Sending Compressed Word files to a PC user. What format?

[doverrog]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

Hi I'm using Word 2004 for Mac V. 11.5.0.
OS X 10.4.11
I have a largish Word document 156.4 MB (163.975.804 bytes) which is described as Word RTF document.
Using Stuffit Expander V 13.0.2 and a Zip droplet I have compressed it to convert it to a ZIP archive size 46.2 MB (48.398.691).

I've sent it to a PC user via Yousendit.

They have email me to say they can't open it.
" I have managed to download the zipped file, but it won't open - I get the damaged or incorrectly decoded message"

I've looked through this forum and seen a suggestion for another question to try as a .jpg but I'm not offered that option under 'save as'.

The document has both text and pictures. The picture files are all in .jpg format when they were imported.

Am I right that a PC should read .zip ok? Is it the Word type?

Any suggestions please?

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm not sure exactly what you've used. Stuffit Expander does exactly that
*expands* compressed files so how that factors into the equation I don't
know. Since it's available free & you don't specify having used DropStuff
or the Stuffit application I get the impression that you've picked the
"droplet" up somewhere on the web. It isn't specified what "Zip droplet"
you've used - there are quite a few out there, some of which create Mac
binary files which a PC won't be able to use. Perhaps that's what you're up
against.

Unless the recipient needs to be able to edit the file why not just send it
as a PDF? Otherwise I suggest you clarify the nature of the compression
utility you're using & go from there.

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

 

[John McGhie]

You are correct: any PC made in the past ten years can read a Zip file
whether they know it or not.

It may be the RTF file that is the problem. The first thing I would do is
save a copy of that document from Word as a .doc file. A .doc file will be
half the size of an RTF file. Make sure you add the file extension .doc to
the file, so Stuffit knows what to do next.

I would then use Stuffit to create a .Zip archive of the file. However, be
careful which kind of Zip file you make. Stuffit is a very advanced
compression utility capable of creating Zip, 7Zip, Zip64 and Encrypted Zip
files. Older PCs will read only the first one.

However, you may still run into some technology limitations: 48 MB is still
a very large file for some computers to transfer using a common old web
browser. Splitting that document into lumps smaller than 12 MB each may
prove helpful. Many pieces of software begin to struggle at the 12 MB mark.

If you want to do heavy hauling like this, you may want to consider using a
"real" FTP service, rather than an FTP replacement. Your Mac (and his PC)
both have an FTP client built in. These will transfer a file of practically
unlimited size (if you can wait that long!).

When you are transferring huge files, the possibility of the file getting
damaged along the way increases. Specialist FTP programs enable you to
specify UUEncode transfers or Binary mode transfers to mitigate this
problem. A Word document IS a binary file, not text, and must be
transferred as a binary.

Hope this helps

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Power PC

Hi I'm using Word 2004 for Mac V. 11.5.0.
OS X 10.4.11
I have a largish Word document 156.4 MB (163.975.804 bytes) which is described
as Word RTF document.
Using Stuffit Expander V 13.0.2 and a Zip droplet I have compressed it to
convert it to a ZIP archive size 46.2 MB (48.398.691).

I've sent it to a PC user via Yousendit.

They have email me to say they can't open it.
" I have managed to download the zipped file, but it won't open - I get the
damaged or incorrectly decoded message"

I've looked through this forum and seen a suggestion for another question to
try as a .jpg but I'm not offered that option under 'save as'.

The document has both text and pictures. The picture files are all in .jpg
format when they were imported.

Am I right that a PC should read .zip ok? Is it the Word type?

Any suggestions please?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[doverrog]

Hi both.
Thanks for the replies. I should have been clearer. I'm using DropStuff to compress the files, then a zip droplet taken from the smithmicro software DropStuff which is a free download. (Details as in my first posting).
I'm not able to move the Word document into a PDF. How would I do that? Under 'Save as' there's no PDF option. I have Adobe Reader, but presumably I'd have to buy some software to be able to convert files into PDF.
I've now tried saving the Word document as a Word 07-2004 document which results in 11.9 MB. (Rather different to 156.4 as a Word RTF) I've applied the zip droplet and it's changed to a ZIP archive of 10.3 MB.
I've resent ir and I'm waiting to hear the result.
It's from the UK to Tasmania so frustrating delays with different time zones.
I've got my fingers crossed again.
Thanks to both of you for the advice and I will let you know the outcome.

 

[John McGhie]

That should go a lot better. The Word 2004 "Document" format is much less
compressible than RTF because the "Text" component of the file is already
compressed. RTF is a frighteningly wordy beastie.

Yeah, the Tasmanian time-zone is about ten years behind the UK...

Cheers

Hi both.
Thanks for the replies. I should have been clearer. I'm using DropStuff to
compress the files, then a zip droplet taken from the smithmicro software
DropStuff which is a free download. (Details as in my first posting).
I'm not able to move the Word document into a PDF. How would I do that? Under
'Save as' there's no PDF option. I have Adobe Reader, but presumably I'd have
to buy some software to be able to convert files into PDF.
I've now tried saving the Word document as a Word 07-2004 document which
results in 11.9 MB. (Rather different to 156.4 as a Word RTF) I've applied the
zip droplet and it's changed to a ZIP archive of 10.3 MB.
I've resent ir and I'm waiting to hear the result.
It's from the UK to Tasmania so frustrating delays with different time zones.
I've got my fingers crossed again.
Thanks to both of you for the advice and I will let you know the outcome.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[doverrog]

Latest from Tasmania -
" I can't open the graphics -and the Word doc's you sent only open the script content. I have Vista Basic with Works. Word Docs open as Notepad with hieroglyphics where the images should be. Have been able to open your previous document graphics when you sent them through as Rich Text Format."

Interesting result. I'm surprised that. rtf has successfully sent the graphics.
Now we know what we're sending too, I've tried sending a .rtf (18.1MB) and another of the same page which I've transferred to ,zip (8.4MB). So I'm waiting to see how they fare.
I don't understand why the Word Processor in Works doesn't show the pictures though.
Roger

 

[John McGhie]

Any version of Works that will run in Vista will open and display a Word
..doc file (but not a .docx file).

What kind of graphics are you using? Anything in PICT is a non-starter, and
EPS probably won't work. But everything else should be fine.

He really needs to go out and buy himself a copy of Word. There is a Word
Viewer available for the PC. That will run in Vista Basic, and it's free.

That supports the converter that will enable him to read everything
including .docx.

Send him here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925180

Cheers

Latest from Tasmania -
" I can't open the graphics -and the Word doc's you sent only open the script
content. I have Vista Basic with Works. Word Docs open as Notepad with
hieroglyphics where the images should be. Have been able to open your previous
document graphics when you sent them through as Rich Text Format."

Interesting result. I'm surprised that. rtf has successfully sent the
graphics.
Now we know what we're sending too, I've tried sending a .rtf (18.1MB) and
another of the same page which I've transferred to ,zip (8.4MB). So I'm
waiting to see how they fare.
I don't understand why the Word Processor in Works doesn't show the pictures
though.
Roger

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Sorry for the delay but you've been in good company with John

As to the PDF creation you're correct - Word 2004 doesn't have a PDF option
in Save As but the creator is provided via OS X. In the Print dialog click
the PDF button in the lower left corner.

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

 

[CyberTaz]

As John indicated, the type of graphic can male a difference - Works is not
as "fully equipped" as Word in a number of ways & that's one of them. The
other user should also have WordPad which is included with just about every
version of Windows. I'm not absolutely certain that it's included with Vista
Basic - nor that it will do any better - but it's worth a try

In addition to avoiding EPS & PICT image formats make sure you're using the
Insert> Picture method rather than pasting the graphics into your docs.

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

 

[doverrog]

Hi both and once again many thanks for this help.
I've sent across the suggestion to download the Word viewer as John suggested.
As well as that I've sent over a single page both as PDF (5.6MB) and as compressed PDF(752 kb) as Bob suggested. I'm kicking myself that I hadn't realised I could access PDF via the print option. I've seen it there loads of times but somehow it didn't register! I suppose that you're not thinking about printing when you're trying to format/send documents etc.
Would be a really good thing if that facility was made more obvious somehow when the Word processor is in use. Over to you guys to come up with a way!
For now it's wait until tomorrow for news from 'down under'
Roger

 

[doverrog]

P.S. Results of yesterday's trial with rtf and rtf.zip
The .rtf .zip (8.4MB) apparently opened in Notepad with no graphics.
The rtf (24MB) failed due to mailbox size "Diagnostic-Code: smtp;552 5.2.2 This message is larger than the current system limit or the recipient's mailbox is full. Create a shorter message body or remove attachments and try sending it again."
Thought you might like to know.
Will continue the saga when the PDF result is in.

 

[doverrog]

At last we are there and entirely thanks to you guys!
Quote -
"YES!!!!!! Yeah!!! It works!!
It works with PDF. Hotmail has plenty of storage and I clear my box all the time, so should be able to cope with ever comes my way,- I also usse BigPond, but find it more limiting even tho' it is my provider.
The compressed file also got through, and yes I have Adobe 8.1 - I use Photoshop and they update me automatically."
Thanks both of you.
Roger