Microsoft KB Archive/181316

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WD5x: How to Open MacWord 5.x Files in Word 6.0 or Word 98

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Q181316

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.1, 5.1a

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SUMMARY
When you upgrade from Word 5.x to Word 6.0 or Word 98 Macintosh Edition, you will want to convert your Word 5.x files to Word 6.0 or Word 98 format. Word versions 6.0 and later come with converters for Word 4.x and 5.x for the Macintosh and Word 2.x for Windows.

To convert these (and most other) types of documents, simply open them in Word 6.0 for the Macintosh or Word 98 Macintosh Edition. Word handles the conversion automatically, preserving the original content and formatting. Most of the time, Word recognizes the file format, converts the document, and displays it in a Word window. If the converter you need was not installed when you installed Word, Word displays the Convert File dialog box and asks you to choose a converter. To install additional converters, you need to run Word Setup again.

NOTE: Word Setup does not install any file converters if you performed a Typical or Minimum installation. If the converter you need is not installed, run Word Setup again.

Getting Information About Converting files in Word 98
For more information about converting files in Word 98, click Contents And Index on the Help menu (or on the Balloon Help menu if you are using a version of the Macintosh operating system earlier than 8.0), click the Index button in Microsoft Word 98 Help, type the following text

"converting files" and then click Show Topics. Select the "converting files, different versions of Word" topic, and click Go To. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

To convert several documents at once in Word 98, use the batch conversion macro found in the Value Pack Folder on the Microsoft Office 98 CD. Note: You can only convert formats for which there is an external converter, not the internal converters such as the Word 5.1 for Mac converter. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q180530 WD98: How to Install and Use the Word Batch Converter"

Getting Information About Converting files in Word 6.0
For more information, see these references:


 * For online instructions, double-click the Help button on the Standard toolbar, then type converting file. You can also double-click the Help button on the Standard toolbar, type readme, press ENTER twice, and click File Conversion.
 * "Microsoft Word Quick Results," version 6.0, Chapter 6, "Switching from a Previous Version of Word."
 * "Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, Chapter 26, "Converting File Formats."
 * To convert several documents at once in Word 6, use the batch conversion macro in the Convert template (BatchConversion).

Getting Information About Supplemental Converters
For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q179607 WD98: Supported Non-Word File Formats

Q119859 MacWord 6.x Supplemental File Conversion Disk Available

Q180530 WD98: How to Install and Use the Word Batch Converter Word 6.0:

For instructions about how to obtain supplemental converters and graphics filters that were not shipped with Word, double-click the Help button on the Standard toolbar, and then type "readme" (without quotation marks). Press ENTER twice, and then click File Conversion.

Getting Information About Installing Components
Word 98:

For more information about installing components in Word, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index button in Word Help, type the following text

"installing Office" and then click Show Topics. Select the "Installing Individual Office Components" topic, and click Go To. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

Word 6.0:

Double-click the Help button on the Standard toolbar, type setup, and press ENTER twice.