deleting the normal.dot file can be a solution to a corrupt template but your issue does not sound like a corrupt template. It sounds more like you have a bad disk where the two files are stored. If you can open all other work documents then normal.dot is not corrupt.

Deleting normal.dot file is not always an options. Remember normal.dot is the default template file for word soooo.... all of the setting you might have in word...will be gone... This includes auto-text, customized toolbars and buttons everything.

Try coping the file to the hard drive and see if you can open them. DO you have another copy of the file located somewhere else where you can make another copy and see if the new copies will open. have you attempt to run chkdsk on the diskette. IF you try to correct and error more likely then not it will trash the file but it might be able to recover...