This forum requires Javascript to be enabled for posting content
Log In
Please consider registering
Guest
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Min search length: 3 characters / Max search length: 84 characters
Register Lost password?
Converting Office Starter docs back to Office 2003
ClissAT
SE Qld, Australia
13 Posts
(Offline)
1
October 7, 2013 - 10:24 am

I had a problem with Office starter on my win7 pc & after much exasperation over the last 3wks I have decided to try an install of my old version of Office 2003.

It is working for new docs but I was thinking the existing word docs would just open in the newly installed version. But Office 2010 still wants control. Also there seems to be no conversion possible. I attempted a conversion & just a page with a few characters on it. Does this mean Word 2003 can't read the Word Starter 2010 documents?

Will I have to uninstall all the Office 2010 suite first to get proper use of my word docs again? I need to be sure 2003 can read the 2010 docs first.

Same will apply to excel.

Jim Hillier
2700 Posts
(Offline)
2
October 7, 2013 - 5:57 pm

Documents saved by Office 2010 in .docx format cannot be opened by Office 2003. Office 2010 saves in the .docx format by default, Office 2003 saves in .doc format by default.

The way around this is to install the Office Compatibility pack: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3

Once you've installed the Compatibility pack your Office 2003 will be able to open all Office docs up to and including 2010.

ClissAT
SE Qld, Australia
13 Posts
(Offline)
3
October 8, 2013 - 6:22 am

Hi Jim, I did try for the compatibility pack but it couldn't load.
reason being there have been some bad updates that have been failing daily for about 4wks. Nothing seems to fix them. 1 is for Office & 1 is for .NET I've gone through all the Fit It things, done uninstalls & reinstalls, restores. I've even been told my pc doesn't need the .NET framework but I have programs that need it that I use daily.
I've spent days on this to no avail. So I tried a way around it by using Office 2003.

So I'm back to scratch. What I really want is the Office Starter back again.
I have a recent image but it was taken right about the time the failed updates appeared & blocked my Office Starter program.

Can I use the repair disc to get Starter back again? The only problem with Office Starter now is that I need to find a licence somehow. I'm not sure what Microsoft is wanting when it asks for the name & licence.

Jim Hillier
2700 Posts
(Offline)
4
October 8, 2013 - 7:12 am

No, you can't use the repair disc to fix Office Starter. A repair will only look for and fix corrupted system files, Office Starter is not part of the system, it is has been installed afterwards.

Have you tried uninstalling the bad updates??

You may need to ring Microsoft Support, or start a support ticket. Considering the dramas the MS updates have caused, I'm pretty sure they would bend over backwards to help out.

Cheers... Jim

ClissAT
SE Qld, Australia
13 Posts
(Offline)
5
October 10, 2013 - 1:26 am

There's been some promising developments since I installed & used my spare Office 2003 licence.

I tried to open a word doc made with 2010 starter using word 2003 & got a message telling me to get the compatibility files etc. When I went there it told me to get all the important updates first. When I looked in my updates folder there were 49 new updates since last night. Obviously they'd all been talking to each other!

So I spent the day getting hours of updates & new stuff to allow word 2003 to open docs made with starter 2010. So that's all working now. So is PowerPoint.

However excel 2003 isn't working nor can I find it anywhere to link to it. So I wonder if I now need to go through the same process to get it updated? Currently I'm using Libre to open excel docs made on starter 2010 but there's always an argument with Office 2010 wanting control.

So I think I'll uninstall all of Office 2010 to let Office 2003 run. And I'll look in the Windows download page to see if there are updates & compatibility files for excel 2003.

The other thing bugging me was the failed updates. They have stopped coming in. It turned out to be an update for Office 2010.

OK it seems I have pretty much solved my problem maybe not exactly how I wanted but at least I have functioning Office & no failed updates bugging me anymore. I'll just have to loose starter 2010 but not to worry.

All that has to be good!

Forum Timezone: America/Indiana/Indianapolis
All RSSShow Stats
Administrators:
Jim Hillier
Richard Pedersen
David Hartsock
Moderators:
Carol Bratt
dandl
Jason Shuffield
Jim Canfield
Terry Hollett
Stuart Berg
John Durso
Top Posters:
Chad Johnson: 867
Mindblower: 664
carbonterry2: 356
Flying Dutchman: 278
grr: 211
Newest Members:
JudeLandry
benjaminlouis680309
drogers97439
travishead60
Gohighlevelsnapshots
Forum Stats:
Groups: 8
Forums: 20
Topics: 1941
Posts: 13516

 

Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 11
Members: 3177
Moderators: 7
Admins: 3
Most Users Ever Online: 2303
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 40
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Exit mobile version

WHY NOT SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER?

Get great content like this delivered to your inbox!

It's free, convenient, and delivered right to your inbox! We do not spam and we will not share your address. Period!