Word and Excel will not open after transfer?

Question

Word and Excel will not open after transfer?

Anonymous

I recently transferred all data and files from a 2012 MacBook Pro to a new MacBook Air by the Mac recommendation “migration. I cannot open the Word or Excel files on the new Mac. They appear but I get a message that they are not available or were erased.

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Answer accepted by question author

Jim G 133.9K MVP

Hi

It sounds like you are trying to open the files using File > Open > Recent.

The recent file feature uses shortcuts to where your documents were located on the old Mac. The file paths are different now, so the shortcuts are broken. Use File > Open and search for your files using the search field in File > Open dialog, or locate your files in Finder and double-click them to open them. As you open your files, the recent list will learn the new locations.

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1 additional answer

Answer 1

Thank you Jim,

While this dispels the Mac notion that migration is a seamless way to transfer data and get a fast startup, you saved the day! Thank you again—it’s works!

I am curious to know how files my wife created on a PC in our house, saving to OneDrive, automatically ended up on the new Macand opened directly from Recents?

Marc