How do I fix the problem that I experience after I install an automatic update for Word 2007 on a Windows Vista-based computer?

You install an automatic update for Microsoft Office Word 2007 on a Windows Vista-based computer and then restart the computer. If Word 2007 was running when the computer was restarted, you experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• The mouse does not work when you use Word.
• You cannot open a Word document from the Search window in Windows Vista.
• You cannot open a Word document from Windows Desktop Search.
• Word crashes when you try to start or exit Word.
• Word crashes when you open the Open dialog box.
• Word crashes when you save a document.
• Word crashes when you close a document.

This article helps you fix this problem.

To have us fix this problem for you, go to the “Fix it for me” section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the “Let me fix it myself” section.

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then, click Run in the File Download dialog box and follow the steps in this wizard.

Fix this problem

Notes

• This wizard is temporarily in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
• If you are not on the computer that has the problem, you can save the automatic fix to a flash drive or to a CD, and then you can run it on the computer that has the problem.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
To resolve this problem, delete the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data registry subkey. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Exit all Office programs.
2. Click Start
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
   , type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
   
   
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Data
4. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes.
5. Exit Registry Editor.
6. Restart Word.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.