site than the one I'd come across. Downloaded the package and, you're right--I'll never go back.

When I googled "Open Office," I found about four or more different sites other than the one you offered. One has some sort of program that scans the computer for viruses and left-over files--that's the one that stopped and wanted the $50 to continue.

Thanks,
Bob

Bob,

They should have given you license information and where to download a fresh install. Check your documentation if you wish to continue with Word. I don't use OpenOffice so can't comment on it.

John

You should start.

Get the free LibreOffice from http://www.libreoffice.org
It is a branch off of the OpenOffice source.
In my opinion, it is a great improvement over OpenOffice.

How byzantine. Perhaps you and I and our respective descendants can spend the next 500 years fighting about it.

John:

Found a Microsoft Office disc. Interestingly, when I placed it into the DVD drive, the response was that "there is no digital signature" and "cannot verify authenticity."

????

Did I get some pirated disc?

In the meantime, my son-in-law took the old program completely off the machine so there is no going back.

In other news--in the the book file I was editing for an author my Norton program found 17 security alerts that it took care of. As I piece together a timeline, it seems that it may have been this file that started this whole problem.

Bob

There are several possibilities.

If you purchased the program with a license it is probably valid (unless you purchased it from the guy in the parking lot who also sells computers, stereos and mattresses).

More likely there is a problem with the disk.

If you have a license number you could probably download the program from Microsoft.

The 17 security alerts suggest either viruses on the machine or possibly a corrupt file. Update your antivirus program and run it regularly. If you don't have one, Microsoft Security Essentials is free and quite acceptable, as are several others.

John:

The Microsoft Office program (2010) was one I bought new from Staples. The first disk seemed to be blank when I put it into my DVD drive so I took it back. I could read the new Norton disk that I bought the same day so I don't think the computer was off. I did download the Office suite via the Internet and things are now on trakc.

In the meantime, my son-in-law gave me a copy of his Office 2007 suite so I put it on the DVD drive and was able to see that it had all the files and folders that should have been on the 2010 version.

I'm still mystified as to why the second 2010 disk shows nothing when I browse it--just liek the first one I bought from Staples. The computer still says "insert a disk" when I put it into the drive and a browse shows an empty window. When I went to Staples, the computer tech told me that his machine showed the disks had the required files and folders.

Bob

Bob,

There's no real way of knowing why your computer can't read the disks. It could be something with your CD/DVD drive. It could be the manufacturer of the set of disks that Microsoft used to contain the program.

Glad you have the program up and running.

John