Wednesday, 31 October 2007
How to open docx files
Microsoft introduced the .docx file format in its new Office and Word applications and wants it to replace the commonly used doc format. The problem with the change from doc to docx is that many users are still working with prior versions of Word or no Microsoft product at all and face the problem that they can’t load the docx file because it is not supported in their application.
The main question for those users is of course how they would open a docx file to be able to read and work with it. The answer is that it depends on what program and computer the user is working with. Let me outline several possibilities to open and work with docx file without using the latest Microsoft Office or Word software.
Older versions of Microsoft Office or Microsoft Word:
Older versions such as Office XP do not support the docx format because it was not known when they were developed and sold. A simple way to read docx and xlsx files in those applications would be to install the Microsoft Compatibility Pack which adds support for the new file formats.
Open Office
You can use the Open XML Translator for Open Office to be able to read and edit docx files with Open Office.
Online Solution
The docx converter lets you convert docx documents online. This is a pretty good solution if you don’t want to install the previously mentioned add-ons.
Macintosh
You might want to use the Online Solution above or download a desktop widget from the same developers. If you happen to use Microsoft Office on your Mac you might want to take a look at the Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac.
Suggested Reading
- How to stop Windows from asking to your restart after an update
- How to fix "BOOTMGR is missing" in Windows Vista
- How to encrypt & password protect Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint documents in Office 2007
- How to "Save as PDF" in Microsoft Office 2007
- How to enable the hidden boot logo in Windows Vista
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This post was written by: cyberst0rm
Blogging about technology since 2007. Feel free to leave a comment below.
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2 Responses to “How to open docx files”
02 November 2007 at 01:15
Microsoft sure _wants_ the docx file to take off, but I'm not too sure about how successful they will be with it. I believe that they recently were rejected at the world standards conference.
13 November 2007 at 17:28
docx format is Microsoft's impudence! They have put most of their customers at extreme inconvenience and disadvantage by introducing this new format which is totally unrecognizable to previous versions!
I think that Microsoft is reaching the levels where the old Ma Bell was broken up into many smaller pieces and their monopoly was replaced by today's open competition in the "long distance phone call" market. Justice Department needs to recognize the monololy of Microsoft in the software market and break up this faricious giant!!!!!
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