# What did MS Word do to me???

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-ms-word-do-to-me/488644>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 7, 2009, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-ms-word-do-to-me/488644 "2009-03-07T11:20:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-ms-word-do-to-me/488644/1 "2009-03-07T11:20:10Z")

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I have a document which I’ve been editing now and then. This time, I go into my document, and MS Word is treating the first few pages like pdf images! It won’t let me edit my text! What gives? Can this be undone to avoid re-typing???  
…Jinxed again.

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-ms-word-do-to-me/488644/2 "2009-03-07T14:34:43Z")

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Are you getting a “This command is not available because the document is locked for edit” message in the status bar? Look under the Tools menu for “Unprotect document.”

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**Author:** ![JustThinkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@JustThinkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustThinkin)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-ms-word-do-to-me/488644/3 "2009-03-07T14:53:16Z")

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That was my first thought, too.

If that doesn’t work, try the [instructions](http://word.mvps.org/faqs/apperrors/corruptdoc.htm)at Word MVP.

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-ms-word-do-to-me/488644/4 "2009-03-08T20:36:54Z")

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Thanks for the advice… The document was not protected. It must have been corrupted.

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-ms-word-do-to-me/488644/5 "2009-03-08T21:17:53Z")

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MS Word will behave similarly if you are using a trial copy and the license has expired. The duration of the trial license isn’t always clear; up front it sounds like you’re being given 60 days pure and simple, but the number of times you use it also is figured in somehow.