Microsoft Word does NOT (and probably never will) open any file in these formats:
OpenDocument Text (.odt)
OpenDocument Text Template (.ott)
OpenOffice.org Text Document (.sxw)
OpenOffice.org Text Document Template (.stw)
StarOffice's StarWriter (.sdw)
StarOffice's StarWriter Template (.vor) file.
To open (and convert) this file, you WILL need to download AND install the free open source office suite
alternative called OpenOffice.org.
OR
Email back the sender and have him/her save the document as a "Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP (.doc)" file.
OpenOffice.org can create, open, edit, and save Microsoft Word Documents (.doc), Microsoft Word Templates
(.dot), Microsoft Excel Worksheets (.xls), Microsoft Excel Templates (.xlt), Microsoft PowerPoint
Presentations (.ppt), Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Shows (.pps), and Microsoft PowerPoint Templates (.pot). This
means that you will be able to open the OpenOffice.org Text Document (.sxw) and save it into the Microsoft
Word Document (.doc) file format which Microsoft Word understands.
During installation of OpenOffice.org, you will be asked if you want OpenOffice.org to automatically open
Microsoft Word Documents, Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets, and Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations. As long as you
make sure that these options are NOT checked when you get to this step, OpenOffice.org won't make these
changes and the Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint (full version or the viewer) will
remain the default for opening these files. This is documented in the Setup Guide (see links below to download
it) for OpenOffice.org 2.0 on page 26.
You find more information about OpenOffice.org at, well...
http://www.openoffice.org/
If you are on Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you WILL need to log in as an Administrator prior to installing
OpenOffice.org 2.0.
The latest stable release (at the time of this post) is OpenOffice.org 2.0. You can download it he
http://download.openoffice.org/2.0.0/index.html
Installation manuals, setup guides, user guides, etc. for OpenOffice.org can be found he
http://documentation.openoffice.org/index.html
To view PDF files, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader (a.k.a. Adobe Reader or Acrobat Reader):
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
NOTE 1: The OpenOffice.org project and software are informally referred to as "OpenOffice", but project
organizers report that this term is a trademark held by another party, requiring them to adopt
"OpenOffice.org" as its formal name (abbreviated as "OOo").
NOTE 2: OpenOffice.org is NOT developed or supported by Microsoft.
How to open an OpenDocument Text (.odt) file in OpenOffice.org 2.0 and convert it to a Microsoft Word Document
(.doc):
If you are on Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you WILL need to log in as an Administrator prior to installing
OpenOffice.org 2.0.
If you haven't already done so, download OpenOffice.org 2.0 from he
http://download.openoffice.org/2.0.0/index.html
Open the downloaded file and go through the installation process.
AFTER OpenOffice.org 2.0 has been installed...
Click the "Start" button (to bring up the Start Menu), point to "Programs", then point to "OpenOffice.org 2.0"
and click on "OpenOffice.org Writer".
If you are using Windows XP and don't see "Programs" under the Start Menu, look for "All Programs" instead.
In other words:
Click the "Start" button (to bring up the Start Menu), point to "All Programs", then point to "OpenOffice.org
2.0" and click on "OpenOffice.org Writer".
If this is the first time you are running OpenOffice.org, you will be given a welcome screen where you WILL
need to "Scroll Down" and "Accept" a license agreement, enter your name, etc. The last part is for
registration and is NOT required.
In OpenOffice.org Writer, click "File" and then click "Open...".
At the bottom of the "Open" dialog, you will find a selection list with the text "Files of type:" to the left
of it with "All files (*.*)" selected. Lets be a bit more specific, so click on the arrow pointing down and
choose "OpenDocument Text (*.odt)" from the list. Find your file, single click on it and click the "Open"
button.
After the file loads, click "File" and then click "Save As...".
Near the bottom of the Save As dialog box, you will find a selection list with the text "Save as type:" to the
left of it. Click on the arrow pointing down and choose "Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP (.doc)". Choose a location
to save the file and click the "Save" button.
Now open the newly created Microsoft Word Document in Microsoft Word as you normally would open any other
Microsoft Word Document.
Additional notes:
Alternatively, you can open a file in OpenOffice.org by right-clicking the OpenOffice.org Quickstarter icon
(in the system tray) and choose "Open Document". The OpenOffice.org Quickstarter icon automatically loads
after OpenOffice.org has been started for the first time and will continue to load every time Windows is
started. This can be disabled in OpenOffice.org under Tools - Options... - Memory.
Everything noted above can be followed for older versions of OpenOffice.org with small changes to certain
steps. For example, with OpenOffice.org 1.1.5, you would start OpenOffice.org Writer by going to Start -
Programs - OpenOffice.org 1.1.5 - Text Document.
OpenOffice.org 1.1.5 can ONLY open/read files in the OpenDocument format while OpenOffice.org 2.0 (and later
versions) can create, open, edit, and save them.
You can find more information about OpenOffice.org and the OpenDocument format he
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenOffice.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument.
While there are other applications that do support the OpenDocument format, however, I recommend
OpenOffice.org 2.0.
A plug-in (add-in) that will allow users of Microsoft Office to open files in the OpenDocument format is being
developed as we speak. It is called "OpenOpenOffice". More information can be found he
http://www.phase-n.com/openopenoffice/
--
Please post all replies to the newsgroup for the benefit of others.
Requests for assistance by email will NOT be acknowledged!
"brucefryer" wrote in message
...
I am receiving odt documents and Word cannot open them. Cannot figure this
one out.
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