[warrensmith]

[size="4"][/size]I am running Windows 7x64 home edition with Word and Excel Starter 2010 editions. When using explorer preview pane, I am unable to preview Word and Excel files and get message "No preview available". However, other files including .pdf, .txt .rtf and .jpg files display OK. Apparently many other users have the same problem based on Google search. Is there a fix or is this problem due to use of Word and Excel Starter 2010 version? I have doubled checked file associations which are set to MS Virtualization Handler. I have also checked folder options and unchecked “always show icons, never thumbnails”. Please help. I have tried many online suggests with No results. Otherwise, the programs are working fine.

This post has been edited by warrensmith: 25 May 2012 - 05:52 AM

[ElfBane]

There is no fix for this, MS has done this on purpose. It's not an 'error' per se. Many old formats can no longer be previewed because of security issues (the formats ability to execute code, for example), or the format has basically been deprecated, such as the .WMF format.

You may have success by using workarounds. Try viewing the files in an open source app like Open Office. Image formats can probably be viewed using something like Irfanview. Also you may be able to find file converters that will let you view older versions of Word and Excel files in their version 10 edition.

I know these solutions are not optimal, but many peeps are having to use workarounds.

Hope this helps.

[LincolnSpector]

ElfBane, on 25 May 2012 - 07:50 AM, said:

There is no fix for this, MS has done this on purpose. It's not an 'error' per se. Many old formats can no longer be previewed because of security issues (the formats ability to execute code, for example), or the format has basically been deprecated, such as the .WMF format.

You may have success by using workarounds. Try viewing the files in an open source app like Open Office. Image formats can probably be viewed using something like Irfanview. Also you may be able to find file converters that will let you view older versions of Word and Excel files in their version 10 edition.

I know these solutions are not optimal, but many peeps are having to use workarounds.

Hope this helps.

ElfBane--

He didn't say these were particularly old files. I just did a quick check (using Office 2010--but not the Starter edition), and could preview Word files going back more than a decade.

And if they are old files, there is something you can do about it:

In Word 2010, click the File tab (immediately left of Home). Then click Options in the left pane.


Click Trust Center, and then the Trust Center Settings button.

In the Trust Center's left pane,, click File Block Settings.

This dialog box is kind of confusing. If you check the Open option for a file type, it doesn't mean you'll be able to open it. It means the opposite. So uncheck everything, then click OK.


Just be careful about files from people you don't trust.

Lincoln

[ElfBane]

LincolnSpector, on 27 May 2012 - 09:55 AM, said:

ElfBane, on 25 May 2012 - 07:50 AM, said:

There is no fix for this, MS has done this on purpose. It's not an 'error' per se. Many old formats can no longer be previewed because of security issues (the formats ability to execute code, for example), or the format has basically been deprecated, such as the .WMF format.

You may have success by using workarounds. Try viewing the files in an open source app like Open Office. Image formats can probably be viewed using something like Irfanview. Also you may be able to find file converters that will let you view older versions of Word and Excel files in their version 10 edition.

I know these solutions are not optimal, but many peeps are having to use workarounds.

Hope this helps.

ElfBane--

He didn't say these were particularly old files. I just did a quick check (using Office 2010--but not the Starter edition), and could preview Word files going back more than a decade.

And if they are old files, there is something you can do about it:

In Word 2010, click the File tab (immediately left of Home). Then click Options in the left pane.


Click Trust Center, and then the Trust Center Settings button.

In the Trust Center's left pane,, click File Block Settings.

This dialog box is kind of confusing. If you check the Open option for a file type, it doesn't mean you'll be able to open it. It means the opposite. So uncheck everything, then click OK.


Just be careful about files from people you don't trust.

Lincoln

Thanks for the heads-up. BTW, do you know of a way to preview .wmf files in Word or PP 2010? I work with wmf files, and have to use a third-party viewer to preview them. Neither Word or PP will preview wmf files... ironically a file format invented by MS. Any help appreciated.

[warrensmith]

ElfBane, on 25 May 2012 - 07:50 AM, said:

There is no fix for this, MS has done this on purpose. It's not an 'error' per se. Many old formats can no longer be previewed because of security issues (the formats ability to execute code, for example), or the format has basically been deprecated, such as the .WMF format.

You may have success by using workarounds. Try viewing the files in an open source app like Open Office. Image formats can probably be viewed using something like Irfanview. Also you may be able to find file converters that will let you view older versions of Word and Excel files in their version 10 edition.

I know these solutions are not optimal, but many peeps are having to use workarounds.

Hope this helps.

[warrensmith]

Thanks for the reply. Note that my problem has nothing to do with old word and excel formats. The problem is I can not preview .doc and .docx files that are current with the word stater version or excel files with excel starter 2010 version when using explorer. Image (.jpg, etc) and PDF file preview fine.

This post has been edited by warrensmith: 29 May 2012 - 06:34 AM

[ElfBane]

So, WE won't preview any word or excel file? Or does it not preview word or excel files created in Office Starter?

[LiveBrianD]

warrensmith, on 29 May 2012 - 06:29 AM, said:

Thanks for the reply. Note that my problem has nothing to do with old word and excel formats. The problem is I can not preview .doc and .docx files that are current with the word stater version or excel files with excel starter 2010 version when using explorer. Image (.jpg, etc) and PDF file preview fine.

I have Office 2010 (not the starter version though), and get the previews on my Win7 machine. Perhaps this is a limitation of the starter version?

[warrensmith]

LiveBrianD, on 29 May 2012 - 02:44 PM, said:

warrensmith, on 29 May 2012 - 06:29 AM, said:

Thanks for the reply. Note that my problem has nothing to do with old word and excel formats. The problem is I can not preview .doc and .docx files that are current with the word stater version or excel files with excel starter 2010 version when using explorer. Image (.jpg, etc) and PDF file preview fine.

I have Office 2010 (not the starter version though), and get the previews on my Win7 machine. Perhaps this is a limitation of the starter version?

[warrensmith]

That is what I think, but I have not been able to confirm this to be the reason there is no preview available. I would really like to know if this is the case then I won't continue to search for a solution.

[LiveBrianD]

I just did a little research on this, and confirmed it. Office 2010 Starter runs off a nonexistant Q: drive, using some microsoft virtualization thing (as a form of DRM I guess), and thus it can't load to display the previews.

[LincolnSpector]

LiveBrianD, on 29 May 2012 - 04:34 PM, said:

I just did a little research on this, and confirmed it. Office 2010 Starter runs off a nonexistant Q: drive, using some microsoft virtualization thing (as a form of DRM I guess), and thus it can't load to display the previews.

Hi, Brian.

Can you tell me where you found this information?

Lincoln

[LiveBrianD]

Darn it, I can't seem to find the post now! However, see this about the Q: drive and such: http://support.micro....com/kb/2257628

I have office 2010 starter installed in a VM, and for word, for instance, the path is:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\microsoft shared\Virtualization Handler\CVH.EXE" "Microsoft Word Starter 2010 9014006604090000"

In the task manager, go to process takes me to WINWORDC.EXE (yes, there's a C in there) and the file properties say that windows can't find 'Q:\140066.enu\Office14\WINWORDC.EXE'.



Edit: here it is, http://www.thewindow...starter-edition - see the comment that says
"Limitations : docx/xlsx files have no preview thumbs in Vista/7 and preview pane in explorer will not show content. Thats not because Starter is "crippled", its because of this :Office Starter is a virtualized product. It installs into a (non existant ) "Drive Q" which nobody can access. There is no word.exe or excel.exe, only "Officevirt.exe" and "Client Virtualization Handler",CVH.exe."

This post has been edited by LiveBrianD: 31 May 2012 - 02:28 PM

[LincolnSpector]

Thanks.

Lincoln

LiveBrianD, on 31 May 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

Darn it, I can't seem to find the post now! However, see this about the Q: drive and such: http://support.micro....com/kb/2257628

I have office 2010 starter installed in a VM, and for word, for instance, the path is:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\microsoft shared\Virtualization Handler\CVH.EXE" "Microsoft Word Starter 2010 9014006604090000"

In the task manager, go to process takes me to WINWORDC.EXE (yes, there's a C in there) and the file properties say that windows can't find 'Q:\140066.enu\Office14\WINWORDC.EXE'.
Office 2010 Starter.png


Edit: here it is, http://www.thewindow...starter-edition - see the comment that says
"Limitations : docx/xlsx files have no preview thumbs in Vista/7 and preview pane in explorer will not show content. Thats not because Starter is "crippled", its because of this :Office Starter is a virtualized product. It installs into a (non existant ) "Drive Q" which nobody can access. There is no word.exe or excel.exe, only "Officevirt.exe" and "Client Virtualization Handler",CVH.exe."

[warrensmith]

Thank you everyone - now I know the rest of the story. It is interesting to note how many Google searches for my question yield invalid responses.It hard to believe the crazy suggestion offered to fix the problem when in fact, there is no problem. One has to wonder why MS does not make it clear this limitation since it is so apparent. Anyways, thanks again and keep up the great help source.

[pkwinter]

warrensmith, on 25 May 2012 - 05:45 AM, said:

I am running Windows 7x64 home edition with Word and Excel Starter 2010 editions. When using explorer preview pane, I am unable to preview Word and Excel files and get message "No preview available". However, other files including .pdf, .txt .rtf and .jpg files display OK. Apparently many other users have the same problem based on Google search. Is there a fix or is this problem due to use of Word and Excel Starter 2010 version? I have doubled checked file associations which are set to MS Virtualization Handler. I have also checked folder options and unchecked “always show icons, never thumbnails”. Please help. I have tried many online suggests with No results. Otherwise, the programs are working fine.

I experienced the same problem on my PC that runs XP (sp3) and I found a simple solution that works every time. On occasions when I want to run a slide show, the images are JPG photos. Here are the steps:

Go to

DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS  OWNER (or whatever this is called on your machine)  MY DOCUMENTS  MY PICTURES 

Here, create a folder – I called mine myTemp - and copy your pictures (photos or whatever JPG files) to this folder. I found that the View a slide show facility works just fine for this folder. Then I copy the folder to wherever I want to save the pictures. Finally, I re-name the folder to whatever I want. The View a slide show facility works here too — no need to mess with registers, DLLs or other esoteric software components. I hope it works for you too.
Cheers,
Paul