A missing Word icon on PaperPort's Send To bar does not necessarily mean Word was uninstalled or that OCR is unavailable. The link may be hidden, configured differently or unavailable for the current installation. Check the existing program link before reinstalling applications or adding a duplicate shortcut.
Use a harmless sample document and identify the installed PaperPort and Word versions. The workflow described here follows PaperPort 14 documentation. Compatibility and available links should be checked for the actual edition and installed applications rather than inferred from an old screenshot.
Confirm Word itself opens normally
Launch the installed Word application through its ordinary approved route. If it cannot open, investigate that application problem separately. A PaperPort link is not a replacement for an installed, usable destination program or the organization's licensing arrangement.
Then record whether the problem is a missing icon, a link that opens Word without content, or a conversion that produces unusable text. Those are different failure points. Restoring the icon will not automatically improve a poor scan or fix a damaged source document.
Inspect the existing program-link settings
Tungsten's Send To bar guidance explains that a program icon can be excluded from the bar without uninstalling the application. Inspect the list of existing links and whether the relevant icon is included. Avoid assuming that a hidden link must be recreated from scratch.
Check the destination and output type
A link can have options governing the conversion format. Review them before sending a real document. The desired output might be an editable text document rather than a PDF opened by a different default application.
Keep the active item in mind
The behavior can depend on whether an item is selected and what type it is. Use one supported sample rather than a group of mixed files. A link that launches a program with no selected item may be doing something different from transferring the current document.
| Symptom | First check |
|---|---|
| Icon missing | Existing link and Include icon setting |
| Word does not open independently | Word installation and application state |
| Word opens but no item arrives | Selection, file type and link options |
| Text arrives inaccurately | Source quality, recognition language and output review |
Understand when OCR is part of Send To
The item-transfer instructions describe converting a scanned page into text when sending it to a supported word processor. A scan is a picture before recognition. A successful transfer can therefore still require careful comparison of the resulting text with the page image.
Start with a short clearly printed page. Check the recognized words, paragraph order and any numbers. Do not judge conversion quality merely by whether Word displays a document. A page containing tables or handwriting needs its own acceptance test.
Restore only the link you need
If the documented interface permits showing an existing Word link, make that targeted change and repeat the sample. If no suitable link exists, follow the supported program-link setup for your version or ask the application administrator to review the installation.
Do not download unofficial integration installers or copy program files from another computer. The presence of a similarly named executable online does not establish that it belongs to the supported PaperPort and Word configuration.
Compare a single-item and multi-item operation
The official transfer documentation notes that program links can differ in the item types and quantities they accept. Establish one working item before attempting a group. If a mixed batch fails, inspect the unsupported input rather than changing the entire link configuration immediately.
Keep the expected output count clear. One multipage document and several separate documents are different results, even if both eventually open in Word. Confirm the result the recipient or subsequent editing task actually requires.
Validate the saved Word document
Save the converted output under a new name and reopen it. Compare important text and structure with the source. Preserve the original scan so a reviewer can resolve uncertain passages. Do not overwrite an approved document with an unreviewed reconstruction.
If the problem persists, report the PaperPort and Word versions, whether Word opens independently, the link settings, source file type and the sample result. A screenshot of the empty bar alone may not identify which stage failed.
Our PDF software workflow guide covers editing requirements more broadly. For this task, separate three checks: whether the application exists, whether the Send To link is visible and correctly configured, and whether the resulting editable document is accurate enough to use.
