Converting Mac -> Windows Files?

[mzbpayne]

How do I convert files created on a Macintosh in MS Office X to files
for a Windows XP machine?

Does a batch-conversion app. exist? If so, is it reliable and from
what site can I find it?

Thank you in advance for suggestions and guidance,
Mike

 

[William Smith]

How do I convert files created on a Macintosh in MS Office X to files
for a Windows XP machine?

Does a batch-conversion app. exist? If so, is it reliable and from
what site can I find it?

Hi Mike!

You don't need any special conversion software. Files created in Office
for Mac are compatible with Office for Windows and vice versa.

Have a look at this article on Microsoft's mactopia site
<http://tinyurl.com/4hmk5> for some good suggestions for working
cross-platform. Probably the most fundamental consideration you'd have
to make is to add the three character file extension (.doc, .xls, .ppt,
etc.) to the end of your file names so that Windows can recognize them.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[mzbpayne]

Thanks, Bill, for replying. Once I checked the box in the OS X Finder
to see all file extensions, I can now see that about half my .doc
files have the extension, while half do not.

Are you saying that I'll have to add the extension manually to those
files created on a Mac and transferred to a Windows machine running
XP?

Thanks again, Bill.

Mike

 

[William Smith]

Thanks, Bill, for replying. Once I checked the box in the OS X Finder
to see all file extensions, I can now see that about half my .doc
files have the extension, while half do not.

Are you saying that I'll have to add the extension manually to those
files created on a Mac and transferred to a Windows machine running
XP?

Hi Mike!

You're correct. Office files for Mac are essentially the same as Office
files for Windows. When you add the .doc or any other extension, you're
not changing the format of the file in any way. You're simply giving
Windows XP the information it needs to know to associate the correct
application to the file type.

On your Windows system, you can open a new window and then choose Tools
--> Folder Options. Under the View tab (or Advanced tab? can't remember
without looking) you can select the option to show file extensions. I do
this on every system and it's very helpful.

Hope this helps! bill

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

Thanks, Bill, for replying. Once I checked the box in the OS X Finder
to see all file extensions, I can now see that about half my .doc
files have the extension, while half do not.

Are you saying that I'll have to add the extension manually to those
files created on a Mac and transferred to a Windows machine running
XP?

Recent versions of Word have "Append extension" by default when you save,
even if it may be invisible if your Finder settings are to hide the
extension. If whoever saved the file unchecked that, you'll have to add the
extension yourself now, yes. Make sure that you have Finder preferences to
Show all file extensions so you don't go adding it a second time where you
don't need to.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.

 

[Benjamin Amsaleg]

How do I convert files created on a Macintosh in MS Office X to files
for a Windows XP machine?

Does a batch-conversion app. exist? If so, is it reliable and from
what site can I find it?

Thank you in advance for suggestions and guidance,
Mike

Mike,

This is one of my favorit topic, so let me add some more clues to what was
already written :

1) to help you batch "convert" file names, you can take a look at the
utility "File buddy". It will help you select all the document without
extension and add it at once

2) you must know that the conversion between platform is not yet perfect. In
the case of Mac to PC, you will have problems with element from one office
application (for example Excel graph / table) embedded into another one
(word or PPT document). There is also the problem of document created on Mac
with Mac only fonts.

You must know that while Office 2004 did not fix the first above limite, it
helps greatly in detecting potential font problems...

BAM

 

[Gene van Troyer]

Are you saying that I'll have to add the extension manually to those
files created on a Mac and transferred to a Windows machine running
XP?

You don't have to do it manually. In the OSX Menu bar there is a Scrip icon.
You didn't install this? Go to Applications/AppleScript and double-click the
"Install Script Menu" application. Now you (should) have the Script icon in
the Menu bar. Click it.

Go to "Finder Scripts" and select the script "Add to File Names." This
script will allow you to batch select files and add the missing extensions.

You don't have to buy any utilities, or download any stand-alone freeware,
though the freeware may offer other highly useful functions.

Gene van Troyer