I have a new Windows 10 laptop. To open docx documents I installed LibreOffice and associated docx files with LibreOffice Writer.
However when I try to open docx files e.g. by right clicking on them, the Windows Explorer system freezes.
What should I try?
In case you don’t use Microsoft Office in any flavour on your new notebook, try this: go to Windows Configuration > Apps and look for something called ‘Microsoft Office Desktop Apps’. Remove it. Remove any other preinstalled items pointing to Microsoft Office. Uninstall also LibreOffice, reboot and reinstall LibreOffice. Keep care to choose association to Word, Excel, Powerpoint file types in the according dialog of the installation (4 checkboxes). After successfull installation check again with Explorer > Right-Click > open. An icons of a docx file should already look like a LO Writer File and Right-Click > open should open it with Writer. Dubble-Click should also work.
Thank you so much for this suggestion. Maybe I will try that. At the moment I have a mere 3 computers:
2 run on Windows 7
1 runs on Windows 10 (the new one)
I use Office 2003. But for it to read new Word documents, e.g., .docx documebts, Office 2003 needs Windows Compatibility Pack. This works fine on Windows 7 computers but will not run on Windows 10.
So for the newer computer I am experimenting using LibreOffice. At the moment, with Office 2003.
I will try your solution if no-one suggests a way I can simultaneously run LibreOffice and Office 2003.
As luck would have it, I’m also running Office 2003 on Windows 10 (1809) on one of my systems. So I can definitely confirm ‘Compatibility Pack for 2007 Office System’ works with Office 2003. No problems here with xlsx and docx. On the same computer also and parallel LO - no problems with that too. Primary file type association is with word and excel of course. But ‘Right-Click > open with’ offers as first entry Calc.
These ‘Microsoft Office Desktop Apps’ cause several problems and side effects related to Standard Application Management and to File Type Association. Therefore I suggested to remove that. To remove this only will have no effect on your MSO 2003 and could already solve your problem. But be aware what you do and that you don’t pick something else than these ‘MSO Desktop Apps’. If I suggest to also remove all other MSO related stuff then for a clean up and an unimpaired installation of LO.
I guess you have a license for your MSO 2003. So you’ll be able to reinstall that later. And again be aware that an installation of MSO will automatically re-assign doc/docx xls/xlsx to MSO. Same with some Windows Updates that seem do this unwanted. This is not a LO problem. Handling of the standard application for a file type is OS part. You can change this also manually with Explorer > right-click on the file in question > properties > open with > change > choose LO component.
Let us know if LO Writer starts correct with an empty document when started with the Launcher or clicked in Windows Startmenue.
There is still this ‘explorer-right-click-on-item-explorer-freezes’-problem. Does it always or only on some items? Immediately with the right-click or not until you choose an operation from flyout menue?
Immediately with the right click the file explorer window freezes (not the whole Windows system). Before any operation is chosen.
Even on one of my Windows 7 PCs I initially had problems with the Windows Compatibility Pack. Perhaps caused by using an earlier version of the Compatibility Pack. I uninstalled it, uninstalled Office 2003, re-installed Office 2003, and then installed the specific Compatibility Pack version which had elsewhere worked for me: 12.0.6514.5001.
It is too late in my evening to follow your instructions. Tomorrow!
Meanwhile thank you…I’ll report back
I don’t see a Microsoft Office Desktop Apps program in Control Panel
Nor when using the general PC search function
Nor can I find a folder anywhere called “Windows Configuration”
Quote: Nor can I find a folder anywhere called “Windows Configuration”
What about the gear wheel in the windows start menue? Then ‘Apps’. Then query the list showing up.
But of course it’s absolutely possible that there are no Microsoft Desktop Apps preinstalled.
And what about if you right-click something else than a xls/xlsx or doc/docx file? Freezes also? E. g. a pdf or to be in the context of LO an odt / ods file?
I cannot find the Microsoft Office Desktop Apps program by your route. To answer your other questions…
PDF files right-click fine
Doc files right-click fine
Old Excel files right-click fine
I suppose the answer is to uninstall Office 2003 from my Windows 10 laptop and stick to LibreOffice.
I rarely use the new laptop actually, an HP Elite 360 which in many ways I really dislike I prefer my 8-year old Samsung RF511, much more comfortable. But I may be travelling soon and the HP is of course much lighter, and I will need something with me that can open these modern Windows file formats.
This seems to work fine. LibreOffice opens both old and new Word and Excel without difficulty, right-click works fine. Now my problem is no longer changing my software, but getting rid of this accursed new HP 360 laptop, which irritates me.
Looks like you managed to narrow the problem down to the shell extension for docx and xlsx. Fine.
Maybe a problem with the prior installation of MS Office 2003 into Windows 10 and some attempts to bring docx and xlsx support to it with the Compatibility Pack (you mentioned problems with that, even to install it in Windows 10).
So much the better that you can resign from MSO and use LO only. Consider to use odt and ods file format in future. You could search for ‘alien format’ on this askbot to see why.
By the way, ‘HP Elite 360’ does not give an idea which device you own. I guess it could be an EliteBook x360 G? Just recommending for the next time to be a little more precise because this could be relevant for help.
If your request is solved somehow now you might add some information to your orginal post and close this question.
Idiot me. Sigh. What I have is an HP ENVY 13-ah0001na. Not sure if I will be allowed to link to my Amazon UK review, it is the only long 1-star review for this laptop which curiously everyone else finds super. You may say: “You went to the shop. You saw the laptop. So why did you buy it?” Well in the shop you are standing up with the laptop chained to the desk, the laptop feels quite different from when you are lying down, or sitting, and have it on your lap, with all its horrible sharp edges digging into your flesh. Amazon.co.uk:Customer reviews: HP ENVY 13-ah0001na 13.3-Inch FHD Touch Screen Laptop - (Silver) (Intel i5-8250U, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce MX150, 2 GB Dedicated, Windows 10 Home)
In Windows 10 go to the App settings and make Libre Writer the default for opening .docx files.
You might also do this in File Explorer by right clicking on a docx file and select Open With, then Libreoffice Writer.
Sorry, when I said I had “associated [docx] files with” LibreOffice Writer, what I meant was that I had made LibreOffice Writer the default for that type of file. So that doesn’t work.
Nor does right click, which on a docx file causes my system to freeze.
Try opening LibreOffice first, then open the file through LibreOffice.
Yes that works, but it is very tiresome.