| Notes
The information on this page assumes you are using a legitimate retail
(Corel boxed or Corel download) version of WordPerfect from Corel or
other qualified vendor (e.g., directly shipped from Amazon.com and not from a third party), or a
version that came pre-installed on your computer, and not a version you
might have bought from a relatively unknown deep-discount site. The latter products often turn out to be problematic OEM
versions
that were installed on, and tailored to, specific computer brands.
Similarly, some online sellers still offer greatly outdated versions
that might not work well (or at all) on newer Windows systems. Caveat emptor.
Trial version "problems"?
Sometimes WordPerfect fails to
start because it is a downloaded trial version and the time limit has
simply expired. (Failure to start can also happen with fully functional
versions, for reasons discussed in Repairing WordPerfect documents and templates.)
Using a serial number from another version — e.g., an OEM version purchased from some discount sites — does not activate a trial version. This is not a problem with WordPerfect program files.
Some downloaded trial versions from
Corel (versions prior to WordPerfect X6) or some pre-installed OEM versions bundled
with your
computer, might not have all the features that full retail versions
contain. Hence your "problem" might be due to the unexpected absence of a feature or function that you believe should exist. |
1. The
main WordPerfect program
■ Option A - Apply all Service Packs
Some
problems, "bugs," or minor
annoyances are usually fixed by Corel and included in a Service
Pack (an "SP" or "patch") for specific versions of the program.
Note: Recent versions of WordPerfect (e.g., X8, X9) have not been issued Service Packs, but this could change for a future version. Some people prefer to download and
save the patches so they can install them at a later time.
Such updating of WordPerfect
is an often
neglected procedure (even though it generally is easy to do) on the
theory that "if it ain't broke don't fix it." This is your choice, of
course, but except for some very early versions of WordPerfect this author has not seen a problem with Service Packs,
and when one surfaced it was fixed almost immediately.
Getting a Service Pack update:
• Your version might have an option to check for updates on the Help menu.
- or -
• See the Corel WordPerfect site
under the Support (tab) choice to download Patches & Updates for Service Packs.
Tip: See also "Updating, upgrading, or reinstalling WordPerfect" here for related topics.
■ Option B - Repair or reinstall the program
Please note that the accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed. Microsoft
and Corel can change the program or its repair methods at any time, so you
might want to seek additional advice. (A good place to start is by joining WordPerfect Universe.) The methods below are merely based on the
author's experience.
In any case, always make a backup of important programs and user files first.
REPAIRING the WordPerfect program
Tips
☼ Like a program uninstall/reinstall, a program repair does not fix, remove or replace any WordPerfect user files
(i.e., your documents, a customized default template, etc.) that might
be damaged. For those items, which are more likely to be the cause of
user problems, see Repairing WordPerfect documents and templates.
☼ It is generally recommended to try a program repair before a reinstallation. [To uninstall (remove) and reinstall Wordperfect see the next section.]
☼ As an alternative to the following methods to initiate a program repair, advanced users of recent WordPerfect versions can use the WordPerfect Office Setup executable file to repair the program. See Footnote 2 below.
|
■ WordPerfect 10 (c.2001) and later versions (see below for earlier WordPerfect versions)
• In modern versions of Windows — such as Windows 10 — or where you don't have the original installation disk handy (see below), use your Windows Control Panel to conduct a Repair of the WordPerfect program.
[For some earlier Windows versions see the method below.]
► Why use the Windows Control Panel?
[Current as of Oct. 2020 with Windows 10, v.1909]
Windows 10 (and perhaps Windows 8/8.1) has a Settings module that some users have tried — unsuccessfully — to repair WordPerfect. The seemingly correct method they used was to:
▸ click on the gear icon (in the Tiles start menu) or click on All Settings (in the Windows desktop's Notification area); then -
▸ click on "Apps" on the Settings screen (or use the search field on the Windows Settings screen to search for "Apps & Features"); then
▸ choose the WordPerfect Office program to repair.
► HOWEVER, that particular method does not allow you to modify (thus, repair) the main WordPerfect
program!
In fact, when clicking the WordPerfect Office choice on that Apps & Features screen the Modify option is grayed out and
unavailable. Only the Uninstall choice is active. Further, a separate
choice to Repair the program is not even given — perhaps due to the installation
on your system of the (separate) WordPerfect Setup module, as described
below.
► THEREFORE you must use the classic Windows Control Panel — not the newer Apps, Apps & Features choice in Windows 10's Settings.
In turn, the Control Panel gives you access to WordPerfect's Setup module — which does have a Repair option.
Tip
If you already know how to open the Windows Control Panel, open it and then go directly to Step 3 below. Otherwise, continue ...
► Open the Windows Control Panel and follow Steps 1-2 using either Method A or Method B.
Method A using the Windows Settings module.
Step 1. Either click on the "gear" icon in the Tiles start menu or click on All Settings in the Windows desktop's Notification area located on the bottom right side of the Windows desktop.
Step 2. Use the search field ("Find a setting") near the top of the Windows Settings screen to search for Control Panel. When found, click on "Control Panel".
This opens the classic Control Panel window with the title "Adjust your computer's settings".
—► Go directly to Step 3 below.
Method B using the Windows Search shortcut key.
Step 1. Simultaneously press the Windows logo key and the S key [ +S] to open the Windows search feature, then search for Control Panel.
Step 2. In the search screen click on the "found" item — typically labeled "Control Panel - App" or "Control Panel - Desktop App". [Or you can just click on "Open" on the right side of the Best Match results screen.]
This opens the classic Control Panel window with the title "Adjust your computer's settings".
► Repair WordPerfect.
Step 3.
In
the Control Panel window click on "Uninstall a program" (don't worry,
you won't need to uninstall it). You should now be in the Control
Panel's Uninstall or change a program screen. (It might take a few moments for the entire list of programs to appear.)
Step 4.
Click once on the name of the main WordPerfect program in the list to choose it (e.g., WordPerfect Office X9) and then click Uninstall/Change at the top of the list of programs. (Alternatively, just right-click on the desired program and click Uninstall/Change).
A Windows dialog appears asking you to confirm your choice:
"Do you want this app to make changes to your device? ... Unistall or change an application"
[Yes] [No]
[Note: This dialog alerts you that you need Administrator status on the computer to allow changes to a program.]
Step 5. When you click the Yes button you should see the WordPerfect Office setup dialog appear (it might take a few moments to load).
Three radio buttons on the setup dialog will give you these options:
○ Modify
○ Repair
○ Remove
[Note:
Under those buttons is a checkbox, "Remove User Files". Generally most
users will NOT check that box unless they really want to remove their user files — which includes the current default template.]
Step 6.
Choose (enable) the Repair (radio) button — and then click on the separate Repair button at the bottom of the setup screen if you wish to continue. Alternatively you can click the "X" to abort the Repair and exit the setup module.
If you continue you should see the Setup in Progress screen as the program is being repaired. The Repair should take only a few minutes.
• In earlier versions of Windows you can use the Microsoft Installer (.msi) program,
typically through the Windows Control Panel's Add or Remove
Programs applet in Windows XP. In Windows Vista/Windows7 you can use
Start, Control Panel, Programs, Uninstall a program; choose the
WordPerfect program and click Uninstall/Change; then choose Repair.
You can also right-click the appropriate .MSI file and choosing Repair.
• Alternatively: Insert your program's installation disk, and when the new installation screen
appears you should be given three choices, variously named Typical
installation, Repair, and Custom installation. Choose the Repair option.
• Advanced users of recent WordPerfect versions can optionally use the WordPerfect Office Setup.exe executable file to repair the program; see Footnote 2 below.
■ WordPerfect
7, 8, and 9 (c. 1996-2000)
For these earlier WordPerfect versions you can use PFREG,
"...a Corel utility that can be used to unregister and register
PerfectFit components in the Windows registry. Running it can solve a
variety of problems and is a common troubleshooting recommendation."
| UNINSTALLING (removing) and REINSTALLING WordPerfect — "the solution of last
resort" |
• An uninstall operation does not automatically remove files which
you
have modified — and this includes the default
template file. If that file is corrupted the reinstalled program
will still use the corrupted file. So, you should relocate or rename the
default template file before reinstalling the same program version in the same location.
• The pathways to the method to uninstall the program are the same as those to Repair it. See above.
• Before
beginning
an uninstall operation see the tips here
about backing up your customizations so you can migrate them to the
reinstalled program.
• If you wish to completely remove all traces
of the program go to the Corel support website for WordPerfect at http://support.corel.com
and search under WordPerfect Office for "uninstall," "manually
remove," or other similar terms. The procedures there are more thorough than using
the
Windows Control Panel or Windows Settings to uninstall the program (which in most cases is
sufficient).
■ Option C - Set a default printer
If
WordPerfect won't open or
displays a document in a strange way, try this tip from
Charles Rossiter (Corel C_Tech):
"You need to have
set up [in Windows] a default printer. Actually you can install any
printer, even if you do not have the physical printer. Basically, the
printer driver defines the interface between WPWin and the printer.
With no printer installed, WPWin does not know how to format the
document for printing, and so it also does not know how to display the
document."
■ Option D - Restore factory defaults (and other methods)
Here are some other methods to try.
• Restore
factory defaults.
This method is commonly recommended by Corel support — probably because it often fixes issues with the program.
From Corel's article "How do I restore WordPerfect to its factory defaults":
"... In some cases,
Wordperfect's default installation may become corrupt or damaged
preventing the application from launching, or working properly [or possibly to minimize, maximize, or close it]. This
document will restore factory defaults by renaming
Wordperfect's configuration files...."
[See Footnote 1 [below] for the full text (current as of April 2016).]
This procedure
simply renames the relevant Windows Registry
key (in case it or any sub-key is corrupt), as well as the Windows
profile (Corel) subfolder. Both things are easy to do, and renaming these items means they can easily be restored if desired.
When
you have done these things, WordPerfect will create factory fresh
versions of them when next it loads. Hence, this is a "fix" for corrupt
program "environment" and user configuration ("profile") settings.
Note
that
several other important files will be automatically recreated (thus,
restored to factory their defaults) if you
manually rename or delete them in separate operations, such as the default
template or QuickWords template. (Renaming is the preferred option.) But this is often done as a remedy for a corrupt WordPerfect
default or QuickWords template, which is not the same as fixing a corrupt Windows
profile -- which is a database of user
folders, files, and some other user settings.
It cannot be emphasized too strongly that you should rename
the
items described in the above Corel article, since deleting the profile
will delete any customized user files in it -- such as the default
template, which contains toolbars, keyboard definitions, menus, etc. By
renaming these items you can often restore customizations
from the renamed items. This is discussed here. At a later time you can remove the old renamed items if you wish.
• You could try creating a new Windows User Account, which creates a new User Profile, which is basically
a section of the Windows registry on your computer — a database of
user-specific settings — along with a set of folders that are stored
in a per-user directory on your disk. You can then log in as that new user
to see if the problem goes away. See here for more.
• You could try starting Windows in Safe Mode. [Windows 10 is a little different: see (e.g.) PCWorld's "How to boot into Windows 10's Safe Mode" here or search other sites.] This is a mode in which Windows loads only the bare minimum services
and applications to start up. This will ensure that no other
application or service is running (i.e., resident in RAM memory) that
may be interfering with WordPerfect. (If the problem disappears you
will need to track down the program that is interfering with
WordPerfect.)
2.
QuickCorrect feature
See the QuickCorrect
FAQ on the WordPerfect
Universe FAQ Forum. The FAQ also explains how to backup,
transfer (to another system or newer version of WordPerfect), and print
this useful file.
3.
QuickWords feature
While QuickCorrect
entries are stored in a special program file (the user word list, a
.uwl file), QuickWords
are stored in their
own template file (.wpt). The template is located in the same folder as
the WordPerfect default template, as shown in Tools, Settings, Files,
Template.
To manage (backup,
migrate, salvage/repair, etc.) your QuickWords, see here.
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|
Barry
MacDonnell's
Repairing
'bad' or damaged WordPerfect
program files