Not A Valid Win32 Application- Resources leak?

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

When I try to open an Open Office or sometimes an Excel document I get an error
"Not a Valid Win32 application".

This seems to have started after I installed SP3. Anyone else have this problem????

drcf

goretsky · Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:04 am Post subject:

Hello,

Perhaps a program which integrates with your system such as anti-malware or a realtime file backup/synchronization program needs to be updated for compatibility with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 2240 Location: Central FL, USA

Donrc,

"Google" is a great source for information.

I just Googled "Not a Valid Win32 Application" and got 244,000 hits.

I would have to suspect that your answer is in there somewhere. Wink

Give it a try!

Doc Cool

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Doc,
I've been on Google for two days. Lots of people have the question so far no one has the answer.

drc

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 2240 Location: Central FL, USA

WELL, I only read the responses on two of those sites, on the first page and I did read the WHY of it. If you know the WHY then you should be able to figger out the how, where and when.

There's a problem on your computer, and they talk about that problem extensively on those sites. Go thru all the possibilities and eliminate them, one at a time, till the problem is solved.

Good Luck,
Doc Cool

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Found it!

In order to open an Open Office file in XP SP3 it is necessary to open Open Office Write or Calc before you attempt to open the document. It doesn't matter that you have the "Open with this program" right.

Since MS has been feuding with the makers of this program (Which is free but serves the same purpose as the overpriced MS Office) one has to wonder if this wasn't deliberately written into SP3? No, they wouldn't do that would they???????
Not much. Rolling Eyes

drc

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2747

Thanks for finding the cause.

I just installed XP and I have updated to SP3. I don't have an Office app yet but I was planning on installing OO v3 because I'm cheap and I don't want to spend the $$$ for MS Office.

goretsky · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:08 am Post subject:

Hello,

This sounds more like a bug in how OpenOffice registers the handlers for filetypes than a problem on Microsoft's part, since the problem does not seem to occur with either IBM Lotus Symphony or Corel WordPerfect Office, but I did note that OpenOffice 3.0.1 was just released. Perhaps upgrading to it will solve the problem.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Thanks Goretsky! I'll give that a try.

And let us grouse about MS a little. Very Happy

drc

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Updating to OO version 3.0.1 didn't help. You still have to open the specific program instead of just clicking on the file to open it.

I'm back to suspecting MS of dastardly doings. Razz

drc

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 1242

I MAY be wrong about this but I thought a few years back M$ was caught doing something along those lines. - if it IS true & can be proven, M$ ought to be NAILED for it.
There is NO EXCUSE for this kind of doings!!!! PERIOD!!! - There is ENOUGH problems with software administering without someone deliberately adding to it! Evil or Very Mad

goretsky · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:39 am Post subject:

Hello,

You might want to take a look around the Open Office forums and see if any of the members there have any recommendations. I did find a couple of message thread here explaining how to fix associations which might apply to your situation, and a bug report here about a similar issue. Perhaps those will be of help.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 946

Goretsky,
Looks like you are right. It is something they left out of 3.0 that was in 2.4. I'll just wait for the next update.

Oh, and I apologize to MS. Embarassed

drc

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 1242

Since you are apologizing to M$, I'll clarify my posting by stating that what I posted goes for ANY company pulling such "tricks"! (that's what I originally meant but may not be apparent)