Why does Monterey not open many older files with Word, Excel, Preview, VLC ?
It is not predictable. My 15 year old iMac is more reliable. My new iMac with Monterey is mostly failure so far.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021, 2 ports)
Let us start by some Basic Trouble Shooting Techniques before concluding the Computer or macOS is a failure.
1 - Restart in Safe Mode. This will perform a Disk Repair, clear cache files and only load Apple Software, extensions and fonts. The boot up will be slow and can take some time - Normal.
2 - Does the issue present in this mode ?
3 - Sometimes a Safe Boot followed by a Normal Boot will just put things right.
More advanced below -->>
4 - If not - there could be something in the main User Account playing up. To further isolate this - Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac. Then log out of the Main User account and log into the dummy account and test again if the issue persists.
5 - If the issue is present in the dummy account - then, this appears to be a System Wide issue on the computer.
A real look at both the Hardware and Software used and installed on this computer -->>
6 - Download the Application Etrecheck directly from the Developer.
The application is free or paid from added features.
It will take a Snap Shot - both the hardware and software.
The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information.
Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - >>>> using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last ) <<<<
We can have a look at the report for possible issues and may have possible suggestions to resolve the issues.
Let us start by some Basic Trouble Shooting Techniques before concluding the Computer or macOS is a failure.
1 - Restart in Safe Mode. This will perform a Disk Repair, clear cache files and only load Apple Software, extensions and fonts. The boot up will be slow and can take some time - Normal.
2 - Does the issue present in this mode ?
3 - Sometimes a Safe Boot followed by a Normal Boot will just put things right.
More advanced below -->>
4 - If not - there could be something in the main User Account playing up. To further isolate this - Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac. Then log out of the Main User account and log into the dummy account and test again if the issue persists.
5 - If the issue is present in the dummy account - then, this appears to be a System Wide issue on the computer.
A real look at both the Hardware and Software used and installed on this computer -->>
6 - Download the Application Etrecheck directly from the Developer.
The application is free or paid from added features.
It will take a Snap Shot - both the hardware and software.
The Report will Not Reveal Any Personal Information.
Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - >>>> using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last ) <<<<
We can have a look at the report for possible issues and may have possible suggestions to resolve the issues.
1 - Have had a good look at the report and thank you for posting it.
2 - It is submitted that the Issue Described below arise from the Files from an iMac from 2007 were created on a very old version of the Microsoft Office for Mac that would run on an iMac from 2007.
3 - This computer " iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021) " would have to be running the Most Recent version of the Microsoft suite of Applications that are Compatible with the Apple Silicon M Class Computers.
4 - As presented further down in this Report - this computer appears to be Enrolled in an MDM ( Mobile Digital Management ) Service.
5 - Is that correct ?
Problem: Other problem
Q - Description: Inconsistent errors on trying to open different files in different programs files which I copied from a 2007 iMac which had no problems opening those files.
Minor Issues:
Q - No Time Machine backup - Time Machine backup not found.
A - Under the present setup, All Important Data is at risk of loss. That is ok if the Data can be reproduced at a later time.
Make Time Machine Backup is very useful
Q - Configuration profiles found - This computer may have configuration profiles installed. These are sometimes used by malware.
Hardware Information: iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021)
Configuration Profiles:
com.apple.mail.managed
SMIMEEnabled
OutgoingMailServerUseSSL
PreventAppSheet
EmailAccountName
EmailAddress
IncomingMailServerUseSSL
EmailAccountType
EmailAccountDescription
OutgoingMailServerPortNumber
IncomingMailServerHostName
IncomingPassword
IncomingMailServerAuthentication
OutgoingPasswordSameAsIncomingPassword
OutgoingMailServerHostName
IncomingMailServerUsername
PreventMove
OutgoingMailServerAuthentication
IncomingMailServerPortNumber
OutgoingMailServerUsername
Jpegs which open fine on the 2007 iMac into preview or photoshop elements will not open on the new iMac into preview or photoshop elements. Photoshop elements gives the following error' "Could not complete your request because a JPEG marker segment length is too short (the file may be truncated or incomplete).
Taking that same file back to the old computer results in it not opening because it was damaged.
The 2TB thumb drive I'm using to move stuff sometimes gets damaged in the new computer and I have to reformat it in the old iMac -- where it works fine, and sometimes for a while in the new iMac.
The new iMac, or something running on it, is damaging files and that thumb drive's format.
Well good 👍 the user ( you ) ran the Etrecheck Application
It is purely optimal to post the Etrecheck Report for all to see,
Though the More Eyes on the Report the more Possible Permanent Solutions may come forth.
How do I get rid of ...
MDM ( Mobile Digital Management ) Service
You can't, normally, unless it was you who installed them. You have to ask the company/school/organization that manages that Mac to remove them.
I suspect the APFS file system being inconsistently incompatible with MacOS extended. I can't use APFS on the old iMac.
It's not. They have no interaction with each other that would require any compatibility.
But never did I have these problems with basic files such as jpgs, pdfs, docx.
All of those have some level of versions. PDFs, especially. You should not have any issues with JPEGs or docx. Nothing in those has changed to where the apps that could open them cannot, now. The fact that you are having problems with them indicates either disk corruption or some third-party system modification preventing access.
MDM is managed by serial number. If you didn’t install the MDM profiles, then some company has registered your Mac’s serial number into their MDM. You can try taking it to an Apple Store with proof of purchase. I don’t know if they can intercede, though.
I found a possibly useful thread on Microsoft which describes something familiar.
"Ever since I upgraded to MacOS Monterey, I'm having trouble reading many Word and Excel files. I upgraded from Office Build 16.54 to 16.55 and still same problem."
Yesterday I spent hours online with Microsoft support about MS Word under Monterey not opening many docx files -- no resolution.
But I find other programs won't open files either. Preview won't open jpegs. VLC won't play mp4. Excel won't open many xlsx.
And it is not consistent since some Word and Excel files will open.
And I have installed the most recent updates on those programs.
This new iMac with Monterey is a general failure so far with so many programs not opening files.
Maybe I need to borrow a friend's, or buy one of my own, Windows computer to copy my files to since I had no problems with Word, Excel, jpegs, and other files created on my 2007 iMac opening on a Dell at the office I just retired from.
I really need to open my Word files which have hundreds of thousands of words which I wrote and many, many graphics which I created.
Nearest Apple store is 100 miles away. If it is an MDM managed by somebody else, they darn well better intercede. This Mac I personally bought online from Apple. Maybe I need to take this up with Apple and the "AppleCare" which I also bought at the same time about one month ago.
As to time machine, I've a habit learned thirty years ago to save often -- at the end of a written thought, or paragraph, or every several edits in a spreadsheet or graphics program -- command or apple S on Macs and control S on Windows. And I have backups on other drives which I daily or more often copy to. Frequent lightning or power blips have reinforced those lessons. I'll keep the old iMac running as backup to the new iMac since the new one has proven to be unreliable and a poor platform to solely depend on.
Monterey won't format a thumb drive -- Spotlight issue? So I formatted it on the old Mac with Mac OS extended so that I could move files onto this new Mac.
Adobe Reader just downloaded but won't open pdf files.
It has turned doc xls txt files into Unix Executables and my telling the system to open them with Word, Excel, Pages, or Numbers does not work.
As this list gets longer, the list of what does work remains very short.
At least Photoshop Elements works with psd files but won't open gif or png or jpg
Ran EtreCheckPro. removed several screen sharing items which a scammer had me install when I went to the address in the Microsoft Office Home and Student box. They wanted me to buy firewall protection and I refused -- then called both Microsoft and Apple support. Finally got Office Home and Student installed.
Problem with a second user is that I've not figured out how to have that user access my folder and files. I made that user an admin and gave it read -write privileges. I created a folder on the desktop and have loaded my files into it.
Using this iMac with Monterey is a huge challenge -- it is not what Mac was designed for.
In safe mode I had the same issues with inconsistent opening of files from several programs.
Maybe I should not have waited 15 years to get a new iMac since once the old one finally quits, all my work will be lost.
And I assume that anything I created on this new iMac will face the same fate in ten years or so.
How do I get rid of ...
MDM ( Mobile Digital Management ) Service
and
configuration profiles.
I'll try to find that process on the net somewhere.
As to Time Machine -- after I get files worth backing up, then I may resort to that. But for now I do not have my most important functional or complete files moved and complete on the new iMac.
I'm copy-pasting a few dozen pages of my most important documents from the old Word files on the old iMac to new Word files on the new iMac.
I suspect the APFS file system being inconsistently incompatible with MacOS extended. I can't use APFS on the old iMac.
This is most frustrating from an old Mac user who started on SEs, then his own SE/30, then an 840AV, PowerMac 9600, 2007 iMac, then this iMac. As software such as MacWrite and Microsoft Works ceased upgrades, I lost access to those files. But never did I have these problems with basic files such as jpgs, pdfs, docx.
Why does Monterey not open older files with Word, Excel, Preview, VLC on iMac
