Word & Excel Menus don't work

Help!
I am using Microsoft Office XP Professional - WORD and EXCEL
When I click on any of the Menu options - all that appears is a shadowy line at the right hand side and base of where you would expect the menu options to display i.e. the size varies for each menu item, there are no menu items listed.


I've had a read through other posts on the site to see if anything applies and can tell you:
- I can happily edit the document
- All the EXCEL and WORD shortcuts work i.e. F& conducts a spell check in word, F12 allows Save as
- I have searched for normal.dot (clicking on the widows icon in the lower right of screen and entering normal.dot in the search box) and can't find it!? a number of word document. A number (say 20) of seemingly random word documents re listed i.e. documents that I have created all with a file type of Microsoft Word Document


Many Thanks
JoGirl - Auckland, NZ

 

Which year version of the programs are you using? Perhaps normal.dot should be normal.dotx. It is a hidden file.

 

Hi EB - Thanks for writing... I open up EXCEL and WORD and the programs are 202 Service Pack 3.
I wasn't able to specify this before as the menu didn't work to access the "About Word" option etc... so you can guess what has happened - it has started working! Revelation!!!


I can't figure why it's now working - as whilst I have shut it down whilst away over the weekend - I also tried this when I had the problem and I was truly going mad.


Interestingly when I search for normal.dot I get a list of word files that have been received in my inbox... and when I type normal.dotx I get nothing... and when I type normal.* I get a HUGE list of files - adobe acrobat... jpg photos... pages and pages...


If you have any idea about what happened - unproven or not - would appreciate hearing in case it happens again!


Regards
Jo