How to save *.asc files in Word 2003, as was in xp & 2000.

[Jeff]

I need to force Word 2003 to save files in the MS-Dos text with layout (.asc)
format. I do not see this listed in Word 2003 as in past versions.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?SmVmZg==?=,

I need to force Word 2003 to save files in the MS-Dos text with layout (.asc)
format. I do not see this listed in Word 2003 as in past versions.

This converter is not part of the Office 2003 installation.

As part of the "security initiative", Microsoft stopped supplying old converters
from third-parties that are "unsigned" (i.e. MS can't claim full responsibility
for them). The spreadsheet converter falls under this category, as do some of
the DOS-Text converters, such as the one to save to *asc.

In order to get the converter, you need to contact MS Support and reference this
KB article (read it first!):
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=822346

They should provide you the converter in question as a download. And they should
not charge you. If they try to charge you, note the case number and post back to
me, here.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[AllNavy]

Does anyone have this file? I can see trying to get MS to give it to me free.
I can't say that I want to give them my credit card number when I don't have
to.

Thanks,
Lyn Dickerson

 

[Charlie''s Word VBA questions]

Is your requirement relevant to filing with the EDGAR system at the SEC? If
so, let me know as I have to deal with this issue regularly.

I have looked at MS downloads and they do not include the MS-DOS text
converters. In their converter package download, MS-DOS text converters are
omitted.

By the way, if you need MS-DOS text with layout for EDGAR, remember that
EDGAR does not accept ".asc" but only ".txt". If this is the problem, you
can either rename the file after saving or enclose the filename in quotes as
in "xx.txt" when doing a save as.

 

[PuPPyPOunDeR]

I am in a similar situation, unfortunately Microsoft support doesn't want to
help even though we pay a high price for it. You may want to take a look at
antiword, it has been ported to windows, Home page is:
http://www.winfield.demon.nl/
This will at least save the document in Ascii text with a very good layout
(something word has not been able to do with out going through 6 steps.)

 

[Charlie''s Word VBA questions]

What is "antiword"? You didn't say, but is your situation related to SEC
filing? And, by the way, even in Word if done right, it takes only one step.

 

[PuPPyPOunDeR]

I require the layout of the word document to be saved in a specific format
that is compatible with the documents required by the courts. If i save in
plain text, I loose the centering, indents, styles also the characters on
each line change. The formatting is not the same as the document I started
with.

As for what is antiword --- visit the website!

 

[Graham Mayor]

Of course saving to plain text loses styles - formatting is not saved with
plain text. Any formatting that is retained will be a result of the way the
document was originally laid out. The most obvious issue will be
attributable to fonts. Word documents by default will have proprtionally
spaced fonts, whereas plain text will have monospaced fonts. Switching
between the two should be quite sufficient to throw the document alignment
adrift. An answer to this is to set the current printer to the generic/text
printer (you may have to add it) which will only allow monospaced fonts. You
can then layout the document as it will appear in plain text.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Charlie''s Word VBA questions]

Good idea, Graham. My customers have always needed the document in a
proportional font (usually Times Roman) AND then have to ALSO save it as a
text file for submission to the SEC. My approach is to make a copy of the
document and change it to Courier. For SEC filings, use 12 pt (10 characters
per inch) because the SEC has a mandatory limit of 80 characters per line.
Yes, all of the text will reflow, but any adjustments are far easier in Word.
Then save the copy with the "MS-DOS Text with Layout" file converter. Does
a pretty good job. The old converter is TxtLyt32.cnv. It's no longer
available from MS. If anyone needs this file converter, let me know.

 

[Graham Mayor]

E-mail me a copy of the converter and I'll add it to those on my web site.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Jim Burrows]

The old converter is TxtLyt32.cnv. It's no longer
available from MS. If anyone needs this file converter, let me know.

TxtLyt32.cnv is on my good ol' Win98 machine with Word 2000. I copied it
over to my new WinXP pro machine (into C:\program files\ Microsoft
Shared\Text Conv\) but Word 2003 still won't save .asc. How do I get Word
2003 to pay attention?

 

[Jim Burrows]

Be certain that you have done both -- copied the txtlyt32.cnv converter to
the correct folder (Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Textconv )
AND correctly entered it into Windows register as Export (import also
suggested).

... registry changes

Thanks, Charlie. I don't have a decent registry editor (regedit says, "Be
careful!"), so the solution to my problem was to dig around, find the Office
2000 CD, and, very important, the product code. Did the installation of Word
2000 and it works! Even the macros that save the file as readable code for a
Delphi compiler. I've had to do this using the last version of Word along
with the new ever since Msoft burned Word 5 for DOS.