WORD 98 can't open WORD 2004

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csdmailbox44-google@yahoo.com - 12 Feb 2006 06:18 GMT

I have WORD MAC 2004 (from OFFICE MAC 2004 on a Mac Mini. Just got it
last Dec.)
I have a friend who has WORD 98 on an iMac. I can open her files fine
although I do not have all her fonts.

She can't even open mine. Says her WORD doesn't recognize my file as
a WORD document. She can open and process earlier Words than 2004.
(She could open my old WORD 98 - for WIndows) fine and that was a PC
version.

She can't open from the email atachment or if she saves it and goes
into WORD first before opening. Nothing works.

Help! Any ideas? I have browsed Mac forums and can't find any
compatibiliby issues. I tried saving as RTF and she could open it
but lost formatting and it was flaky.... Large print, and other
wierdness.

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John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh] - 12 Feb 2006 08:43 GMT

Hi "Nobody"

(Sorry: One of my pet peeves. I come here because I like helping people
personally: you take all the fun out of it when you don't give your name...)

1. Go to Word>Preferences>Save and ensure that your copy of Word is set to
"Save Word files as 'Word document'"

2. Open one of those files on your system and go to File>Properties>General
and ensure that the "Type:" is shown as Microsoft Word Document.

3. Check that your email program is set to send the document as an
"Attachment" and that it is set to "Add (Windows) file extensions."

If you have done all that, send her to us: she has a problem on HER computer

:-) Word 98 will happily open Word 2004 files, although it may display some

of the tables with minor formatting problems.

The most likely cause of her problem is that her system has not been set to
correctly associate the Microsoft Word 2004 file type and creator code with
Microsoft Word 98. By putting the Windows file extension .doc on the end of
the file name, you can force it to do this. She can correct this easily,
but she may you or us to tell her how to do that.

Windows has not "required" file extensions for years, but on both Windows
and Mac, it can help to specify them as a technique of last resort when
dealing with a badly-configured system :-)

Cheers

On 12/2/06 5:18 PM, in article
1139725087.565965.137740@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com,

> I have WORD MAC 2004 (from OFFICE MAC 2004 on a Mac Mini. Just got it
> last Dec.)
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> but lost formatting and it was flaky.... Large print, and other
> wierdness.

Signature

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <john@mcghie.name>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410

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Mac Forum / Applications / Word / February 2006

WORD 98 can't open WORD 2004