Windows 10 and Word 2016 won’t preview doc files

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I’m posting here since neither Windows Support nor Office Support will own up to whose responsibility the problem is.
Essentially, I am using both Windows 10 and Office 2016. When I try to preview a doc or docx file in either program (Word’s Open dialogue box or Windows Explorer) all I get is the error message: “This file can’t be previewed because of an error in the Microsoft Word previewer.”
According to a now-closed thread on this site, Microsoft knew about it since Word 2007. Back then — and ever since — the problem was localized to Word. Now Windows has become infected. There is no way to preview doc or docx files, period. All other formats can be previewed.
All Microsoft does is pass the buck back and forth between the support teams, no doubt expecting I’ll go away.
Woody, time for someone to rattle their cage.

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We have no influence with Microsoft and Woody has effectively severed his ties with this site.

What steps have you taken to resolve this?
Did it start after an update?
Has it ever worked for you?
Have you tried repairing your Office installation?
If the repair doesn’t work have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling Office?

Joe

--Joe

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We have no influence with Microsoft and Woody has effectively severed his ties with this site.

What steps have you taken to resolve this?
Did it start after an update?
Has it ever worked for you?
Have you tried repairing your Office installation?
If the repair doesn’t work have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling Office?

Joe

Joe, thanks for replying. I didn’t think you or anyone else had any influence on Microsoft. Irony doesn’t translate well to e-communication. Anyway, I already did all of the things you suggest, along with any other suggestion I’ve found on-line. The problem has existed in Word through several iterations of Office. Only in the newest version does the problem extend to Windows Explorer as well. There are no fixes offered by Microsoft and, as I said in my original message, I’ve contacted Windows Support and Office Support and they just pass it back and forth between them without accepting the responsibility for fixing it. As correspondents in WindowsSecrets last thread on the subject, dating back to 2007, noted, Microsoft has acknowledged this is a known problem. Slim consolation.
Thanks for the help, anyway.

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This issue occurs because you must open another instance of the program to preview the document.

To work around this issue, preview the document in Windows Explorer or in a different Microsoft Office program.
For example, preview a Microsoft Word document in Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint.

“This file can’t be previewed” error in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

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This issue occurs because you must open another instance of the program to preview the document.

To work around this issue, preview the document in Windows Explorer or in a different Microsoft Office program.
For example, preview a Microsoft Word document in Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint.

“This file can’t be previewed” error in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

Bruce, the previewer doesn’t work in either Windows Explorer or Word, even with both open. This is an innovation of Word 2016. With earlier versions, I was able to access the previewer in Windows, though not in Word.

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Preview works for me in File Explorer, even with another doc already opened in Word 2016.

Could you explain the exact steps you take, in File Explorer and particularly in Word 2016?

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Preview works for me in Windows Explorer, even with another doc already opened in Word 2016.

Could you explain the exact steps you take, in Windows Explorer and particularly in Word 2016?

Sure– I am using Windows 10 -64bit Pro and Office 2016 Pro, latest patches.
I first open Word and then try to find a docx file — it doesn’t preview at all. This is nothing new. Word’s been doing this for a couple of years.
But, then I open Windows Explorer, with the Preview Pane activated. Doc and docx files do not preview. All other formats –pdf, jpg, html etc — all preview.
I have tried all permutations of that combination, including opening Windows Explorer first. Outcome’s always the same.

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I first open Word and then try to find a docx file — it doesn’t preview at all. This is nothing new. Word’s been doing this for a couple of years.

Is there even a way to select a file in Word 2016’s Open dialog box without opening it?

But, then I open Windows Explorer, with the Preview Pane activated. Doc and docx files do not preview. All other formats –pdf, jpg, html etc — all preview.
I have tried all permutations of that combination, including opening Windows Explorer first. Outcome’s always the same.

That does work for me. Does it say “No preview available” in the preview pane?

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There do seem to be quite a few people currently afflicted by this, but I’m not sure what the common element could be:

Windows 10 File Explorer Preview Pane Word Doc fix

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Thanks for the help. I went to that web-page and tried a full On-line Repair of Office 15 with Admin privileges. unfortunately, it didn’t fix the problem. I’ll keep trying and badgering Microsoft to fix problems they’ve known about for years.

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Thanks for the help. I went to that web-page and tried a full On-line Repair of Office 15 with Admin privileges. unfortunately, it didn’t fix the problem. I’ll keep trying and badgering Microsoft to fix problems they’ve known about for years.

I have Office 2013 [with Word 15] on Win10 and the File Explorer [renamed from Windows Explorer beginning with Win8] will preview .docx files if the Preview Pane is active.

The preview on mine does not work with .pdf files as I use a different installed .pdf program, probably has to be Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader.

A note: it’s the Microsoft Office 2013 but all the applications/programs within that suite are version 15. Office 2016 has the programs as version 16, first version to have the numbers agree.

I also have Office 2010 [Word 14] on Win7 and do have the Preview of several file types in Windows Explorer including .docx and .pdf but I have Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader on it. One program that won’t Preview is WordPerfect.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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I’m posting here since neither Windows Support nor Office Support will own up to whose responsibility the problem is.
Essentially, I am using both Windows 10 and Office 2016. When I try to preview a doc or docx file in either program (Word’s Open dialogue box or Windows Explorer) all I get is the error message: “This file can’t be previewed because of an error in the Microsoft Word previewer.”
According to a now-closed thread on this site, Microsoft knew about it since Word 2007. Back then — and ever since — the problem was localized to Word. Now Windows has become infected. There is no way to preview doc or docx files, period. All other formats can be previewed.
All Microsoft does is pass the buck back and forth between the support teams, no doubt expecting I’ll go away.
Woody, time for someone to rattle their cage.

It works for me in this page.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3100511

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