[doninwash]

I was sent a Word document and tried to open it in my version 2003 version. I
was informed that it had been created in a newer verion of Word and asked if
I wanted to download and install a conversion program which I did. Now when I
bring it up I am informed I will not be able to do everything I would wish
with it and when I try to enter information the cursor jumps to the beginning
of the document and does not allow me to enter any text. When look at the
file name extension, it ends in "docx". What can I do other than purchase the
newer version of Word?

[Graham Mayor]

While you may be able to open Word docx format with the addition of the
compatibility pack
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/pr...686761033.aspx you still
don't have Word 2007 and so some 2007 specific features will not work. Ask
the originator to send you the document in Word 97-2003 format.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org



doninwash wrote:
I was sent a Word document and tried to open it in my version 2003
version. I was informed that it had been created in a newer verion of
Word and asked if I wanted to download and install a conversion
program which I did. Now when I bring it up I am informed I will not
be able to do everything I would wish with it and when I try to enter
information the cursor jumps to the beginning of the document and
does not allow me to enter any text. When look at the file name
extension, it ends in "docx". What can I do other than purchase the
newer version of Word?

[Steve Hayes]

On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 17:31:01 -0700, doninwash
wrote:

I was sent a Word document and tried to open it in my version 2003 version. I
was informed that it had been created in a newer verion of Word and asked if
I wanted to download and install a conversion program which I did. Now when I
bring it up I am informed I will not be able to do everything I would wish
with it and when I try to enter information the cursor jumps to the beginning
of the document and does not allow me to enter any text. When look at the
file name extension, it ends in "docx". What can I do other than purchase the
newer version of Word?

Someone sent me one of those. I couldn't read it, so I asked them to send it
to me as RTF, which they did.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

[Three Lefts]

On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 08:19:30 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

While you may be able to open Word docx format with the addition of the
compatibility pack
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/pr...686761033.aspx you still
don't have Word 2007 and so some 2007 specific features will not work. Ask
the originator to send you the document in Word 97-2003 format.

In my opinion, it is utter arrogance, not to mention stupidity, on the
part of Microsoft not to provide a free conversion utility that will
do exactly what Word 2007 does when I Save As Word 97-2003.

They made a huge and incompatible change to a program used by almost
everyone. This company is out of control.

[JohnR]

I'd call it good business practice. They let you read the document, didn't
they. You might be able to cut and paste to get it back to word 97 -2003
(close maybe anyway). If you want to work with the new program, BUY IT !



"Three Lefts" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 08:19:30 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

While you may be able to open Word docx format with the addition of the
compatibility pack
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/pr...686761033.aspx you still
don't have Word 2007 and so some 2007 specific features will not work. Ask
the originator to send you the document in Word 97-2003 format.

In my opinion, it is utter arrogance, not to mention stupidity, on the
part of Microsoft not to provide a free conversion utility that will
do exactly what Word 2007 does when I Save As Word 97-2003.

They made a huge and incompatible change to a program used by almost
everyone. This company is out of control.

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

When you open a Word 2007 document in an earlier version using the
Compatibility Pack, is the result not the same as what you get when you save
a Word 2007 document in Word 97-2003 format?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

"Three Lefts" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 08:19:30 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

While you may be able to open Word docx format with the addition of the
compatibility pack
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/pr...686761033.aspx you still
don't have Word 2007 and so some 2007 specific features will not work. Ask
the originator to send you the document in Word 97-2003 format.

In my opinion, it is utter arrogance, not to mention stupidity, on the
part of Microsoft not to provide a free conversion utility that will
do exactly what Word 2007 does when I Save As Word 97-2003.

They made a huge and incompatible change to a program used by almost
everyone. This company is out of control.

[Graham Mayor]

Clearly you haven't read the question or the answer. The issue is not
whether Word 2007 can produce Word 97-2003 format documents, but whether
Word 2003 can use Word 2007 format documents.

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org



Three Lefts wrote:
On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 08:19:30 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

While you may be able to open Word docx format with the addition of
the compatibility pack
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/pr...686761033.aspx you
still don't have Word 2007 and so some 2007 specific features will
not work. Ask the originator to send you the document in Word
97-2003 format.

In my opinion, it is utter arrogance, not to mention stupidity, on the
part of Microsoft not to provide a free conversion utility that will
do exactly what Word 2007 does when I Save As Word 97-2003.

They made a huge and incompatible change to a program used by almost
everyone. This company is out of control.

[Three Lefts]

On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 15:38:49 -0400, "JohnR" onejm.AT.comcast.net
wrote:

I'd call it good business practice.

Wow.

They let you read the document, didn't
they. You might be able to cut and paste to get it back to word 97 -2003
(close maybe anyway). If you want to work with the new program, BUY IT !

Apparently, M$FT has a lot of customers like you so they'll probably
continue their current business practices. You get what you deserve.

"Three Lefts" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 08:19:30 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

While you may be able to open Word docx format with the addition of the
compatibility pack
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/pr...686761033.aspx you still
don't have Word 2007 and so some 2007 specific features will not work. Ask
the originator to send you the document in Word 97-2003 format.

In my opinion, it is utter arrogance, not to mention stupidity, on the
part of Microsoft not to provide a free conversion utility that will
do exactly what Word 2007 does when I Save As Word 97-2003.

They made a huge and incompatible change to a program used by almost
everyone. This company is out of control.

[Three Lefts]

On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 15:37:10 -0500, "Suzanne S. Barnhill"
wrote:

When you open a Word 2007 document in an earlier version using the
Compatibility Pack, is the result not the same as what you get when you save
a Word 2007 document in Word 97-2003 format?

I dunno. I've mostly completed the painful coversion to 2007, so I
haven't needed a compatibility pack.

If there is a Compatibility Pack that is freely available to users of
prior versions of Word and that will allow then to convert a 2007
(docx) document into a 97-2003 (doc) document, then I withdraw my
complaint.

[Three Lefts]

On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 08:34:52 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

Clearly you haven't read the question or the answer. The issue is not
whether Word 2007 can produce Word 97-2003 format documents, but whether
Word 2003 can use Word 2007 format documents.

I did read the question, but I clearly did not read your response
carefully enough. My apologies.

I think what threw me was (a) your statement that the OP would not be
able to make use of some 2007-specific features (which was not what he
asked for) and then your directive that he tell the sender to resend
it after saving it in the 97-2003 format.

If he had the conversion program, why would he need the sender to
resave and resend? He could do that for himself, no?

Or, does the conversion program do something different than what Word
2007 does when it saves a document in the old format? If that's thru,
they I reinstate my complaint.

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There are basically two choices that accomplish (more or less) the same
thing:

1. If the recipient is superior to (of higher status than) the sender, the
recipient can demand that the sender save the document in Word 97-2003
format.

2. If the recipient is inferior to (of lower status than) the sender, then
he should download the Compatibility Pack so he can open the document in its
native format (more or less).

Option #2 is actually better in both instances because the user will
probably increasingly encounter .docx files and won't always be able to
request that they be downsaved, and it will always be quicker and more
efficient just to open them. In addition, by downloading the compatibility
pack, the user also gets all the new fonts used in Word 2007.

In either case, the recipient will not receive exactly what the sender
created if the sender has used some of the features that are new in Word
2007 and not backwards-compatible, such as the new types of art.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

"Three Lefts" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 6 Jun 2008 08:34:52 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

Clearly you haven't read the question or the answer. The issue is not
whether Word 2007 can produce Word 97-2003 format documents, but whether
Word 2003 can use Word 2007 format documents.

I did read the question, but I clearly did not read your response
carefully enough. My apologies.

I think what threw me was (a) your statement that the OP would not be
able to make use of some 2007-specific features (which was not what he
asked for) and then your directive that he tell the sender to resend
it after saving it in the 97-2003 format.

If he had the conversion program, why would he need the sender to
resave and resend? He could do that for himself, no?

Or, does the conversion program do something different than what Word
2007 does when it saves a document in the old format? If that's thru,
they I reinstate my complaint.

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007
File Formats is a free download from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

"Three Lefts" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 15:37:10 -0500, "Suzanne S. Barnhill"
wrote:

When you open a Word 2007 document in an earlier version using the
Compatibility Pack, is the result not the same as what you get when you
save
a Word 2007 document in Word 97-2003 format?

I dunno. I've mostly completed the painful coversion to 2007, so I
haven't needed a compatibility pack.

If there is a Compatibility Pack that is freely available to users of
prior versions of Word and that will allow then to convert a 2007
(docx) document into a 97-2003 (doc) document, then I withdraw my
complaint.

[Charles W Davis]

If you were in business to make money, you would probably do the same...
Gotta feed the kiddies...
"Three Lefts" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 15:38:49 -0400, "JohnR" onejm.AT.comcast.net
wrote:

I'd call it good business practice.

Wow.

They let you read the document, didn't
they. You might be able to cut and paste to get it back to word 97 -2003
(close maybe anyway). If you want to work with the new program, BUY IT !

Apparently, M$FT has a lot of customers like you so they'll probably
continue their current business practices. You get what you deserve.

"Three Lefts" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 08:19:30 +0300, "Graham Mayor"
wrote:

While you may be able to open Word docx format with the addition of the
compatibility pack
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/pr...686761033.aspx you
still
don't have Word 2007 and so some 2007 specific features will not work.
Ask
the originator to send you the document in Word 97-2003 format.

In my opinion, it is utter arrogance, not to mention stupidity, on the
part of Microsoft not to provide a free conversion utility that will
do exactly what Word 2007 does when I Save As Word 97-2003.

They made a huge and incompatible change to a program used by almost
everyone. This company is out of control.