[oilbath1]

Retrieving documents
When I try to open a document, it opens ok, but it just shows a bunch of empty squares, about 1/4 inch square.

[cwwozniak]

Any chance you can let us in on the type of document you are trying to open, exactly what program was used to create it, and what program you are using to open it? Telling us what operating system you are running wouldn't hurt either.

Did you create the document or did you get it from someone else?

[oilbath1]

Word pad, OS XL. I created, and there are many more. I also get a message, on different programs that microsoft needs to know what program created it

[cwwozniak]

Originally Posted by oilbath1

Word pad, OS XL. I created, and there are many more.

I am sorry to report that I am not very familiar with Wordpad and only use if when Windows reports that Notepad can not open a file. I believe that it does allow you to create both Rich Text Format (.RTF) and text (.TXT) files. What is/are the filename extension(s) of the files that are giving you problems?

Originally Posted by oilbath1

I also get a message, on different programs that microsoft needs to know what program created it

Microsoft needs to know what program was used to create another program? What kind of programs are you trying to run that report the error?

[slurpee55]

I would guess that either you are using WordPad to open files of an unsupported type (but still one it manages to open, like Excel) or you have imported a file from another program and all you are seeing is the formatting data - some types of delimited files will look like that also - if I import data from Excel to a certain program I use, it will fill all the empty spaces with breaks, which, when exported again, appear as squares.

[oilbath1]

Most of these documents were saved in wordpad, so shouldn't they be able to open the same?

[slurpee55]

Oh, yes, but saved as what format? .doc, .wri, .rtf, .txt (3 kinds) or other?

[oilbath1]

I thought everything youy saved that you put on the computer by yourself would automaticaly be in a format that could be retrieved, Anyway the ones giving ,me the most trouble are--WSP and XLR

[slurpee55]

okay, well, that explains a lot - neither of those is a native format for WordPad, and were not created in it.
WSP files are Windows SharePoint Services Solution Framework Files. Frankly, they are for servers and are rather out of my experience. If you want to read about them, go here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa543214.aspx
- but if you don't know what they are, I would advise against messing with them. You could reset the file type to only open in WordPad and screw up something running in the background.
XLR files are a "little" easier - they were created by MS Works Spreadsheet or Chart. If you have Works, then use that to open them. If you don't, I think that Open Office - a free office suite you can download here:
http://www.openoffice.org/
can open them.

[oilbath1]

Downloaded and tried open office, didn't seem to help, however I may not have used the right proceedure, could you help?

[slurpee55]

It would only help with the XLR files - the others really are for the OS or various programs to usilize. Rather like .dll files - you can open them, but they mean nothing to the average person.
But for opening XLR files, you probably need to open the OO Spreadsheet program, then browse for the file - look for all file types.