i can't open .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx ... files

then you should
move or copy your
personal files off
the computer

then review your
laptops procedures
for initiating a "factory
restore".

most laptops have
a special method to
initiate a "factory restore"
which will revert your
laptop to the state from
the factory.

the procedure will
format the hard drive
and then "re install" the
original programs.

-------------------

to me, this is the only
option you have because:

1) your restore points go
back only a few days and
did not resolve the issue.

2) you removed both
"office's" and still had the
problem.

3) you cleaned the registry
and still had the problem

so, it's best to restore the
laptop to its original and
functional state via
a "factory restore"

or if vista was manually
installed on the laptop with
windows cd's, the "re-install"
vista.

but be sure you have the
special hardware drivers for
your laptop to install also.

you're welcome.

also, you may want to "make"
a restore point yourself
after your system is in a
perfect state and before
you alter it by adding more
programs.

the o.s. will retain "manually
created" restore points longer
than the one's it makes.

the manual restore point
you make soon after you
restore the laptop,

may help you to circumvent
future "factory restores"

I had exactly the same problem, but on Windows XP SP3. It may have started
when I installed Office 2007 Student & Home edition. I checked the file
associations (from the File Types tabbed page on the Folder Options window
which can be launched from the Tools menu on an Explorer window) and found
that although they looked correct in the list (Microsoft Word Document) when
I edited it it said Microsoft Word Viewer (or similar, key term is "Viewer").
I changed to Microsoft Word and then the file could be loaded into Word from
the recent documents list and from a shortcut icon.

Before I licensed Office I typically viewed Word and Excel docs using free
viewers, AbiWord and Gnumeric. I guess it was a hangover from then.