Red icon for word files?

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  1. Posts : 308
    Windows 10
       #1

    Red icon for word files?


    Windows 10 Home version 22H2 OS build 19045.2846

    For no reason I can figure out, something strange has suddenly happened to many of my Word files.

    They open fine but in the Word file screen they have an unusual red icon (see image). What does that mean? The documents do not seem corrupted but obviously I am worried.

    Thanks.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Red icon for word files?-red-icon.jpg  
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,918
    Windows 10 Pro for the Bro
       #2

    Do me a favor.

    Search for, and open: File Explorer Options
    Press View tab, uncheck like in that box below. If you already have it unchecked, then keep unchecked.
    Press OK
    Red icon for word files?-image.png

    You can hide the filenames again, but let me see the extension at the end of the filenames. Also, show the Type detail in File Explorer, if possible. Like in example:

    Red icon for word files?-image.png
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16,955
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #3

    Those icons indicate picture files that have been associated with MSOffice 2007/2010 Picture manager and not Word documents at all. Other picture editing tools might share the same icon for all I know but I have only ever seen it used for Picture manager.
    It's possible to see those icons if you had erroneously associated Word files with Picture manager instead but that would have been difficult to accomplish & it would apply to all files of that type.
    You do not show their file extensions so I cannot comment further.

    Look at those files in File explorer.
    - "Word file screen" might mean any number of things. Word's Open file dialog, perhaps?


    Denis
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 308
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #4

    pepanee said:
    Do me a favor.

    Search for, and open: File Explorer Options
    Press View tab, uncheck like in that box below. If you already have it unchecked, then keep unchecked.
    Press OK
    Red icon for word files?-image.png

    You can hide the filenames again, but let me see the extension at the end of the filenames. Also, show the Type detail in File Explorer, if possible. Like in example:

    Red icon for word files?-image.png
    Thank you very much for replying. I really appreciate it.
    That box was unchecked.
    The file extension is listed as "DOC file". What is unusual is that the DOC is in caps. Maybe that is a weird file type instead of the usual Word ".doc"?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Red icon for word files?-red-icon2.jpg  
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 16,955
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #5

    It looks to me to be an accidental association of the file type with MSOffice Picture manager.
    What happened before this problem appeared?
    If you double-click on those files in File explorer, what happens?

    The use of capitals for DOC is of no significance.

    Denis
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 308
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Try3 said:
    Those icons indicate picture files that have been associated with MSOffice 2007/2010 Picture manager and not Word documents at all. Other picture editing tools might share the same icon for all I know but I have only ever seen it used for Picture manager.
    It's possible to see those icons if you had erroneously associated Word files with Picture manager instead but that would have been difficult to accomplish & it would apply to all files of that type.
    You do not show their file extensions so I cannot comment further.

    Look at those files in File explorer.
    - "Word file screen" might mean any number of things. Word's Open file dialog, perhaps?

    Denis
    Thank you for answering. Sorry I was not clear.
    - "Word file screen" might mean any number of things. Word's Open file dialog, perhaps?
    yes that is what I meant. Sorry.

    The file extension is ".doc".
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 16,955
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #7

    We were posting at about the same time. Do read post #5 & respond.

    I'll be back tomorrow.
    There will be complex ways of solving the problem and simple ways of solving the problem.


    Denis
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 308
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #8

    I think I discovered the reason.
    I went to settings .... Choose default apps by file type and saw (see attached).

    How do I revert that? If that is the problem then these files are not corrupted. Yeh!
    Thanks.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Sorry for the repeated quotes. I'm in my 80s and no expert at this.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Try3 said:
    It looks to me to be an accidental association of the file type with MSOffice Picture manager.
    What happened before this problem appeared?
    If you double-click on those files in File explorer, what happens?

    The use of capitals for DOC is of no significance.

    Denis
    Thanks again.
    All was well before but my teenager grandson was using the laptop. So who knows?
    When I double click on these files, they open up properly and correctly in Word.

    So it seems to be a cosmetic icon problem but I would like to revert back to normal, I am just glad it did not mean the files were corrupt,
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Red icon for word files?-red-icon3.jpg  
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 16,955
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #9

    That's fine.
    You answered quicker than I could cook my dinner.
    Right-click on a .doc file,
    Select Open with,
    Choose another app [do this even if Word is in the list],
    Set the checkbox for Always use this app ........
    Look in the list for MSWord & select it then click on OK.
    [If you scroll to the end and MSWord is not shown then you'll see a link for showing More apps and if you reach the end of that longer list there is a Look for another app on this PC option to let you browse to find the MSWord file [WinWord.exe].

    If this is difficult then we can step though it slowly but it is fixable this way.


    I ahve to go. I'm almosst mistypog more words than I am typing corretcly,
    I'm too hungered,
    Denis
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 308
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #10

    SOLVED!!!!
    In Settings ...... "Choose default apps by file type" I clicked on the .doc file and selected Word.
    Now all is fine again.
    Thank you guys. You are wonderful.
      My Computer


 

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