Unable to Open or Save files Office 2003 Basic Edition

Edward Williams 56 Reputation points
2022-04-23T09:54:18.71+00:00

After purchasing new computer, I loaded my old software Office 2003 basic edition onto Windows 11. It loaded fine, however, when trying to open or save a file in either Word or Excel the program stalls and the hour glass appears. I click within the Save or Open dialog box and receive a error that says Open(Not Responding) or Save(Not Responding).

I used this old software without issue in Windows 10, so not sure what is happening? I realize the software is quite dated, but I don't use it often enough to really justify upgrading and I like the software. I would like to continue to use if possible.

Hope someone can help me.

Office Management
Office Management
Office: A suite of Microsoft productivity software that supports common business tasks, including word processing, email, presentations, and data management and analysis.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
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  1. Deloris Wing 145 Reputation points
    2023-02-15T15:10:10.6866667+00:00

    I tried several of the methods identified by others, but they did not work for me. I, too, had used Office 2003 satisfactorily on Windows 10 Home. I bought a new computer (a 17" HP with intel i5, 1 T SSD and 16 G of ram) running Windows 11 home. I found that Word and Excel both had problems with hanging on open and save as.

    I found a work around was to locate a saved file from previous work, copy the file and rename it, delete the contents, and load the new content for the file either by typing it in or copying it from a text editor. That way save would work as long as I didn't press save as. I resigned myself to doing that until I could find a solution.

    Shortly after that I noticed that OneDrive was set up to receive my files from <documents>. Then I discovered that all of my files were being pointed to the cloud in Windows 11. I went onto the internet to find out how to stop that - I am one of those people who does not want to put my stuff on the cloud. I found out how to do it and stopped OneDrive from being the repository then moved everything that was saved there off the OneDrive, back to the c: drive.

    I went back to work and lo and behold Word 2003 and Excel 2003 are now able to operate correctly in both open and save as. It appears that somehow, the presence of OneDrive was impeding these operations. And now they are working as expected and as they had on Windows 10 previously.

    I am sure that someone else can explain this and I for one am hard pressed to imagine that MS is unaware of it.

    12 people found this answer helpful.

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  1. stephon110 150 Reputation points
    2024-08-01T20:08:26.9366667+00:00

    It sounds like you're experiencing compatibility issues with Office 2003 on Windows 11. Here are a few suggestions to help you resolve this problem:

    1. Compatibility Mode: Try running Office 2003 in compatibility mode for Windows XP or Windows 7. Right-click the Office application shortcut, select "Properties," go to the "Compatibility" tab, and choose the appropriate compatibility mode.
    2. Updates and Patches: Ensure that Office 2003 has the latest updates and service packs installed. Sometimes, updates can improve compatibility with newer operating systems.
    3. Run as Administrator: Try running the applications as an administrator. Right-click the application shortcut and select "Run as administrator."
    4. Disable Add-Ins: Sometimes add-ins can cause issues. Open Word or Excel in safe mode by holding down the Ctrl key while opening the application and see if the problem persists.
    5. Virtual Machine: Consider using a virtual machine to run an older version of Windows that is more compatible with Office 2003. This way, you can use your old software without upgrading.

    If none of these solutions work, you might need to consider upgrading to a newer version of Office that is fully compatible with Windows 11. I hope one of these solutions helps!

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