Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

(Well I've come to dread it, anyway...)

D/L Open Office onto a WIN XP Pro SP2/ P-IV 2.8GHZ 512mb machine. Followed normal install procedures and copied the start icons for the various divisions onto the desktop, but when I click on any of them I get a message that the "application has failed to start because uwinapi.dll was not found. Re-installing the program may fix this problem."

It didn't.

I tried completely uninstalling and then re-installing, re-installing in "repair" mode, and waving a bunch of chicken feathers over the top of the computer but nothing seems to work.

Suggestions would be appreciated. Excoriations are expected.

uwinapi.dll is a standard component of OOo located in the <OOo>\program folder. My only thought is that registration has failed because you have another copy still registered. Uninstall OOo, then search you harddrives for uwinapi.dll. If you had another and its not part of a critical package then try unistalling it or unregistering the dll within a command window:

• cd <whatever the folder is>
  regsvr32 /u uwinapi.dll

Rajah that, giving it a shot. (Beats chicken feathers!)

No joy. Perhaps it's dragging the icon from the program files to the desktop that's breaking the assocciation?

I uninstalled OO and then did a full search for uwinapi and found only instances in the CAB file for the installer.

Re-installed the program and got the same thing.... dragging the icon out and copying it to the desktop and the same message came up when clicking on it.

Is ther perhaps another way to create an icon on the desktop that would preserve the assocciation?

Confused in Philly

If you launch OOo from your normal start menu, does it work?
Have you some keyboard mapping application (like hotkeys, ...)?
You can also try to install another dll version like that one:http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-fil ... nload.html.

Vince wrote:No joy. Perhaps it's dragging the icon from the program files to the desktop that's breaking the assocciation?

I uninstalled OO and then did a full search for uwinapi and found only instances in the CAB file for the installer.

Re-installed the program and got the same thing.... dragging the icon out and copying it to the desktop and the same message came up when clicking on it.

Is ther perhaps another way to create an icon on the desktop that would preserve the assocciation?

Confused in Philly

Don't drag the icon to the desktop and copy it. You need a shortcut on the desktop, not a copy. Instead of dragging the icon, right click it and select Send to > Desktop from the context menu. This creates a shortcut on the desktop which can be used to start the program.

As usual, WOTTA community!

Bill, thanks for the tip... my inexperience with XP was the problem. "Sending" the shortcut was exactly right!

Thread may be closed if desired by Admin

Bill wrote: Don't drag the icon to the desktop and copy it. You need a shortcut on the desktop, not a copy. Instead of dragging the icon, right click it and select Send to > Desktop from the context menu. This creates a shortcut on the desktop which can be used to start the program.

Close it...chances are you are not the only person that will come along and ask the same question - hopefully the next person will find the answer using the search box.