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Mysterious Disappearance of Wordpad

mcheathen

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 4:03PM

Some while ago Wordpad disappeared for no apparent reason and I've been unable to re-install it.

Yes I've tried using 'Add and remove Windows Components', but it does not appear with Accessories. Nor does appear in Accessories when I look inside the XP Home Edition install disk. Nor does it appear when I do a search on the C:\ drive.

What does appear however when I do a search on the XP install disk are: WORDPAD.CH_ WORDPAD.EX_ WORDPAD.HL_ WORDPAD.IL_ - and this is all found in the D:\I386.

So is there any way I can bring WP back?

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lotvic

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 4:28PM

In XP it is in "C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe"

Try going to Start, Run, and type wordpad.exe and press OK and see if it opens.

and/or you could do a system file check, by typing in Run box, sfc /scannow (note there is a space between c and /) and have your XP install disk handy as it will ask for it if needed.

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Chronos the 2nd

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 4:29PM

Use this to expand Windows XP files from the installation disk.

Save file in: C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe

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mcheathen

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 5:13PM

I've look in Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories and the folder is empty. Yes I tried putting wordpad.exe into run, but a window appeared saying that the file did not exist.

I'll now try the other things that were suggested.

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mcheathen

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 5:42PM

I typed sfc /scannow into the run box and it asked for XP windows profession SErvice Pack 3. which it says is 3 CDs.

I already have service pack 3 installed and I use XP Home and it was installed from one disk which was in the D:.

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mcheathen

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 6:02PM

@Chronos the 2nd - I can't expand the wordpad files in folder D:\I386 because only files ending .CAD are shownwhen I browse the folder.

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lotvic

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 8:34PM

Not sure what you've done previously, but I found a fix that will put Wordpad into Control Panel, Add/Remove and hopefully fix it for you to install from there.

As we already know: WordPad by default is missing under, "Control Panel" -> "Add or Remove Programs" | "Add/Remove Windows Components" | "Accessories and Utilities" | "Accessories".

Click on 'My Computer' to open Windows Explorer and in address bar copy and paste:

C:\WINDOWS\inf\sysoc.inf

and press Enter

and edit the sysoc.inf file (.inf files open in Notepad) and delete the word "HIDE" while leaving the extra comma undeleted, from this line:

MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7

The line now reads: MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,,7

Save and close the file.

WordPad will now be listed in "Add or Remove Programs" in Control Panel, "Add/Remove Windows Components" -> "Accessories and Utilities" -> "Accessories".

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finerty

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Posted March 17, 2013 at 9:12PM

have clicked o start and in the right column there is a search button, click on it and type in the program your looking for and see if it lists it. If it does you cold create a shortcut.

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mcheathen

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Posted March 19, 2013 at 10:07PM

@lotvic Well done - I found it in the Accessories folder. The only thing I need to know how is it can appear in 'Start' 'All Programs' 'Accessories'.

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lotvic

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Posted March 19, 2013 at 10:35PM

Did you try putting a tick in the box next to it (in Add/Remove, ..... Accessories, Details, where it is now listed) and then clicking on 'OK' and 'OK' etc ? It should tell you if you need to put xp cd in. I'm thinking that will reinstall it to the folder in 'Start' 'All Programs' 'Accessories'

or it might now be installed in "C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe" and from there you can rightclick on wordpad.exe and create a shortcut and copy or drag the shortcut to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories

Maybe you should check to see if it has already appeared in the above, or reboot your pc and see if then appears.

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