Recover .docx file from 'SAXParseException: "No namespace defined for pic"' - docx

Question

I cannot open a .docx file that I stored in a USB pendrive. I get following error and LibreOffice doesn't open the document:
File format error found at
SAXParseException: "No namespace defined for pic"
SAXParseException: '[word/document.xml line 2]: Namespace prefix pic on txbx is not defined
', Stream 'word/document.xml', Line 2, Column 30767(row,col).
Is there any way to recover the file?

Answer 1

Decompress the .docx file. If you don't know how to do it, check it here:
https://superuser.com/a/1356829/707698
In the decompressed directory, look for the file word/document.xml and open it with a text editor. In the second line you'll see something like:
<w:document xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
xmlns:r="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships"
xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
xmlns:w="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/wordprocessingml/2006/main"
xmlns:w10="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"
xmlns:wp="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/wordprocessingDrawing"
xmlns:wps="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingShape"
xmlns:wpg="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingGroup"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:wp14="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingDrawing"
xmlns:w14="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordml"
mc:Ignorable="w14 wp14">
You have to include following attribute in that statement:
xmlns:pic="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/picture"
After that you'll have something like this:
<w:document xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
xmlns:r="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships"
xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
xmlns:w="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/wordprocessingml/2006/main"
xmlns:w10="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"
xmlns:wp="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/wordprocessingDrawing"
xmlns:wps="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingShape"
xmlns:wpg="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingGroup"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
xmlns:wp14="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingDrawing"
xmlns:w14="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordml"
xmlns:pic="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/picture"
mc:Ignorable="w14 wp14">
Now you just need to rebuild the .docx file from the decompressed directory. If you don't know how to do it, check it here:
https://superuser.com/a/1356829/707698