Not impressed

[texjm1]

I installed ooo 4.1 and when I tried to read the files I had downloaded it for it brought up the installation wizard. Each time I tried to open the file it would bring up the same wizard each time. I uninstalled ooo 4.1 with the uninstall tool and downloaded version 3.4.1 but when I went to open the files it once again opened up the installation wizard for 4.1. Even now after I have uninstalled version 3.4 and it appears that no version of ooo exists on my computer, each time I click on the file that I wanted to read up pops the installation wizard for ooo 4.1. There is nothing on my computer that says I have ooo and yet this stupid program seems to have hidden itself and now I cannot get rid of it!! What kind of crap program is this? I thought ooo was a reputable program and now I seem to be stuck with a program that is hidden on my computer that will not even open the files I want it to open. Help please!

[RoryOF]

There is something wrong with your installation. As OO 3.4.1 is now quite old, I suggest we concentrate on OO 4.1.1

From which site did you download it? We only recommend using
http://www.openoffice.org/download
which will redirect to SourceForge servers where the files are stored. The selected download will then start in about five seconds, without need to click on anything else.

The downloaded file can be checked for integrity by the methods described in
How to verify the integrity of the downloaded file?

Once the download is complete (and verified) you double click on the downloaded file, which will unpack to your desktop, then continue with the installation. If you decide not to continue with the installation, you can later do so by doubleclicking the setup,exe file in that unpacked directory (I think it is in a /setup directory).

The installation should offer to make a desktop shortcut for OpenOffice. From memory (I don't use Windows much) this will open the Start Centre which allows you choose the OO component to run. The installation should also set the correct components of OO to open existing files; you can open these direct by doubleclicking on them.

[Bill]

A few details might help solve your problem. What type of files are you trying to open? What procedure are you using to try to open them? Have you checked the Default Program setting for the files? Depending on how you're trying to open files, that's probably where I would look for the cause of the problem, especially since you've uninstalled AOO and the Installation Wizard is still starting when trying to open the files. AOO opens files as expected on my Windows 8.1 system. I can make them start the Installation Wizard, but don't see any point in doing so.

[texjm1]

After doing some serious digging found a program called Revo Uninstaller and it worked great, it was able to find and remove all traces of OOo and now when I click on the .doc and .docx files it just opens a window from Microsoft telling me to pay money to rent a program every month. Btw I downloaded OOo from their home site so I do not know why it would not work.

[RusselB]

If you have removed OO using Revo Uninstaller, which is a program that has been recommended by helpers on this forum, then you need to reinstall OO before you can use it.
Since you had problems with the original download, I recommend that you re-download the OO installer, and verify the download, as referenced by RoryOf

[Bill]

After doing some serious digging found a program called Revo Uninstaller and it worked great, it was able to find and remove all traces of OOo and now when I click on the .doc and .docx files it just opens a window from Microsoft telling me to pay money to rent a program every month. Btw I downloaded OOo from their home site so I do not know why it would not work.

That's because the default program has been restored to MS Office. Install AOO and verify that the default program changes to AOO after the installation. It will work.

[Alikiwi]

Just as a matter of interest I have used Open Office for years and write full length novels with it, and never had problems. If you give it a chance and sort those problems, you'll never look back

[RoryOF]

I agree with Alikiwi - use OpenOffice as it was designed to be used and there will be few problems. My own experience is that it takes three reasonably complex projects before one gets to grips with its subtleties. I'm of an age where I remember that one wrote in a text editor, then poured this into PageMaker or (later) InDesign for formatting - each of which had a steep learning curve. Users now expect their editor to automatically do the tasks formerly undertaken by a trained compositor and forget that such skills took a long apprenticeship to acquire.

If there is some other program that a User feels will do his task more conveniently, then I suggest that using that is the best route to follow.