Opening Password Protected .docx files

[the Bing]

Hello, I have an .docx word file that is password protected (i know the password) but I cannot open it in OpenOffice3 , can any kind fellow tell me what program I would best select from the menu in OpenOffice3. The .docx file was Word 2007 or maybe Word 2010. Thank in advance.

[RoryOF]

Try starting Writer and then /File /Open. If it doesn't open, then that's it. .docx files are bad news - best transfer format is .doc, if you must transfer from MS Word.

[the Bing]

Hi Rory, Thank you. The system will open a normal .docx file that is not password protected , but the one I want to open is pass word protected and will not respond. Sadly. I appreciate your reply this morning.

[RoryOF]

Passwords are conventionally case sensitive. Is there a possibility that you mistyped the case of some letters?

[the Bing]

Hi Rory, sadly the option to type the password does not appear. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Other .Docx files open automatically, this one just stays blank with no dialogue box to type the password appearing. Any suggestions greatly accepted.

[RoryOF]

A password bug has been identified in the current code of AOO, which is moving towards a release for AOO 3.4.1; it is claimed to be fixed in the latest developer build, but trial builds of that code are not yet available. Whether this will fix the .docx password bug I cannot say.

[emjaypee]

Just to say that I've had a similar issue when trying to open password protected .docx documents. Unpassworded .docx files open ok as do passworded .doc files - you get a box to enter the password. But not passworded .docx's! The hard drive whirrs a bit and then nothing.

[Villeroy]

Simply try some other software. Microsoft file formats are designed to be opened by Microsoft software only. For encrypted MS Word documents I would try some Windows box with the MS WinWord Viewer program installed. It is downloadable from their web site.

[RoryOF]

I agree with Villeroy; if you must work with MS Office files, best to use MS Office.

You could try renaming the file to type .doc; perhaps this will let you into the password entry, and perhaps OpenOffice will have enough intelligece to ope the underlying docx file, Only perhaps - if it doesn't work then you have to get either an unencrypted file or go back to MS Office (public libraries often have MS Office machines on access). In any case there are likely to be formatting changes.