Workaround for Opening Word 6 Files (other than File>Open)?

[Franz]

Hi all,

I know in Word 2008 I can open my Word 6 files using File>Open. This
works fine but annoys the heck out of me. MS has made a "security"
choice here that is about *their* security from possible lawsuits, not
*my* security from possible phishers. Sheesh, I am trying to look at
my dissertation; no one has embedded dangerous code in it!

So, my question is: Is there a workaround for this?

Ideally there'd be a preference to turn off this "feature," but I'm
sure there isn't one. Alternately, perhaps a way to batch change the
document type on old files to fool Word? Or, what else? Half an hour
of googling has revealed nothing. Any strategies?

Thanks for any tips,

Franz

 

[Franz]

Hi all,

I know inWord2008 I canopenmyWord6files using File>Open. This
works fine but annoys the heck out of me. MS has made a "security"
choice here that is about *their* security from possible lawsuits, not
*my* security from possible phishers. Sheesh, I am trying to look at
my dissertation; no one has embedded dangerous code in it!

So, my question is: Is there aworkaroundfor this?

Ideally there'd be a preference to turn off this "feature," but I'm
sure there isn't one. Alternately, perhaps a way to batch change the
document type on old files to foolWord? Or, what else? Half an hour
of googling has revealed nothing. Any strategies?

Thanks for any tips,

Franz

Hi all,

Well, no answers here, so I looked around further and found a new
answer:

http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...1e-a3d4-9bf9770ff3e0&cat=&lang=&cr=&sloc=&p=4
-----

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

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP
Co-author of Office 2008 for Mac All-in-One For Dummies
http://tinyurl.com/Office-2008-for-Dummies

-----

Aha! I figure I have the "student" version, as I bought it from my
university, even though I'm faculty. Looks like I'll have to learn
some Applescript to do some batch converting. Really really annoying.
But it's nice to think that Jim and Apple can help me, even though
Microsoft won't.

Cheers,

Franz

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Franz:

Ummm... Well, that answer you found? That IS in here! I just posted to
that thread: it's just up the list a few blocks...

The bottom line is: "No", there's no work-around for the security warning:
you have to use File>Open. If there were a work-around, the bad guys would
target it.

And while the change does have the effect of making it even harder to sue
Microsoft, it does also protect you from a document that would otherwise
send all your details and the contents of your bank accounts to a foreign
land where you have no ability to sue anyone.

Cheers

Hi all,

Well, no answers here, so I looked around further and found a new
answer:

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsof
t.public.mac.office.word&tid=39a692fc-bdf8-48af-96f4-0663dce047f2&mid=6e95bdaa
-348d-4b1e-a3d4-9bf9770ff3e0&cat=&lang=&cr=&sloc=&p=4
-----

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

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP
Co-author of Office 2008 for Mac All-in-One For Dummies
http://tinyurl.com/Office-2008-for-Dummies

-----

Aha! I figure I have the "student" version, as I bought it from my
university, even though I'm faculty. Looks like I'll have to learn
some Applescript to do some batch converting. Really really annoying.
But it's nice to think that Jim and Apple can help me, even though
Microsoft won't.

Cheers,

Franz

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

 

[CyberTaz]

.... And you need incur the message only once per file if you Save As to
create a copy in .docx format. As you may have seen in my reply to another
thread in which you posted, it is not just a matter of changing the filename
extension. It's the file _structure_ that needs to be updated, and that
cannot be done without Opening the file in a program capable of resaving it
in the OXML format. Arbitrarily sticking a different extension onto a file
is likely to cause the file to be damaged beyond repair.

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

 

[Franz]

... And you need incur the message only once per file if you Save As to
create a copy in .docx format. As you may have seen in my reply to another
thread in which you posted, it is not just a matter of changing the filename
extension. It's the file _structure_ that needs to be updated, and that
cannot be done without Opening the file in a program capable of resaving it
in the OXML format. Arbitrarily sticking a different extension onto a file
is likely to cause the file to be damaged beyond repair.

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

As I said in the other thread: Thanks guys!

I appreciate not having my bank account passwords not sent to someone
in Russia or Nigeria. So, grudging respect to Microsoft. I also
appreciate the clarification on real opening and saving as vs just
changing the extension on a file. I'm biting the bullet and going
through them one-by-one. It *is* interesting, I have to admit, to see
things I wrote 15 years ago--so my challenge is to find the fun in
this process.

Like life, eh?

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Franz:

It *is* interesting, I have to admit, to see
things I wrote 15 years ago--so my challenge is to find the fun in
this process.

Ah ... Yeah... I am often given to emotional states when I read stuff I
wrote 15 years ago... Although, "embarrassment" is just as common as
"amusement"...

The worst of it is when you can't remember how to do something, and after 20
minutes Googling, come across the answer ‹ written by yourself! (Yes, it
has happened to me ‹ more than once ...)

Cheers


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