File converter

[Ed Kearns]

I have some old Word files, I guess Mac files. They have no extension. The
only properties info I can get says "Word 1.x-5.x." I can open them on a
Mac, but even if I add a .doc extension I can't open them on a PC. Any
suggestions?

I have a lot of them, so don't want to do them one at a time by importing
into the Mac and saving them'
Ed

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

I have some old Word files, I guess Mac files. They have no extension. The
only properties info I can get says "Word 1.x-5.x." I can open them on a
Mac, but even if I add a .doc extension I can't open them on a PC. Any
suggestions?

I have a lot of them, so don't want to do them one at a time by importing
into the Mac and saving them'
Ed

What version of Microsoft Office do you have?

-Jim

 

[CyberTaz]

Changing the extension doesn't change the file format & that's where the
problem is. In fact, doing so can cause the files to be damaged when you
attempt to open them. Filters for that early range of Office versions were
discontinued from Mac Office quite some time ago.

There are a number of free programs (such as Open Office) which can open the
older file formats as well as free/shareware file conversion programs. You
might check the web ‹ VersionTracker is a good place to start:

http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/

Most of the freebies don't do batch conversion, though, so you'd still have
to convert one file at a time. If you're willing to pay a reasonable price
you should have a look at MacLink Plus from DataViz. A proven winner for
just about any type of file conversion & does do batches:

http://www.dataviz.com/products/maclinkplus/index.html

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Ed Kearns]

What version of Microsoft Office do you have?

-Jim

I have Office 2008.
Ed

 

[CyberTaz]

Changing the extension doesn't change the file format & that's where the
problem is. In fact, doing so can cause the files to be damaged when you
attempt to open them. Filters for that early range of Office versions were
discontinued from Mac Office quite some time ago.

There are a number of free programs (such as Open Office) which can open the
older file formats as well as free/shareware file conversion programs. You
might check the web ‹ VersionTracker is a good place to start:

http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/

Most of the freebies don't do batch conversion, though, so you'd still have
to convert one file at a time. If you're willing to pay a reasonable price
you should have a look at MacLink Plus from DataViz. A proven winner for
just about any type of file conversion & does do batches:

http://www.dataviz.com/products/maclinkplus/index.html

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Ed:

You are going to HAVE to open those on the Mac and save them as .docx.

No surviving PC Word converters contain the Mac Word 1.x to 5.x format.

Cheers

I have some old Word files, I guess Mac files. They have no extension. The
only properties info I can get says "Word 1.x-5.x." I can open them on a
Mac, but even if I add a .doc extension I can't open them on a PC. Any
suggestions?

I have a lot of them, so don't want to do them one at a time by importing
into the Mac and saving them'
Ed

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

I have Office 2008.
Ed

And I was foolish for also not asking which edition. Home and Student
edition does not come with Automator actions, which you can use to
create a simple workflow to perform the automation you desire. Do you
have Home and Student, or some other version of Office?

-Jim

 

[Ed Kearns]

And I was foolish for also not asking which edition. Home and Student
edition does not come with Automator actions, which you can use to
create a simple workflow to perform the automation you desire. Do you
have Home and Student, or some other version of Office?

-Jim

It IS Home and Student. Are you saying that other editions have a version of
Automator built in, not just the Apple application?

Ed

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

It IS Home and Student. Are you saying that other editions have a version of
Automator built in, not just the Apple application?

Ed

All versions of Microsoft Office (for Mac) come with a collection of
Automator actions *except* the Home and Student version. The Automator
application itself is part of MacOS X, not Microsoft Office.

That leaves you with some possibilities. An easy one that just costs
money is to purchase one of the other versions of Office 2008, and then
use an auotmator action to create a folder action.

For free, you can create an AppleScript and make your own folder action
that opens a file and uses Save As in the new file format. However, I
don't have the time to research the Applescript you would need to do
this. You can learn AppleScript at:
http://developer.apple.com/applescript/

Either way, you would create a folder action that would automatically
update the Word files.

-Jim

 

[Franz]

For free, you can create an AppleScript and make your own folder action
that opens a file and uses Save As in the new file format. However, I
don't have the time to research the Applescript you would need to do
this. You can learn AppleScript at:http://developer.apple.com/applescript/

Either way, you would create a folder action that would automatically
update the Word files.

-Jim

I have a similar problem, trying to convert my dissertation files
(including dozens and dozens of interviews and so on) from Word 6. I
figure I have the "student" version of 2008, as I bought it from my
university, even though I'm faculty. So I tried doing just one of
these as a test. Didn't work. What I did was attempt to add the
extension .docx using "Get Info." The icon changed, but Word 2008
returned the same message, clearly still reading the file as a Word 6
file. So, I must have misunderstood your method, Jim? Does AppleScript
work differently than what I just attempted? Hope so.

Franz

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Franz:

You should not change the file extension on a file. In Snow Leopard, the
extension is a label that tells the opening application which format
converter to use to read the content of the file. If the content of the
file has not changed, don't change the extension or the system will get very
confused.

All you need to do is OPEN each of those .doc files and Save As "Word
Document". In Word 2008, that will save the file out as Word 2008 .docx
format, and the extension will change accordingly.

I wouldn't bother batch-converting .doc files, just Save As each time you
open one and eventually the job will be complete.

Making an Automator Folder Action is simple if you know AppleScript, not so
easy if you don't. See here:
http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/folderactions.html

If you Google vigorously, you may find the script you want has already been
written.

Hope this helps

I have a similar problem, trying to convert my dissertation files
(including dozens and dozens of interviews and so on) from Word 6. I
figure I have the "student" version of 2008, as I bought it from my
university, even though I'm faculty. So I tried doing just one of
these as a test. Didn't work. What I did was attempt to add the
extension .docx using "Get Info." The icon changed, but Word 2008
returned the same message, clearly still reading the file as a Word 6
file. So, I must have misunderstood your method, Jim? Does AppleScript
work differently than what I just attempted? Hope so.

Franz

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

 

[Ed Kearns]

(e-mail address removed), Franz at

I have a similar problem, trying to convert my dissertation files
(including dozens and dozens of interviews and so on) from Word 6. I
figure I have the "student" version of 2008, as I bought it from my
university, even though I'm faculty. So I tried doing just one of
these as a test. Didn't work. What I did was attempt to add the
extension .docx using "Get Info." The icon changed, but Word 2008
returned the same message, clearly still reading the file as a Word 6
file. So, I must have misunderstood your method, Jim? Does AppleScript
work differently than what I just attempted? Hope so.

Franz

Franz, although an AppleScript solution might be more elegant, and certainly
cheaper, I just learned that MacLinkPlus can do batch conversions of many of
these files. Take a look at
http://www.dataviz.com/products/maclinkplus/mlp_xlators.html

Ed

 

[Franz]

(e-mail address removed), Franz at
(e-mail address removed) wrote on 2/28/10 9:08 PM:






Franz, although an AppleScript solution might be more elegant, and certainly
cheaper, I just learned that MacLinkPlus can do batch conversions of manyof
these files. Take a look athttp://www.dataviz.com/products/maclinkplus/mlp_xlators.html

Ed

Thanks guys,

$80 (for MacLinkPlus) is too expensive just to avoid an hour or two of
tedium. In fact, I'm embarrassed to admit that if I added up all the
time I've spent, as John put it, "Googling vigorously," I might have
had the project done by now. I'm sure none of *you* have *ever* wasted
time that way. Heh heh.

I'm surprised there's been no big outcry about this and that no one
has put a simple converter online or published an Applescript. Didn't
anyone else do good work in the mid-90s? Don't they want to read it
now? Or have they just not bought Word 2008 yet? Ah well, I bet it's
worse on the Windows side.

Cheers,

Franz

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Franz:

I'm sure none of *you* have *ever* wasted time that way. Heh heh.

{Blush} Constantly...

I'm surprised there's been no big outcry about this and that no one
has put a simple converter online or published an Applescript.

Why would there be an outcry? If they were made on a Mac, they can be
opened on a Mac by Word up to Word 2008.

If you paid the extra $50 for the Business version of Microsoft Office, the
"Convert file format" Automator Workflow is in the box. If you want to save
fifty bucks, you can roll your own with Automator.

Don't they want to read it
now? Or have they just not bought Word 2008 yet?

I don't understand your point? They CAN read it now, same way you can. And
when you read it, Word will even prompt you that it's in an old format and
should be upgraded

Ah well, I bet it's worse on the Windows side.

Yes: The converter for that file format won't run under Vista or Windows 7


Cheers

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!