First, let me say that i use MS Word 2003 and 2007 so please - no lectures from the pros ... i am old and this is my comfort zone. I just need someone to confirm some bad news but maybe someone will take pity on an ole gal and have an easy solution. I had what i thought was a bug of sorts that was causing me a wee bit of agro when word processing and watching movies (downloaded). Please, no lectures. I hired a computer expert who said, "Gonna reinstall Windows 7". Sure, was my response - as long as i do not lose any files. Long story short; he lost ALL of my autocorrect files that i have built up over the years ... the medical dictionary that i used is gone (not to worry I have the disk that i paid for though it does not seem to want to load). My historical, built-up autocorrections are like gold to me. Any ideas on how to retrieve these if possible. He said that he kept my "profile" whatever that means but he did not understand what the autocorrect file was. Am I just out of luck?
My Computer Expert - not so much!
- Thread starter just sarah
- Start date
Based on these Instructions (note: I haven't done these myself personally)
Assuming there is a backup of your "profile", it would have a .acl file there somewhere that you would copy and place into the appropriate place in the new installation.
Assuming there is a backup of your "profile", it would have a .acl file there somewhere that you would copy and place into the appropriate place in the new installation.
Yes it should be recoverable from the data that he has. Any competent tech would have done a COMPLETE backup of the entire drive precisely to ensure that things can be recovered later, and quite frankly it sounds like he probably didn't do much trying to eliminate your bug and just decided reinstalling Windows is the quick way to "fix" everything at once, but he didn't bother making sure he'd be able to set up back up properly.
If you try to follow the instructions above and can't get it to work immediately, I would take the files he backed up and the PC to someone else local to recover what you need, and it shouldn't cost too much in labor, like an hour maybe. There's just no point struggling to figure it out yourself and going back and forth with people on the Internet via message board. (An alternative would be giving remote access to someone you trust and they could do the work, as long as you have the backup profile on a USB stick.)
I won't argue about you wanting to use what you know, I get it, but be aware that by using Windows 7 you are making yourself a very big security risk for your own data as well as a risk to other systems on the Internet, because of the lack of updates and increasing number of unpatched vulnerabilities and security software losing compatibility with Windows 7. Of course the old versions of Office have the same issue.
If you try to follow the instructions above and can't get it to work immediately, I would take the files he backed up and the PC to someone else local to recover what you need, and it shouldn't cost too much in labor, like an hour maybe. There's just no point struggling to figure it out yourself and going back and forth with people on the Internet via message board. (An alternative would be giving remote access to someone you trust and they could do the work, as long as you have the backup profile on a USB stick.)
I won't argue about you wanting to use what you know, I get it, but be aware that by using Windows 7 you are making yourself a very big security risk for your own data as well as a risk to other systems on the Internet, because of the lack of updates and increasing number of unpatched vulnerabilities and security software losing compatibility with Windows 7. Of course the old versions of Office have the same issue.
Likewise with DiskGenius you may be able to locate that .acl file from those directions without the backup and restore it.
To be fair, unless a complete existing user folder copy is done as the backup…
…. Many think “backup” is the following folders/objects:
- normally user-visible folders in user profile folder (Documents, Photos, Music, etc.)
- bookmarks from browser
Given you said a user profile backup was kept, hopefully your autocorrect files in Word are in there!
I thought I was being fair in thinking that a "computer expert" would at the absolute least do that, as well as looking for any other data folders or configurations, but even better, make an image-based backup of the drive before reinstalling the OS. (It's also possible he just reinstalled without wiping anything, calling it a "repair", so the entire user profile folder might still be there under the original name, with a new one created for the new install. Still a bad way to do things.)
I just adore you all! Sorry to act like an ole gal, but this gives me some hope. I absolutely have no problem in paying for work that is properly performed; i demand it. I do, however, dislike to pay for what happened with this tech and he was paid prior to. Also, thank you for not letting anyone give me a bad time for using old applications - just really nice suggestions and information related to this aspect. I guess, i could ask the question of ... what would be best to use for my word-processing needs and those movies i like to download (yes, i know you cannot comment too much on the latter); is there a good fix for me. I will buy a new computer as what i have IS a really old Dell. Best, just sarah
As your moderator here, you no doubt remember that I have called off the dogs over the years who have been nothing but unsympathetic to your needs and habits. When I see a post from you, my radar goes on immediately to ensure that your experience here is grief-free.
You're prepared to upgrade your skill set that new hardware will entail, aren't you?
There's plenty of help available here.
Ah i remember you build this system a long time ago. I think i suggested running this whole thing into a Virtual Machine which fast forward the years may or may not have panned out. Getting Windows 7 and Word 2003 or even 2007 was getting problematic 10 years ago. Now it's even worse on new machines or letting it touch the internet. Your only real bet is the person you hired hopefully backed it up or copied it over. But didn't know the right place is should be.
Show them the link from the first reply.
And this one
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-in-word/b7d4b4d9-313b-47c2-a69f-844e60c78151
It will show where the file probably was and maybe they can find it and put it in the right palace. Beyond that if they're not able to do that. There's no real miracle that's going to recover the file.
So if somehow you're able to get out of this situation and your old laptop even working. Even without to autocorrect fixed. I would suggest. Getting a 2nd device just to do modern things on. I mean it is inconvenient but it is something you may really need to look into. And if you go this route. It'll be some basic machine with Windows 11 and i suggest getting what might be the Last version of office that is offered that isn't forced to upgrade or have a monthly fee.
Show them the link from the first reply.
And this one
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-in-word/b7d4b4d9-313b-47c2-a69f-844e60c78151
It will show where the file probably was and maybe they can find it and put it in the right palace. Beyond that if they're not able to do that. There's no real miracle that's going to recover the file.
So if somehow you're able to get out of this situation and your old laptop even working. Even without to autocorrect fixed. I would suggest. Getting a 2nd device just to do modern things on. I mean it is inconvenient but it is something you may really need to look into. And if you go this route. It'll be some basic machine with Windows 11 and i suggest getting what might be the Last version of office that is offered that isn't forced to upgrade or have a monthly fee.
Really, there shouldn't be a HUGE problem changing. My mother (now 75) has gone from XP to Vista to 7 to 10 and now has a Windows 11 laptop, and she doesn't have any real problems because she uses applications, not the operating system, and hardware is hardware and a regular user shouldn't even think about that other than making sure they buy the performance they need. Office did have big changes since 2003/2007, but there comes a time when you just have to bite the bullet, and it's not cripplingly different, and she has handled those changes. Windows 11 does have some rather unsightly and user-unfriendly changes, but you should be able to adjust to them. (Luckily, as we get older, we slow down anyway, so even though Windows makes us slower, we're also aging to match and it doesn't SEEM as slow.
)I think before you consider upgrading, do what's needed to get your autocomplete/autocorrect cache restored. Find someone that can do it, and then ask if they can assist you with migrating to a new machine which includes restoring all your files as well as making sure the autocomplete cache works and that your browsers and other settings can be transferred. (Some stuff won't be the same because of the OS change, of course.) When you do replace the machine, you'll have your working system sitting right there and not be worried about losing the data again.
Do you use anything other than MS Office applications and web browsers? Are you just using Word/Excel or do you use Outlook? Browser data is very easy to transfer between machines, even the data that might not be synchronized if you're using cloud account sync.
As to hardware, what do you have now, specifically? It's likely that even the lowest-end machine would serve your needs due to the increases in performance since the time that your machine was built. A Chromebook would probably work fine for you, if the software was available that you need.
As to software, as I said, Office has changed a lot, but the basics are still there. It's just a matter of where the buttons are, and if you can't learn that, computers might not be for you. (Saying that in the generic YOU, not specifically you.) The worst part is really figuring out what edition you need - Office 365 subscription and which one, or a perpetual license and which version. Office 2021 and 2024 perpetual license can be had cheap, and they're still supported. Office 365 ensures you're always up to date but also means slight changes regularly, and would definitely cost more compared to using Office 2024 for the next decade.
There are also free office suites like LibreOffice which are similar to MS Office, but do have significant visual differences. But again, it's generally a matter of figuring out where the tools you need are located, and then getting used to accessing them. Your files should all be compatible.
Any other applications may or may not require you to purchase new versions to be compatible with Windows 11, if they are even available. Sometimes they can be run in a compatibility mode if they're really old, sometimes not, and sometimes they'll just work if they didn't depend on specific code in a version of Windows.
I'm glad it at least sounds like you're not one of those CEO types that refuses to accept that times change and eventually what you want just doesn't work or isn't made anymore, and you just can't convince them that you won't be able to solve their problem in the way they want it done. I had to escalate to my company owner a few times to get the point across, CEO/owner to CEO/owner. They still complained even when we brought them up to the latest thing, of course.
WOW!
I am amazed that you did this for me; who would ever think a moderator would last a small lifetime (smiles); thank you, sincerely.
Sure, normally i can cope with anything and progress to whatever comes along. Unfortunately something else did come along recently and i need to get past it. I will delve into the above info and may have other questions in time.
Again, Dear Moderator - grateful for your extreme kindness.
I am amazed that you did this for me; who would ever think a moderator would last a small lifetime (smiles); thank you, sincerely.
Sure, normally i can cope with anything and progress to whatever comes along. Unfortunately something else did come along recently and i need to get past it. I will delve into the above info and may have other questions in time.
Again, Dear Moderator - grateful for your extreme kindness.
Made in Hurry
Ars Praefectus
I am sympathetic to not wanting to upgrade. If I could stick with Windows 7 I really would. With regard to upgrading from Word 2007, I would suggest buying a physical copy of Office Pro Plus 2019 on eBay. It's about the last copy of Office before Office365 which is subscription by the month.
Office 2024 LTSC came out recently with perpetual licensing (and 2021 exists), but it would be a download version. I assume if you dig you can still get an offline installer (that you can backup), but I don't know what rigmarole is involved with installing it. (Not long before I quit working, MS had started requiring a local server to build an install but I think that was for volume licensing, not Pro Plus standalone.) I didn't know it was even possible to get physical discs or legitimate USB sticks for Office anymore.
They stealth released a Retail Office 2024. You can buy a retail perpetual license. No Volume license required. Technically Non-Commercial use.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/office-home-2024/cfq7ttc0pqvj
Of course you can get a volume license version for less. But for simplicity's sake $150 will get you a legit copy straight from Microsoft.
Sarah is probably an individual with some specialist expertise where she's contracted or people buy her work. So there's no corporate oversight or backing of equipment. She's able to use Old word because the DocX converter to 2003/7 still works.
I suggest the new machine for new stuff and just put a current copy of Office on it. Just so either she'll eventually give in and move on. Or there's some new formatting the person buying her work needs that only a native DocX can handle it and they want it that way.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/office-home-2024/cfq7ttc0pqvj
Of course you can get a volume license version for less. But for simplicity's sake $150 will get you a legit copy straight from Microsoft.
Sarah is probably an individual with some specialist expertise where she's contracted or people buy her work. So there's no corporate oversight or backing of equipment. She's able to use Old word because the DocX converter to 2003/7 still works.
I suggest the new machine for new stuff and just put a current copy of Office on it. Just so either she'll eventually give in and move on. Or there's some new formatting the person buying her work needs that only a native DocX can handle it and they want it that way.
Okay, so, things have changed now, sorry everyone. I have found a tech i really like and he is going to install Windows 10 for me (what I want), at the moment he is just reinstalling an old Linux PC for me to have as a backup. But, I am wanting to keep my Dell 8300 i7 XPS (yes, too old for some of you but again, it is what i want) and in a couple of months he will remove Windows 7 and install Windows 10 (again, what i want). In the meantime, my Connecticut non-tech friend and I installed FireFox ESR and I THOUGHT I kept my old FireFox as well because I have two icons on my monitor one for ESR which i have not set up yet and the other icon, I thought was my Old Firefox which was not going to support Windows 7 but would last at least for a few more months. I see now that, what i thought was the old FireFox icon is actually running FireFox ESR even thought when I click on the "new" Firefox icon - it shows as not being set up yet. I want the old FireFox back ... Is there an easy way to do this (please, i hate ESR- it feels invasive). Yes, i could ask the new tech but I don't want to overdo the questions as he is busy with bigger fish to fry. So, it there anyone out there who can just answer this one question (sorry for the long explanation); I just want the last version of FireFox back ... just until I switch to Windows 10 in about 3 months. (Apologies to our moderator who understands?) Best, just sarah
Well, at least everyone will understand how really computer inexperienced and computer-illiterate i am, sorry all. I am just regular sarah who knows a little, but in the real scope of computers - i have to admit to "duh".
In general, with modern apps, you can never just install two different versions of the same app because they use the same folders. I wouldn't want to claim to know for certain, but you likely can just uninstall ESR (which will leave the profile folders in place) and reinstall the version you wanted to have. Or just reinstall without removing ESR and it will replace it. Best to make a backup of the profile folder though. There is a utility called MozBackup that will work; it's not being updated but still seems to function just fine, and makes restoring the profile or moving it between machines super easy.
If you need to have both versions, you can also run ESR as a portable app (which isolates it from your regular install), and this project will even keep it updated for you.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/portableapps/files/Mozilla Firefox, Portable Ed./
Or an option is to use a fork of Firefox, like Waterfox, which still runs on Windows 7.
https://www.waterfox.net/download/
And it has to be said that having your new tech install Windows 10 is still going to leave you with security issues, because support for it will be gone at the end of October (unless you want to pay the increasing yearly fee to get special updates for 3 years), opening you up to abuse of vulnerabilities that won't be patched (plus the nagging from MS to upgrade to 11), and applications again not being able to get updated opening you up to vulnerabilities in those and eventually having to learn a new OS again and move to Windows 11. I understand wanting to keep your older apps like Office, but I'm not sure why you're insistent on keeping such an old PC instead of getting a new one that will still run your apps. A $200 mini-PC could replace it with better performance (which you might not think you need, but would come to appreciate once you used it). If you have to learn to move from Windows 7 to Windows 10, you may as well just move to Windows 11.
For that matter, if a Linux machine would be good enough to be your backup, you could just switch to Linux completely.
If you need to have both versions, you can also run ESR as a portable app (which isolates it from your regular install), and this project will even keep it updated for you.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/portableapps/files/Mozilla Firefox, Portable Ed./
Or an option is to use a fork of Firefox, like Waterfox, which still runs on Windows 7.
https://www.waterfox.net/download/
And it has to be said that having your new tech install Windows 10 is still going to leave you with security issues, because support for it will be gone at the end of October (unless you want to pay the increasing yearly fee to get special updates for 3 years), opening you up to abuse of vulnerabilities that won't be patched (plus the nagging from MS to upgrade to 11), and applications again not being able to get updated opening you up to vulnerabilities in those and eventually having to learn a new OS again and move to Windows 11. I understand wanting to keep your older apps like Office, but I'm not sure why you're insistent on keeping such an old PC instead of getting a new one that will still run your apps. A $200 mini-PC could replace it with better performance (which you might not think you need, but would come to appreciate once you used it). If you have to learn to move from Windows 7 to Windows 10, you may as well just move to Windows 11.
For that matter, if a Linux machine would be good enough to be your backup, you could just switch to Linux completely.
She doesn't have to justify it. We're here to help within the boundaries that she has set.
No, she doesn't, but am I not allowed to ask? Give advice where she may not be thinking of all the consequences? I'm definitely not one of the "you need to upgrade just because it's old and I like having new stuff" crowd but I also won't just leave someone to make decisions without all the information. Did I not make an effort to help? (No one else has yet.)
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Dear Lord; I am hearing terrible things about Windows 11 so am reluctant to go there. I would stay with 7 forever if Firefox had not stopped supporting it ... I hate change when I am comfortable with how things are (old). But I will re-read your above very valuable information and try to maybe make a different decision. I like this old computer (smiles) cuz it has been trained to do what I want (more smiles); AND, i did not know about Waterfox so I will look there first; thank you. Why is there a need to upgrade all the time (yes, I know you will scream at this remark but) ... I hate being forced to do anything - if it works what can you possibly fix! BTW i am extremely grateful for your help, always and delighted you are willing to share your knowledge with me. Thank you.
If you weren't sticking with your old laptop. I'd skip the windows 10. Since you didn't need to live the Windows 10 transition. Don't live it.
I think the last time years ago. I suggested putting Windows 7 and your office into a Virtual Machine. So you're able to keep using your Windows 7 and Office for a really really long time on new hardware. Providing you backup your machine. It might of saved you now as you could of restored your old machine back from a backup. Assuming the person helping you sets up backup intervals properly.
I think the last time years ago. I suggested putting Windows 7 and your office into a Virtual Machine. So you're able to keep using your Windows 7 and Office for a really really long time on new hardware. Providing you backup your machine. It might of saved you now as you could of restored your old machine back from a backup. Assuming the person helping you sets up backup intervals properly.
Computers are called tools, but they are not like a hammer or chisel. Since in our modern age they are almost always connected to an international network of computers shared by nearly everybody, they are constantly under attack by malicious actors. That's why there are updates or "fixes" all the time. Nothing and nobody is capable of writing perfect code that will last forever and can never be attacked. What worked in 2009 doesn't work today. Windows 7 didn't even have native USB 3.0 and now we have tech where docks can add entire graphics cards to laptops when plugged in.
Nobody in the consumer space gives more time on a single version of an operating system than Microsoft, so a decade per OS is pretty fair. Windows 11 is fine. Remember, people come to the Internet to complain rather than praise. If you get a machine with Windows 11, the worst thing you're going to notice is that the icons on the taskbar are centred. One trip to Settings can put them back to being left-aligned.