Can't open .docx file.

[Guest]

Received a document that is a .docx file. We don't have Vista and we have
been unable to open the document in Word. Tried to save as a differnt file
type but that didn't work either. What is the right program to use to open
this?

 

[Charles W Davis]

The .docx extention was created using Word 2007. Have the originator save
the file as aWord 97 - 2003 document and resend it to you. If you are using
Word 2003, you can download a compatibility module from Microsoft.

 

[Guest]

When I save Word docs, it saves them with a .docx extension, which I assume
is the new Word 2007 "way." But others on previous versions of Word can't
open them. How can I save them to a format that older versions can see?

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Instead of 'saving', save as. You then get an option to save in the earlier
format..

 

[Paul Smith]

When I save Word docs, it saves them with a .docx extension, which I
assume
is the new Word 2007 "way." But others on previous versions of Word can't
open them. How can I save them to a format that older versions can see?

Compatibility add-ons can be downloaded for Office 2000, XP and 2003 so they
can open the new XML based formats.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101686761033.aspx

Or if they don't have Office they can download the Word viewer program for
free.

If you specifically want to save with the old binary format you can Save
As -> Word 97-2003 Document.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
http://www.dasmirnov.net/blog/
http://www.windowsresource.net/

*Remove nospam. to reply by e-mail*

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Received a document that is a .docx file. We don't have Vista and we have
been unable to open the document in Word. Tried to save as a differnt file
type but that didn't work either. What is the right program to use to open
this?

This has nothing to do with whether you have Vista. The .docx format
is the new default format used by Word 2007. Undoubtedly you have an
earlier version of Word, which can not natively read .docx files.

There are two possible solutions to your problem:

1 Ask your correspondent to resend the file in the old .doc format. He
can do that by choosing Save as, rather than Save.

2. Download and install the free "Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack
for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats" at
https://www.microsoft.com/downloads...70-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en
or http://tinyurl.com/3yzz8e

Also, you should note that downloading Word attachments can be very
risky, since there is a risk that they can carry a macro virus. You
often see advice not to open attachments from people you don't know. I
think that that's one of the most dangerous pieces of advice you see
around, because it implies that it's safe to do the opposite--open
attachments from friends and relatives. But many viruses spread by
sending themselves to everyone in the infected party's address book,
so attachments received from friends are perhaps the *most* risky to
open.

Even if the attachment legitimately comes from a friend, it can
contain a virus. I'm not suggesting that a friend is likely to send
you a virus on purpose, but if the friend is infected without
realizing it, any attachment he sends you is likely to also be
infected.

Personally I never open executable attachments at all, except from a
*very* few trusted sources, and then only when I'm expecting them.