Why can't I read a .docx file?

You need to get an app that can read DOCX.

DOCX is the newer Office file format introduced with Word 2007. (Also XLSX & PPTX.) Apps that could open DOC (XLS/PPT) files in the past need to get updated to be able to read DOCX (XLSX/PPTX.)

I've just run a check running iOS 5.0.1.

My mail opens a .docx attachment with no problems.

Your iPad should indeed open a .docx file as long as it's not password-locked. Have you tried restarting your iPad? (Hold down the power button until you get the red "slide to power off", do so, and then press the power button again to start the iPad back up).

Regards.

Gar Benedick wrote:

Asatoran,

Thank you! However, I am not using an app, I am using the latest version of Apple Mail and as I stated, I can read a .doc file that is sent to me, just not a .docx file. If .docx started back in '07, why hasn't this been updated, or is it a Microsoft licensing thing? Preview on my MBP can read .docx file, why not Mail?

As Dave and Gilh said, you should be able to open DOCX. (And I tested an XLSX as well) on iOS5.0.1, which I did on my iPad1.

The file formats were introduced in Office2007, but it took a while for developers to update their apps to handle the Microsoft proprietary format. And even now, they can't always open every document perfectly. (i.e.: tables are not aligned properly. Macros don't work.)

So in addition to what Dave said about resetting your iPad, also try opening a different DOCX file. Preferably a "simple" file. (Just one or two words.) No macros either.

Gar Benedick wrote:

Thank you all for your assistance. I do not have another .docx file to test, however, what is interesting is that my iPhone 4 Verizon phone will read/open the file without a problem. As you can imagine, viewing a word doc on my phone is no match for viewing it on my iPad. Any idea if the iPhone sees it differently for some reason? Or is it just a fluke that one does and the other does not?

Did you do as Dave suggested, restart the iPad? Maybe even a full reset by holding down the home and power buttons until you see the Apple logo. Restart/Reset will "fix" many things. 😉

Is anyone tapping on the "download entire message" link at the very bottom of the e-mail? We were having this issue and discovered that downloading the entire message first allowed us to view the attachments just fine (both XLSX, DOCX, and older formats).

Considering that this is a 2.5 year old post, they have probably resolved the problem.

Can't access docx files using my iPhone