PRB: Word 97 Document Added to SourceSafe as Text File

• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 32-bit, for Windows, versions 4.0, 5.0
• Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, 16-bit and 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

SourceSafe may interpret Word Documents as Text format when you add them to your database, potentially corrupting the files. The conversion process of Word 97 to Word 6.0/95 format apparently converts the file into text format.

NOTE: To verify the format type SourceSafe stored, highlight the file, then from the File menu in the SourceSafe Explorer, choose Properties. The file type is displayed on the General tab.

CAUSE

When you save a file in Word 6.0/95 format, it generates a file in Rich Text Format (RTF), which is text representation of a Binary file. SourceSafe detects this and stores the file as Text. The corruption occurs when the format of the file is converted back to Word 97 Binary format while SourceSafe has the file registered as Text.

RESOLUTION

Any of the following three methods can be used to avoid this problem:

• Don't save files created in Word 97 as Word 6.0/95 format. Instead, have users of Word 6.0 or Word 95 get the Microsoft Word 97 Converter.

  For additional information about the Microsoft Word 97 Converter, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  ARTICLE-ID: Q162602 TITLE : WORD 97: Questions About Saving in the Word 6.0/95 File Format

  -or-

• When adding a file, you see a Comment dialog box with an Advanced>> button at the bottom. Click this button and change the File Type drop- down box to Binary.

  -or-

• Add the following to your Srcsafe.ini file before any section headers.

        Binary_Masks = *.doc
  

STATUS

This behavior is by design. SourceSafe correctly identifies the .rtf file as being a text file.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Open a new document in Word 97, save it as "Word 6.0/95" and close.

2. Add the file to SourceSafe.

3. Check out the file and edit it in Word 97.

4. Choose File, and Save As a "Word Document(*.doc)" file type.

5. Close the file.

6. Check the file back into SourceSafe.

7. Now highlight the file, choose Edit, View File, and you will see corrupted characters.