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General discussion

Can't open Microsoft wordprocessor docs & files

Jan 10, 2011 8:48PM PST

I've been using the Microsoft wordprocessor a free application that came pre-installed with the computer I purchase in late 2006. Recently I bought an new upgraded windows 7 PC but it doesn't have the wordprocessor program preinstalled and Microsoft office 2010 can't open or read these (wps)files.
Now, over the years I have made hundreds of these type of file documents. Many have important personal and irreplacable information in them. I've spent time at length trying to get help from Microsoft but to no avail. Weather it was by phone or e-mail, the people at Microsoft were of no help what so ever. Some even tried to tell me that Microsoft Office 2010 would open these files with no problem. This as everyone knows is not true. I have Office 2010 and if it worked, as some Microsoft CSR's have said, then I wouldn't be having all these issues with the wordprocessor files

Does anyone know of any program that I can use to open, view and read these files and/or transfer them to Microsoft office 2010?

Discussion is locked

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.wps files
Jan 10, 2011 9:24PM PST

If I understand you correctly you must have been using Microsoft Works on your older system. That saves files in .wps format.

I am surprised that Microsoft Word 2010 cannot open those files. Word always had the capability to open Works files, but not the other way round.

If you open Word 2010 then navigate to a .wps file, what happens when you select it and try top open it?

What is the exact error message?

Mark

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What the error message is when opening Microsoft works
Jan 11, 2011 12:50AM PST

You asked what error messages I get when opening Microsoft works with Office.
Well I have tried several different options from Microsoft to open these files.

Using "Microsoft word viewer" I don't get an error message. It will open the file but it comes out as the jibberish you see below

"?? ? ? > ?? ???? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? "

Using "Microsoft word viewer 2003", nothing happens.

"Microsoft office 2010" a gong sound occurs but the file doesn't open and no error message is displayed.

I have in this process found that if I open word 2010 first, then under "file", then "open".
I can open each file one at a time and save them in the new format.
This is extreemly tedious being that it doesn't allow me to set Microsoft office 2010 as it's "default" to open all the wps files where it will actually open them. It just "chimes" as I said in the previous statement but won't open the files unless I open each file through an already open word 2010 file.

So now I'll be opening each and every file. Ona at a time and saving them in the new format. As I said, very tedious. One down, 300 or so to go.

Thank you for the help!

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Re: Works
Jan 11, 2011 4:06AM PST

You know, contrary to what you say, Works has never been free. You paid for it. And you can still buy it, if you want.

I've had several PC's in the past that came with Works. They always came with the CD also. If you still have that CD, you can use it to install the program on your new PC.

Finally, if Word opens these files from File>Open there's a quite good chance that it will open them from Explorer also, if you set the file association.
http://vista.blorge.com/2009/10/26/how-to-change-file-type-associations-in-windows-7/ tells how to do that.

Kees