Converting from Mac to MS Word

[Jeff]

I'm trying to open a mac document with a MIME of
applicatio/x-macbinary, but I'm not able to convert it into
a word document.

I sent it to someone as a word document, they apaprently
wer able to open and edit it using a Mac, but now I can't
convert it back into a Word document.

Is there a download that will allow me to convert this?

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Hi Jeff,

I think you mean that you're trying to open a document that you created in
MacWord, then sent to a WinWord user, who sent it back to you and now you
can't open it because it's encoded in MIME. Is that it?

Ask the WinWord user to send it to you again only this time tell him to zip
it. You'll be able to unzip the file on your Mac using Stuffit (should be
preinstalled though you didn't say what version of Word you have!) and then
you should have no trouble opening it.

--
Beth Rosengard
Mac MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/index.htm>
Entourage Help Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org>

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

Some additional info on what happened:

There's no difference in the Word file format (since Word 97), it's a
question of how the attachment is encoded by the email program.

My Mac email program, Entourage, has this to say in Help:

About attachment encodings
When you choose an encoding format, it is helpful to understand how
Macintosh files differ from files created on other computers. Macintosh
files include additional resource information that files created on other
types of computers do not. If you are sending a data file, such as a
Microsoft Word document or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, such resource
information may not be necessary. However, if you are sending something more
complex, such as a program, to another Macintosh computer, you must choose
an encoding format that preserves all the data.
The AppleDouble encoding format preserves the additional resource
information, and can be read by both Macintosh and other types of computers.
AppleDouble is a good choice for your default encoding format; it works most
of the time with most computers. However, if AppleDouble fails, you can
choose a different encoding format depending on the type of computer you are
sending the attachment to:
€ To send an attachment to a Macintosh computer, use BinHex, which
preserves the Macintosh resource information and data.
€ To send an attachment to a Windows-based computer, use MIME/Base 64,
which preserves the data only.
€ To send an attachment to a UNIX computer, use UUEncode, which preserves
the data only.

Try sending this explanation to your correspondent, asking them to change
their encoding. The help on any Mac email program will tell them how.

If you see something about "application/x-macbinary" when trying to open the
doc, sounds like they encoded it for Mac computers.

DM
Mac MVP for Word