Trouble importing bilingual review files from Word - What am I doing wrong?

Question

I have translated 18 files and they have all been reviewed by the client and now there are some changes to be made. I have followed all the instructions but keep getting a message: Error: the document layout cannot be identified. It will take me ages to do it all manually - please can someone help? 
 The documents are all like this: 01 MOD COKG C&PM CHECKLIST.xlsx.review.docx 
 I have gone into the documents and enabled editing and saved them again, in case that was the problem. I have also accepted all the changes in review mode, but that also did not help. 
 I have checked that all the file options are ticked in Trados, and they are. 
 I would be grateful for any help!

Jerzy Czopik · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately the documents are quite fragile. IF you have changed ANYTHING on their layout, for example the size of the columns, this may be enough to prevent them from importing back. Also ANY additional line breaks, even manual line breaks will prevent them from being read back. 
When proofreading such files, no structural changes may be made. 
Provided you did NOT add any line breaks or similar, you can do the following: 
- Move the exported and reviewed files to another folder 
- Export the SDLXLIFF files for external review again 
- Open the first newly exported file 
- Switch off track changes 
- Open the corresponding file from the previous batch 
- Accept all changes 
- Copy the target column by selecting all the text in the column, but NOT selecting the column header; to achieve this easily split the table to have the table header separated from the columns, then place the mouse cursor over the top of the column you want to copy; the mouse pointer will change and you can select the whole column with one click 
- Paste the copied text into the target column in the newly exported file; just click into the first cell below the header, place the cursor at the beginning of the text and press CTRL+V 
- Save this file 
- This file shall now import without any problems

Janneke Oxley · Answer

Thank you - I will try this now!

Paul · Answer

Hi Janneke Oxley , 
 
In addition to what Jerzy mentioned can you make sure you are importing from bilingual review and not trying to use retrofit?

Janneke Oxley · Answer

You are a life-saver - this works! I still had problems with the first document but it told me in which segment there was an issue and when I amended that it worked. Second document done too. Only 19 to go....Thanks so much for your help!

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Trouble importing bilingual review files from Word - What am I doing wrong?

When “Update from External Review” does not work – SDL XLIFF Converter