Look I should know this but probably have forgotten. I've copied a word text to disk (dvd) and then had to re-install my hard drive. Now I want to add to this text and alter existing text to complete the document for printing but it will not let me alter only add. I copied it to my word processor from the disk. Do I have to re type it all? there's gotta be a way!
word problem
(13 posts) (5 voices)-
Posted 15 years ago #
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Hi Bigharry, once a file is written to a storage disc such as a DVD you cannot edit the actual content while it's on the disk. What you'd have to do is copy the file containing the text onto your hard drive (which you have idicated you've already done) then edit it before recopying it. If you'd used an external drive or a flash drive it would have been a different matter. You can edit any document provided you have the correct programs to do so.
I hope this clarifies the situation.
By the way, even if the disc is a re writable one, which again I presume it is because you've said you can add to it, you still can't edit the file, only transfer and then edit as explained above.
Regards
Whiterabbit
p.s. let us know how you got on. thanks
Posted 15 years ago # -
Well I get that White Rabbit but I cannot alter the text after I have copied it to my hard drive only add to the text. The cursor will not "sit" in the existing text to allow alteration. Hope this is clear and thx for the response
Posted 15 years ago # -
That's odd, Harry. Is it possible that the file was copied as a read-only? If so, you could go to the file's properties and uncheck that box.
Posted 15 years ago # -
Well what happens is when I click on the text of the text file I copied from the dvd to my hard drive I get what looks like an image box around all the text that operates as an enlarge or shrink frame. Now I can add text because that is outside this "image". So have I copied this file in a way that it is operating a bit like a graphic?
harryPosted 15 years ago # -
That frequently happens, but I'm not sure how you got there. I apologize, but some basic questions. I assume the file's extension is .doc. I also assume that you simply copied it from your DVD and then double clicked on the copied file or used the open command in Word. And the file that was originally put on the DVD was a .doc file. Sorry about that. But sometimes you have to eliminate the obvious. If all of those are true, then maybe we can go into it deeper. Obviously, it's acting like a graphic. You didn't drag and drop the icon of the copied file into a blank document did you? That would treat that file like an image object and that would DEFINITELY explain it. If that's it, there's a way to drag and drop that avoids that problem, just as an FYI. I'm probably heading off to bed shortly, so I'll look for your response tomorrow.
Posted 15 years ago # -
Hello BigHarry, try the following:
create a new Word Document and save it. Then go to "INSERT", choose "FILE" which should be your original Word Document on the DVD.
Pura vida, AlexSJPosted 15 years ago # -
Now in answer to young Watcher 13. The original file was a doc. created using Word (Office XP Pro) then I used Nero to copy it to a DVD. I then decided to finish as a final document and used copy from the DVD and pasted into a new blank document in the same Word programme. Yes it is acting like a graphic. Hope you had a good night's rest.
Now young AlexS....I'll check that out kid and get backto you
Catchya
(Old but big)HarryPosted 15 years ago # -
Just had to come straight back to post this for young Alex. It worked fine and thanks for the help
Posted 15 years ago # -
Harry, glad Alex's method worked for you. Though I don't know why you would even do that. I would have just copied the whole document to my hard drive and opened it by double clicking on the copy. That opens Word and the copy. No new document and no pasting needed.
I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but I do this all the time. I don't have a printer at home, so I burn my resumes to a CD-ROM, go to the public library, copy them to the machine I'm on, double click and open them, then make any custom changes I wan't and print. Then I delete them from the library computer. I use Open Office or Works, and they have Word 2003. Works everytime. I've used Word in more than one place I've worked. No offense, but it should work for you. A data DVD should work essentially the same as a data CD-ROM. Unless you used something other than the data disk method to burn it. But I don't know if that would even work. Skip the pasting and try to open the copied document straight after dragging a copy or copying and pasting the whole document to your hard drive. If you open the copy and you can't make any changes it's because the transition to DVD changed it to a read only document and you should be able to go to properties and uncheck that box.
One of those old "sad, but true's" is: the more steps you take, the more chance for error. As to my age, I'm 51. I don't know if you consider that young. I consider it old enough to know better.
Posted 15 years ago # -
One thing I have observed is that files copied back from optical media (CDs or DVDs) often end up set as read-only. Right click on the file in Windows Explorer, select properties, and uncheck "read only".
Posted 15 years ago # -
Thanks for the confirmation on the behavior, JKEngineer.
Posted 15 years ago # -
Eh thanks to all of you guys who responded. This is a great forum
HarryPosted 15 years ago #
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