Error message when you try to use a gallery in Word 2007: "The Office Open XML file Building Blocks.dotx cannot be opened"

You select a gallery on the Ribbon in Microsoft Office Word 2007. When you try to insert one of the elements in that gallery, Word 2007 may stop responding or close unexpectedly. Additionally, you receive the following error message: If you click OK in the error message, you may receive the following error message: If you click Yes in the error message, you may receive the following error message: After the changes to the Building Blocks.dotx template are saved when you exit Word 2007, you may still experience these symptoms when you restart Word 2007 and then try to use a gallery.

This problem occurs if the Building Blocks.dotx template is damaged or corrupted.

There are two copies of the Building Blocks.dotx template. One copy is stored in your user data folders. The other copy is stored in the Document Parts folder in the Office 12 folder.

Typically, the copy that is stored in your user data folders is the copy that is damaged. However, both copies could be damaged.

The following Ribbon galleries are affected by this problem:

• Autotext
• Bibliographies
• Cover Pages
• Equations
• Footers
• Headers
• Page Numbers
• Quick Parts
• Table of Contents
• Tables
• Text Boxes
• Watermarks

To resolve this problem, move the damaged copy of the Building Blocks.dotx template out of the user data folder. After you do this, Word 2007 creates a new Building Blocks.dotx template by using the default content.

To move the damaged copy of the template out of the user data folder, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Move the Building Blocks.dotx file to a temporary folder

To do this, follow these steps.

Note These steps refer to language ID 1033. Therefore, these steps are for the English version of Word 2007. Other languages use a different language ID.

1. Exit Word 2007.
2. Click Start, click Run, type "%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Document Building Blocks\1033", and then click OK.
3. Move the Building Blocks.dotx file to a temporary folder.
4. Start Word 2007.

Method 2: Repair the 2007 Office system or Word 2007

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Exit all 2007 Office programs.
2. Click Start, click Run, type "%userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Document Building Blocks\1033", and then click OK.
3. Move the Building Blocks.dotx file to a temporary folder.
4. Click Start, click Run, type "%programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office12\Document Parts\1033", and then click OK.
5. Move the Building Blocks.dotx file to a temporary folder.
6. Close both folders.
7. Click Start, click Run, type appwiz.cpl, and the click OK.
8. In the Currently installed programs list, click the version of the 2007 Office system that is installed on the computer. Or, click Word 2007 if you have the stand-alone version installed on the computer.
9. Click Change, click Repair, and then click Continue.