opening email attachments

[MrIncredible]

whenever I try to open a word document as a email attachment I get the message: file format is not valid.

I think its tring to open it up with excel rather than word.

The only option I have at the moment is to save the document on my desktop then right click and use the "open with"

only started happening yesterday and its already annoying me!

[bibblebub]

When you use Open With do you select the Choose Default Program option? If you tick the appropriate box within that then Windows remembers which program to always use with a particular file extension (i.e. the part of a filename that indicates what type of file it is).

[MrIncredible]

I have tried that, which works fine when its saved on my desktop, but not when its within an email.

[bibblebub]

What program (and version) are you using for your emails?

If it's Thunderbird then go to Tools > Options > Attachments to choose which program opens what type of file. If not then I don't have it to have a look.

[MrIncredible]

Windows xp
microsoft outlook
.docx
microsoft office 2010

When I choose open with i am choosing micro soft word, which works fine like I stated above when saved on my pc just not in as a email attachment,

[ChuckFickens]

"When I choose open with i am choosing micro soft word"

are you selecting word from the pop up menu, or have you tried selecting "choose default program" (or something like that, it's at the bottom of the open with menu) and then choose word and make sure the always open with box is ticked.