[Solved] Why does MSWord launch when opening AOO files?

[mrhinckley]

Perhaps there is an answer to this question somewhere here but I've searched and can't find one.

Why does MSWord launch when I open (double click) on OpenOffice text files?

It is really irritating to have MS ask me if I want to use Word when I very clearly attempted to open an OpenOffice file I created. It happens every time.

I am using a MacBook Pro with OpenOffice 4. Apple OS 10.11.6 installed.

I hope someone out there can help.

Thank you in advance.

[RoryOF]

Set File Associations to tell your computer which program to use to open OO files. One way to do this is to right click on an OpenOffice file and from the pop select "Open With"; then select OpenOffice from the list; there may be an entry on the list or a link at the bottom saying "Always use this program to open this type of file. You should select that. You should do this for each type of file you want OO to open. Alternately, reinstalling OO should set the file associations correctly automatically.

[mrhinckley]

Thank you but the problem persists.

I can open an OO file once with "Open With" but I have to tell it to do that every time.

I don't seem to have the ability to tell it to "Always Open" as no such option presents itself when I right click and select "Open With."

I can see, from looking at the "Open With" menu, that MS Word is set as the default but I didn't do that. The file is a .odt file.

I reinstalled OO and the problem continues.

Why is a Microsoft product, Word, commandeering my ODT file and how can I change settings of some kind so that when I double click on an ODT file only OO opens said file?

[Bill]

I don't use a Mac. See if these help:

How to change default programs on Mac

How to Set the Default Programs on Mac - YouTube

[robleyd]

Or see [Tutorial] Mac FAQ Q33/A33

If you are new to Mac / Apache Open Office you may find other useful information in that tutorial.

[mrhinckley]

It was not helpful.

It remains a mystery to me why a particular file type would somehow change default software without my specific instruction to do so. As far as I can tell a MS product, Word 2016, has hijacked my MacBook. Going to "Get Info" and asking the file to be opened by OO, when it was an OO file in the first place, does not resolve the problem fully as Word 2016 continues to commandeer the OO files and open them UNLESS I first go to "Get Info" and tell it to be opened with OO. If the files was originally created using OO then the file should default to opening with OO unless I ASK Word 2016 to open the file. I have not done so and thus it remains a mystery as to why OO is not the default application when opening OO files.

So far the only solution has been to DELETE Word 2016 from my laptop. That solved the problem. What this tells me is that the MS Word 2016 product is crap.

[Bill]

If the files was originally created using OO then the file should default to opening with OO unless I ASK Word 2016 to open the file.

That's not how it works. Each file type has a default program setting. The operating system uses the default program to open the file when double-clicking the file. What program was used to create the file is totally irrelevant. Read the instructions again. You may have missed the part that makes the default program setting permanent.

File association

[mrhinckley]

I did read the instructions and the default setting is not functioning as you indicated. It is how it was working even if, as you claim, that is not how it *should* work. Simply put, no matter what I did, MS Word 2016 was requiring me to use MSWord to open all text files of any type. The ONLY way I was able to open an OO text file was to either open the OO software AND THEN ask it to open a particular file OR to "get info" and tell the file to be opened by OO. IF I were to simply double click on the OO file icon then EVERY TIME Word 2016 would open and require me to use that software to open the file. Silly and irritating but that was the reality of my situation until I deleted MS Word 2016.

[Bill]

Works for me in Windows and Linux. I have no idea why the documented procedure wouldn't work on a Mac.

[RoryOF]

@ mrhinckley: You may need to ask for assistance from someone familiar with a Mac. The procedure described should work and in general has worked on Macs.

[lgusaas]

I did read the instructions and the default setting is not functioning as you indicated. It is how it was working even if, as you claim, that is not how it *should* work. Simply put, no matter what I did, MS Word 2016 was requiring me to use MSWord to open all text files of any type. The ONLY way I was able to open an OO text file was to either open the OO software AND THEN ask it to open a particular file OR to "get info" and tell the file to be opened by OO. IF I were to simply double click on the OO file icon then EVERY TIME Word 2016 would open and require me to use that software to open the file. Silly and irritating but that was the reality of my situation until I deleted MS Word 2016.

What file type are you saving your documents in? Sounds like you are saving them is .doc files, which is a microsoft word file. They will open with MS Word unless you change the default setting for opening .doc files
.odt files should alway open in OpenOffice by default.
See viewtopic.php?f=74&t=12918&hilit=file+a ... on#p183277 to set file association.