Cannot view text boxes created in Word on a PC

[bananna]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel Hi, I'd be grateful for any advice on this. I created a document in Word on my Mac using Print Layout, it contained 2 lines of text and the rest of the document was text boxes. I saved it as Word doc 97-2004 and sent it to some colleagues who work on PC's (with Word 2007). However all they could see on their machines were 2 lines of text and no text boxes at all.

When I delved into it a bit more, I realised that on the PC it was only possible to view the document in Draft View or in Web View. In Draft View only the lines of text were visible, while in Web View you could see the text boxes but they were distributed horizontally across the page rather than vertically. When I tried to select Print View it didn't do anything, it just stayed in draft view. I was unable to find any reference to this problem in MS Help either offline or online.

I tried to see if it was visible when printed but the PC refused to print the document or show print preview, but didn't say why.

However I have just found out that it CAN be viewed if I save it as a rtf file and then my colleague was able to save as a doc with no problems. So maybe that is the way we have to do it? When saved as a pdf it can be viewed but the bottom of the page has been clipped off.

Any clues? Does this mean I always need to save graphical stuff as an rtf if I want to transfer it?

Thanks, Anna

 

[John McGhie]

I think you should repeat your experiment: I think you have a one-off there.

It sounds to me as though the file was saved in HTML format, not .doc. If
that was the case, then yes, the PC version of Word "won't" show it in Print
Layout.

But generally, you should avoid changing the file format of any document,
because various things will be removed or won't work properly if you do
that. You should particularly avoid down-grading from .docx to .doc,
because lots of things will be stripped, and the more graphical the document
is the more trouble you will have.

PC Word can open .docx just fine: send them that.

Cheers

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
Hi, I'd be grateful for any advice on this. I created a document in Word on my
Mac using Print Layout, it contained 2 lines of text and the rest of the
document was text boxes. I saved it as Word doc 97-2004 and sent it to some
colleagues who work on PC's (with Word 2007). However all they could see on
their machines were 2 lines of text and no text boxes at all.

When I delved into it a bit more, I realised that on the PC it was only
possible to view the document in Draft View or in Web View. In Draft View only
the lines of text were visible, while in Web View you could see the text boxes
but they were distributed horizontally across the page rather than vertically.
When I tried to select Print View it didn't do anything, it just stayed in
draft view. I was unable to find any reference to this problem in MS Help
either offline or online.

I tried to see if it was visible when printed but the PC refused to print the
document or show print preview, but didn't say why.

However I have just found out that it CAN be viewed if I save it as a rtf file
and then my colleague was able to save as a doc with no problems. So maybe
that is the way we have to do it? When saved as a pdf it can be viewed but the
bottom of the page has been clipped off.

Any clues? Does this mean I always need to save graphical stuff as an rtf if I
want to transfer it?

Thanks, Anna

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor:
Intel Hi, I'd be grateful for any advice on this. I created a document
in Word on my Mac using Print Layout, it contained 2 lines of text and
the rest of the document was text boxes. I saved it as Word doc 97-2004
and sent it to some colleagues who work on PC's (with Word 2007).
However all they could see on their machines were 2 lines of text and no
text boxes at all.

When I delved into it a bit more, I realised that on the PC it was only
possible to view the document in Draft View or in Web View. In Draft
View only the lines of text were visible, while in Web View you could
see the text boxes but they were distributed horizontally across the
page rather than vertically. When I tried to select Print View it didn't
do anything, it just stayed in draft view. I was unable to find any
reference to this problem in MS Help either offline or online.

I tried to see if it was visible when printed but the PC refused to
print the document or show print preview, but didn't say why.

However I have just found out that it CAN be viewed if I save it as a
rtf file and then my colleague was able to save as a doc with no
problems. So maybe that is the way we have to do it? When saved as a pdf
it can be viewed but the bottom of the page has been clipped off.

Any clues? Does this mean I always need to save graphical stuff as an
rtf if I want to transfer it?

Thanks, Anna

Hi Anna,

It's important when working across platforms that everyone on both sides
of the divide have their copies of Office full up to date.

You can open Word on your computer and find out the current status by
clicking on the Word menu and using the first option: About Word. Yours
should be Version 12.3.3 (091001)

Your windows users should run Windows Update and choose the option to
update their other Microsoft products, or visit Microsoft's download
site for Service Pack 1, Service Pack 2 and other service packs for
Office for Windows
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/FX101321101033.aspx

After you are up to date, save the document.
After they are up to date, have them open the document you saved after
you were updated.

-Jim

 

[John McGhie]

12.2.3 for Mac Word

Hi Anna,

It's important when working across platforms that everyone on both sides
of the divide have their copies of Office full up to date.

You can open Word on your computer and find out the current status by
clicking on the Word menu and using the first option: About Word. Yours
should be Version 12.3.3 (091001)

Your windows users should run Windows Update and choose the option to
update their other Microsoft products, or visit Microsoft's download
site for Service Pack 1, Service Pack 2 and other service packs for
Office for Windows
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/FX101321101033.aspx

After you are up to date, save the document.
After they are up to date, have them open the document you saved after
you were updated.

-Jim

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[bananna]

Thanks for your help. I've not had time to test this out yet but will see what happens. Anna