Symptoms

When opening a file, a message is shown stating, "The file 'X:\Path\to\the\Filè.wpd', as specified in the execution parameters, cannot be opened.":

Causes:

Cause 1) This can happen due to a problem with the file association

Cause 2) This can happen due to a codepage issue with extended characters such as accented characters in the filename or the file path.

Resolutions:

Cause 1) A problem with the file association

1. Close WordPerfect
2. Right-click on a WordPerfect file and choose Properties
3. Click Change
4. Select a program from the list other than WordPerfect
5. Click OK
6. Click Apply but do not close the properties dialog
7. Click Change again
8. Select the WordPerfect from the list. If you have more than one version of WordPerfect installed, you should choose the most recent version of WordPerfect.
9. Click OK
10. Click OK again to close the dialog
11. Retry WordPerfect.

Cause 2) A codepage issue with extended characters such as accented characters in the filename or the file path.

Option 1: Don't use accented characters in path/file names. In most cases, this will resolve the issue, but may not be an option for all users.

Option 2: Set the Windows codepage for non-Unicode applications to US English:

1. This is a Windows setting, and the location does vary by Windows version.
2. For Windows 10:
   1. Click Start, type "Language Settings"
   2. Click on Language Settings in the search results
   3. Under Related Settings, click on Administrative Language Settings
   4. Click "Change System Locale"
   5. Select "English (United States)"
   6. Click OK, then click OK again.
3. For Windows 11:
   1. Press Win+I on your keyboard to open settings
   2. Click "Time & Language" on the left
   3. Click "Language & Region" on the right
   4. Click "Administrative Language Settings"
   5. Click "Change System Locale"
   6. Select "English (United States)"
   7. Click OK, then click OK again.