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Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2012 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

Here are some tips and procedures you can follow to try and solve problems with program files, and some other sites to visit if you are not successful. (Two such sites are the Corel public newsgroups and WordPerfect Universe. See here for more.)

The following is not a comprehensive list, and probably will grow as new solutions are encountered.

Problems with WordPerfect program files

Note 2 The following assumes you are using a retail (Corel boxed) version of WordPerfect from a legitimate vendor or a version that came pre-installed on your computer, and not a version you might have bought (probably at a steep discount) from an Internet reseller. The latter are often OEM versions tailored to specific computer brands. Also, some trial versions from Corel or OEM versions bundled with your computer might not have all the features that full retail versions contain. Hence your problem might not be due to bad program files but to the unexpected absence of a feature or function. The main WordPerfect program Some problems, "bugs," or minor annoyances are usually fixed by Corel and included in a Service Pack (a/k/a an "SP" or "patch") for specific versions of the program.  See "What 'version' of WordPerfect do I have and what updates/patches are available?" This WordPerfect Universe FAQ pertains to WordPerfect 7and later versions. It is updated periodically as new versions and patches are released. Updating 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 this author has rarely seen a problem with a Service Pack, and when one surfaces it is fixed almost immediately.  Note: Users who bought the initial release of WordPerfect 11 (version 11.0.0.233 as shown in Help, About...) should seriously consider applying Service Packs. See here for the reasons and "how to" procedures. What about trying to repair or reinstall the program? After backing up important WordPerfect program files so you can restore or migrate your customizations later - For repairing WordPerfect 7,8,9: 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." For repairing WordPerfect 10 and later: You can use the Microsoft Installer (.msi), typically through the Windows Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs applet in Windows XP (in 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 CD and when the new installation screen appears, you should be given three choices, variously named Typical installation, Repair, and Custom installation. Choose Repair.] Uninstalling and reinstalling WordPerfect is considered to be "the solution of last resort." (For example, an uninstall does not remove files which you have modified -- this includes the default template file. If it is corrupted, the re-installed program will use the corrupted file. So, you should relocate or rename the default template file before uninstalling the program.) Before beginning an uninstall, go to the Corel support website at http://corel.force.com/index/ and search under WordPerfect Office for "uninstall" or similar term. For example, you should be able to find a page on manually (and completely) uninstalling WordPerfect by searching for "4352" (for WPX4) or "4657" (for WPX5) or just "How to manually remove WordPerfect." The procedures there are more thorough than using the Control Panel to uninstall the program. 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." Restore factory defaults: From Corel's http://corel.force.com/index/ article 3461 (old ID: 201735): "In some cases, Wordperfect's default installation may become corrupt or damaged preventing the application from launching, or working properly. This document will restore factory defaults by renaming Wordperfect's configuration files (which are stored in your Windows User Profile). ... [More] ... ... Quoted (as of Nov 2011) in Footnote 1 [below] This procedure simply renames the relevant Registry key (in case it -- or any sub-key --is corrupt), as well as the Windows profile (Corel) subfolder. WordPerfect will create them again when next it loads. Hence, this is a "fix" for corrupt profile settings. [Note that several other important files are automatically recreated if they are manually renamed or deleted, such as the default template. But this is often done as a remedy for a corrupt WordPerfect 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 probably should be emphasized 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. If you rename these folders or files, you can often restore customizations from the renamed items. This is discussed here. QuickCorrect 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. QuickWords 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). If you have only a few QuickWords stored, you can simply delete the QuickWords template file. (See Corel's http://corel.force.com/index/ page and search for "11123" or "How do I migrate Quickwords". It lists the default locations of the QuickWords template file.) WordPerfect will then create a new one when you next load WordPerfect. You may be able to salvage the old QuickWords template file. Try repairing it with the procedures outlined above. To manage (backup, migrate, etc.) your QuickWords, see here. Page Top

Footnote 1

From the Corel support database at http://corel.force.com -

"000003461 - 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. This document will restore factory defaults by renaming Wordperfect's configuration files.

To restore the product to its factory defaults follow the instructions listed below:

1. Reset your WordPerfect settings.:
- For Windows Vista and Windows 7 only: Go to Start, and All Programs, and then Accessories. Click on Run, and then type regedit in the Open Box and click OK.)
- For all other versions of Windows: Go to Start and up to Run. Type regedit in the Open box and click on OK.
2. Click on the + next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
3. Click on the + next to Software.
4. Right click on the Corel folder and left click on rename. Call the folder CorelOld.
5. Click on the - next to Software
6. Click on the - next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
7. Close the registry editor.
8. Reset your WordPerfect configuration files:
- For Windows 2000 or XP:
- Click Start, Run
- In Open, Type "%APPDATA%" and click Ok This will open a folder called "Application Data"
- Within Application Data, right click on Corel and left click the option rename. Call the folder CorelOld
- For Windows Vista and Windows 7:
- Go to Start, and All Programs, and then Accessories. Click on Run.
- In Open, Type "%APPDATA%" and click Ok This will open a folder called "Application Data"
- Within Roaming, right click on Corel and left click the option rename. Call the folder CorelOld
- For Windows 95/98/ME:
- Go into Windows
- Go into Application Data
- Right click on Corel and left click on the option rename. Call the folder CorelOld.
9. Close all files and folders on your screen

For WordPerfect Office 2000 ONLY

1. Use Windows Explorer to browse to C:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Config\Regfiles
2. Hit CTRL+A to select all files in this folder
3. Hit ENTER to import all the registry files. This will produce approximately 23 dialog boxes asking you if you are sure you would like to import the following information into the registry. Hit Yes then hit OK.
4. Close all files and folders on your screen."

Copyright © 2011 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.