Create documents that are compatible with previous versions of Word. Open docx file in Open Office

Early versions of Microsoft Word (1997 - 2003) used DOC as the standard format for saving documents. With the release of Word 2007, the company switched to more advanced and functional DOCX and DOCM, which are still used today.

Old format files in new versions of the product open without problems, although they are launched in limited functionality mode, but opening DOCX in Word 2003 is no longer so easy.

If you are using an older version of the program, you will obviously be interested in learning how to open “new” files in it.

Installing the Compatibility Pack

All that is required to open DOCX and DOCM files in Microsoft Word 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003 is to download and install the compatibility pack along with all necessary updates.

It is noteworthy that this software will also allow you to open newer files of other Microsoft Office components - PowerPoint and Excel. In addition, files become available not only for viewing, but also for editing and subsequent saving (more on this below). If you try to open a DOCX file in an older program, you will see the following message.

Pressing the button "OK", you will be taken to the software download page. You will find a link to download the package below.

After downloading the software, install it on your computer. This is no more difficult to do than with any other program; you just need to run the installation file and follow the instructions.

IMPORTANT: The compatibility pack allows you to open documents in DOCX and DOCM formats in Word 2000 - 2003, but does not support template files used by default in newer versions of the program (DOTX, DOTM).

Compatibility Pack Features

The compatibility pack allows you to open DOCX files in Word 2003, however, some elements cannot be changed. First of all, this applies to elements that were created using new features introduced into one or another version of the program.

For example, mathematical formulas and equations in Word 1997 - 2003 will be presented in the form of ordinary images that cannot be edited.

List of element changes

You can find a complete list of what elements of the document will be changed when it is opened in earlier versions of Word, as well as what they will be replaced with, below. In addition, the list contains those items that will be deleted:

That's all, now you know what you need to do in order to open a DOCX format document in Word 2003. We also told you about how certain elements contained in the document will behave.

Office 2003 support has ended. On April 8, 2014, Microsoft ended support for Office 2003.

DOCX converter

Files with the DOCX extension are created in Microsoft Word 2007 and do not open in older versions, such as Word 2003. When you try to open a DOCX file in Word 2003 with Compatibility Pack or in Word Viewer with Compatibility Pack, you receive the following error message :

"An error occurred while opening the file."

How to open a DOCX file?

Microsoft releases its versions every 3 years. Previously, there was Office 2003, then the 2007 version came out, then 2010 and now 2013. It’s somehow fast and many do not have time to keep up with Microsoft. I now have the 2010 version and I didn’t get to it right away either. Many companies still use the 2003 version and this is due either to the reluctance of management to switch to the new one (why? Everything is fine anyway) or to low-performance computers that even 2007 cannot run (they don’t see the point in changing computers for this either). However, for the security of its products, Microsoft has come up with its own document format in new versions - docx, xlsx, etc. And now a picture of incompatibility is often observed, because old versions cannot open files created by the new Office.

1. Install the Windows File Compatibility Pack

This situation can be resolved very simply. To open a DOCX file in Word of previous versions (Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003), you need to install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack from the official Microsoft website. This installation will also allow you to open Excel and PowerPoint file formats (xlsx and pptx)

2. Online DOCX Converter

If you don't want to bother with installing a compatibility pack, you can use the free online docx - doc converter.

To do this, we need Internet access because we will use an online file converter. This method is good if you only need to open one file. You don't have to install anything on your computer. Everything is quite fast, easy and understandable, even though the site is in English. But I think you have basic knowledge, and if not, then below are instructions on how to convert a DOCX file to Word 2003 format.

2. At step "Step2" enter your email address, where you will receive a link to download the converted file. Click Send, the file is converted.

If all is well, a message appears: "Success. Please check your email for download link. Check your SPAM folder as well." Which means: "Successful. Please check your email to see the download link. Check your SPAM folder if the email ends up there." Having received a letter with a link, you download the converted file in doc format.

3. Open docx file in Open Office?

There is a simple answer to this question - you can open docx in Open Office. There is no need to explain to Linux users what Open Office is, but I recommend that Windows users take a look at... link. This package is very good and many people often use it to open docx files. Since most Linux distributions use Open Office as an office suite, questions like " how to open a docx file?"users of this operating system do not experience this problem. However, this package has at least one drawback - when trying to open docx files with a complex structure (nested tables, redundant graphics, etc.), the formatting gets lost. In general, of course, the document is readable , but it doesn't look the way we would like.

4. Download the converter program

for example, free NW Docx Converter

ADDITIONAL LINKS on the topic

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Word 2007 and Word 2010 can open DOCX files created by using Word 2013. Users of Word 2003 have the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack installed for PowerPoint 2007 file formats, Word, and Excel can also open Word 2013 documents.

If you don't know which version your partners are using, save your documents in Word 97-2003 (.doc) file format.

Creating a new document in Word 97–2003 format

To create a new document in Word 2013 that can be viewed and edited by users of an older version of Word, save it in the Word 97-2003 format.

Open the tab File and select a team Create.

Open a new document by clicking the button New document.

On the tab File select team Save as, and then specify a folder to save the file.

On the list File type select an option Word document 97–2003. The file format will be changed from DOCX to DOC.

Features that behave differently when using the Word 97–2003 format

The tables below identify document elements that work differently or are not available when editing DOC files.

Word 2013	Change when using the Word 97–2003 (DOC) file format
Office apps	Permanently removed from the document.
Web video	Finally converted into a graphic with a hyperlink to the web video.
Reply to comments and "Done" marks	Replies to comments become individual top-level comments, and all comments marked "Done" are reset.
Headings collapsed by default	Headers are expanded by default; the property is permanently deleted.
New numbering formats in Word 2010 Capital letters, Turkish (Latin) (A, B, C, Ç, D...) Lowercase letters, Turkish (Latin) (, b, c, ç, d...) Capital letters, Bulgarian (Cyrillic) (A, B, C, G, D...) Lowercase letters, Bulgarian (Cyrillic) (a, b, c, d, d...) Capital letters, Greek {Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε…} Lowercase letters, Greek {α, β, γ, δ, ε…} 3-digit fixed format (001... NNN) 4-digit fixed format (0001...NNNN) 5-digit fixed format (00001... NNNNN)
New shape and label effects	Shapes and lettering are converted into effects available in DOC file format.
Text effects
Alt text in tables
OpenType Features	OpenType features are permanently removed from the text.
	Locks applied to areas of the document are removed.
New WordArt Effects	Effects applied to text are permanently removed.
Content Controls	All content controls are converted to static text.
	Finally converted to styles.
	Finally converted to font formatting.
Recorded movements	Finally converted into deletions and insertions.
Tab with alignment	Finally converted to a regular tab.
SmartArt Graphics	Converted into one image; If you haven't made any changes to Word 2003, you can recreate SmartArt graphics by opening the document in Word 2013 and updating it to Open XML format.
Diagrams and diagrams	Converted into one image; If no changes were made in Word 2003, you can recreate the charts by opening the document in Word 2013 and updating it to Open XML format. Data that exceeds the limits that Excel 2003 supports is permanently deleted.
Embedded Open XML Objects	They don't change.
Standard blocks
References

Equations	Converted into one image; If no changes were made in Word 2003, the equations can be recreated by opening the document in Word 2013 and updating it to Open XML format.
Relative captions (labels whose size is set as a percentage of the page width or height)	The relative sizes are finally converted to a fixed position.

If you create a document for people who work in earlier versions of Word, and you know that the recipient has the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for PowerPoint 2007 file formats installed, Word and Excel can work in Microsoft Word 2010 mode.

If you don't know whether the recipient has the compatibility pack installed, you can work in compatibility mode. In this mode, the new and improved features of Word 2010 are not available, so users of previous versions of Word will retain full editing capabilities.

Note: If you want to know what content of an already created document cannot be changed in earlier versions, see the section.

If you are creating a document that will be used in an earlier version of Word, you can enable compatibility mode by saving the file in Word 97-2003 format.

Open a new document.

Open the tab File.

On the list File type select value Word document 97–2003. The file format will be changed to DOC.

In the field File name enter a document name.

Features that behave differently in earlier versions

The table below identifies document elements that work differently or are not available in Compatibility View.

Note: If you are using Microsoft Word Starter 2010, it does not support all the features available in Word 2010. For more information about the features supported in Word Starter, see What's in Word Starter?

Word 2010 element	Change when opening in Word 2007	Change when opening in Word 97-2003
New numbering formats	New numbering formats are converted to Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4...).	New numbering formats are converted to Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4...).
New figures and inscriptions		Shapes and lettering are converted to the effects available in this format.
Text effects		Effects applied to text are permanently removed unless they were applied using a custom style (in which case they will reappear when you reopen the document in Word 2010).
Alt text in tables	Alternate text is removed from tables.	Alternate text is removed from tables.
OpenType Features		New font features are being removed.
		Locks applied to areas of the document will be removed.
New WordArt Effects	Effects applied to text are permanently removed.	Effects applied to text are permanently removed.
New content controls		Finally converted to static content.
Word 2007 Content Controls	No changes.	Finally converted to static text.
	They don't change.	Finally converted to styles. The next time you open the file in Word 2010, you can't automatically change the style using themes.
Basic and additional fonts	They don't change.	The final one is converted to a static format. When you subsequently open the file in Word 2010, the title and body fonts do not automatically change when you change the style.
Recorded movements	No changes.	Are irrevocably converted into deletions and insertions.
Tab stops	No changes.	Aligned tab stops will be converted to regular tab stops.
SmartArt Graphics	No changes.	Converted into a single object that cannot be changed unless the document that was not modified is reopened in Word 2010.
Diagrams and diagrams	No changes.	Some diagrams and diagrams will be converted to images that cannot be edited. Data beyond the supported number of rows will be lost.
Embedded Open XML Objects	No changes.	Converted to static content.
Standard blocks	No changes.	Some data in building blocks and AutoText elements may be lost.
Bibliography	No changes.	Converts to static text without the possibility of reverse conversion.
	No changes.	Converted to static text without the possibility of reverse conversion.
	No changes.	Converted to images without the ability to change. Any notes, footnotes, or endnotes in equations are permanently removed when you save the document.
Relative labels	No changes.	They irrevocably occupy a fixed position.

Although people who use previous versions of Microsoft Office Word and have the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for PowerPoint 2007, Word, and Excel file formats installed can open documents saved in the Microsoft Office Word 2007 format, they may not be able to edit some items. created with new and improved features. For example, if you use a previous version of Word to open a document that contains equations, the equations will become images that you cannot change.

If the document will be used in a previous version of Microsoft Office Word, you can create it in compatibility mode. This will disable the new and improved features of Office Word 2007 in the document so that users of earlier versions of Word will still have full editing functionality.

Note: The File menu has been replaced Microsoft Office button .

Enabling Compatibility Mode

When creating a document that will be used in an earlier version, you can enable compatibility mode by saving the file in Word 97-2003 format.

Features of the operation of some document elements in compatibility mode

Below is a list of document elements that work differently or are not available in Compatibility View.

Every year, various software development companies try to delight potential consumers with fresh, cutting-edge software, but not everyone is ready to share such enthusiasm. The universal, well-established program Office Word 2003, to which the practical majority of Russians are accustomed, has not been serviced by the creator corporation for the past 2 years.

Due to this circumstance, a file with the .docx extension is created in versions of the application written since 2007, and it cannot open in earlier versions without additional intervention from the user. This problem is very often encountered by those who, for example, use Word 2003 at work and Word 2007 at home.

If you need to open a new file in an older version of Word, there are several solutions

Anyone who at least once tried to open .docx using Word 2003, even with the compatibility pack, was faced with a message that warned about an error; in particular, the user saw a sign on the screen that said: “An error occurred while opening the file.” To cope with this simple task and open a docx file in Word 2003, you need to know that Microsoft updates its programs every 3 years, as evidenced by the replacement of the 2003 version with 2007, then 2010 and 2013.

The problem lies in the fact that not every modern private organization, not to mention the state one, can keep up with Microsoft innovations. At some enterprises, the 2003 version works clearly and smoothly; there is no need to install even a 2007 program instead, not to mention more recent developments. The error that occurs when opening a file is due to the high security of new software products. The previous format, in particular doc and xls, was subsequently replaced by docx and xlsx. To get rid of an unpleasant situation once and for all, to forget about the incompatibility picture, you should resort to several tips that will help the user with a high degree of guarantee.

How to open a file with the .docx extension in Word 2003

So, if an old version of Microsoft Word is installed on your computer, and the file with the .docx extension does not want to open in the usual way, you will have to take additional measures.

Download the Word application from the official Microsoft website

The first step is to try to install a specialized compatibility package that will help an earlier version of the program open a document saved in a later application. You can open a docx file in Word 2000, Office XP or 2003 immediately after installing the additional application, which is a compatibility pack, on your PC. You can download such a program from the website of the official manufacturer Microsoft. It should be noted that after installation, the user will be able to easily open almost all existing file formats, even xlsx and pptx, which were created in Excel and PowerPoint, respectively.

The second method is associated with the utilization of an online converter, which is available if you have the Internet at any time of the day. This option will be optimal for those who do not have time to look for a high-quality compatibility package and spend additional time installing it. A free, easy-to-use online converter helps you open docx in a program that creates files with the .doc extension. True, regularly using an electronic resource of this kind is not very convenient; it is useful only for a quick single conversion of formats.

It is advisable to mention one important feature of the site - its English language. A user who does not have at least basic knowledge of this language will only need a few minutes to open the required file. To convert the new format to Word 2003, just use the “Browse” command in Step 1 to point directly to the file that is to be changed, then in Step 2 leave your contact information, in particular, e-mail. After a few minutes, a new message will appear in your email with a link allowing you to download the converted document. The conversion will be completed after clicking on the “Send” button. A successful conversion will be accompanied by the message: “Success”. Among other things, this message will indicate the possibility of the letter ending up in the Spam folder, so the user will have to check its contents if the letter with the link takes too long.

The third method helps you open a .docx file using Open Office. For those who do not know about the existence of this application, just contact users who prefer Windows Linux to the standard OS. As practice shows, the package is easy to use; it can easily help you convert a docx file and open it. Despite several advantages and benefits, this application has one drawback - if the docx file you open is equipped with complex nested tables or cumbersome graphics, the formatting of the document will undergo significant changes. The file will open without problems and will have a passable readable appearance, but its structure will be unsightly.

The fourth method to help open docx documents in Word 2003 is to use and install specialized converter programs, such as NW Docx Converter, which are freely available.

Conclusion

The functionality of the Word 2003 text editor does not always help the user cope with complex tasks, for example, easily open documents in docx format. However, specialized converter programs and compatibility packages can come to the rescue and solve the problem in a few seconds.

Today, some users have switched to using Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010 programs, while others have remained working in MS Office 2003. When using MS Office 2007 or 2010 documents in earlier versions of MS Office, format compatibility problems arise. So in this lesson we will learn how open Office 2007 file in 2003.

Let's look at our problem using an example:

If a document created in Word 2003 is opened in Word 2007 (2010), then there are no problems with reading and editing the document, because Each older version of the MS Office program can work with the previous version.
If you try to open a document, for example Word 2007 (2010) with the docx extension in Word 2003, an error will occur and the document will not open; the same will happen with Excel and PowerPoint documents.

What to do if you need to work with documents that are created on a computer on which MS Office 2007 or 2010 is installed?

Here are some ways to solve the problem:

ask that documents be saved specifically for you in the Word 97-2003 version (File - Save as - select the file type Word 97-2003).

This method is good if you know those who prepare the documents for you. What should you do if you download the necessary material, for example, a presentation on the Internet in ppts format, but PowerPoint 2003 opens only the ppt format? In this case, you can use the second method.

Install a special format compatibility package on your computer. This program is free, takes up a small space of 65.44MB, called FileFormatConverters. The program allows you to view Excel, Word, PowerPoint files of version 2007 (2010) in earlier versions of Office, for example, in MS Office 2003.

So, the program (format compatibility package) can be

Installation of the program is standard, it will take less than 1 minute, but what are the benefits of the work! Now you can open any files of new versions of Office with just one click, i.e. format conversion will occur on the fly, without your participation.

Today we learned:

how to make a document compatible with earlier versions of Office;
about the FileFormatConverters format compatibility package;
learned to open any Office 2007 files in 2003.