WD97: How to Recover Text from Any File

This article explains what the Recover Text From Any File converter is and how to use it to recover damaged documents.

What Is the Recover Text From Any File Converter?

The Recover Text From Any File converter allows you to extract the text from any file. The file does not have to be a Word file.

What Will I Lose Using the Recover Text From Any File Converter?

Using the Recover Text From Any File converter does have its limitations. Document formatting will be lost, along with anything that is not of a text nature. Graphics, fields, drawing objects, and so on, will not be converted. However, headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, and field text, will be retained as simple text.

My Document Is Damaged: How Can I Recover the Information?

Word 97 for Windows provides a converter for recovering the text from any file.

NOTE: When you change the Files of type box to "Recover Text from any File" in the Open dialog box (on the File menu, click Open), Word will 'remember' this setting and will use it the next time you open a document. To avoid this problem, reset the Files of type box back to Word Document (*.doc) after you have completed recovering your document.

To use the converter on a Word file:

1. On the File menu, click Open, and select the document.
2. In the Files Of Type box, select "Recover Text from Any File," and click Open.

NOTE: If Word is unable to open the file, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: To use the converter on any non-Word file:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Select the General tab.
3. Select the "Confirm conversion at open" check box, and click OK.
4. On the File menu, click Open.
5. Select the File you want to recover, and click OK.
   
   You will be presented with the Convert File dialog box.
6. In the Convert File dialog box, select the Recover Text From Any File converter, and click OK.

Word will convert the damaged document and recover any text from the document.

What Does the "...Attempt recovery now" Message Mean?

When Word detects that there is a damaged document to be recovered, Word displays the following message: This message is displayed when an automatically recovered file is present but Word is unable to recover it. When you start Word, Word finds the document and asks if you want Word to try to recover it.

If you click No, Word will not attempt to recover the document, and the document will be permanently lost.

If you click Yes, Word will attempt to recover the document. If Word is successful in recovering the file, save the document as a normal Word document.

"Recover Text from Any File" Doesn't Appear in the Convert File Dialog Box

The Recover Text From Any File converter is not installed. You will need to re-run Setup to install this converter.

1. Run Word Setup (it should automatically start in maintenance mode). Click the Add/Remove button.
2. Select the Converters And Filters entry (do not clear the check box) and click Change Option.
3. Select the Text Converters entry (again do not clear the check box) and click Change Option.
4. Select the Recover Text Converter check box, and click OK.
5. Click OK to exit the Converters And Filters dialog box.
6. Click Continue to proceed with the installation of the Recover Text converter.
   
   The Setup program will prompt you for the required disks as needed.

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: