Obtain file format converters
The most commonly used converters are installed with Microsoft Word by default. If you want to open or save in a format that's not installed by default, you may need to obtain additional converters.
Note You can open documents created in Microsoft Word 2000, 97, 95, 6.0, or 2.0 directly in Microsoft Word 2002. All data and formatting created in these versions of Word are fully supported in Word 2002.
Converters supplied with Word
Opening or saving in Word
- WordPerfect 6.x
- Converts documents from WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS and WordPerfect 6.0 and 6.1 for Windows.
- WordPerfect 5.x
- Converts documents to and from WordPerfect 5.0 and 5.1 for DOS and WordPerfect 5.1 and 5.2 for Windows.
- Text with Layout
MS-DOS Text with Layout
- Preserves line breaks. Inserts spaces in a converted document to approximate indents, tables, line spacing, paragraph spacing, and tab stops. Converts section breaks and page breaks to paragraph marks. Use this format to convert a document to a text file format while preserving the page layout.
- Microsoft Excel
- Allows Word to open Excel files.
- Word 97-2002 & 6.0/95 - RTF
- Saves as Rich Text Format (RTF) with a .doc extension.
- Word 6.0/95 Export
- Saves as Word 6.0/95 binary file format with a .doc extension.
- Word for Macintosh 4.0-5.1
- Converts document to Word for Macintosh versions 4.x and 5.x. No converter is required for opening these formats in Word 2002.
- Word 2.x for Windows
- Saves as version 2.x. No converter is needed to open Word 2.x documents.
- Microsoft Works 4.0 for Windows
- Opens and saves Works 4.0 files.
- Microsoft Works 2000 for Windows
- Opens and saves Works 2000 files.
- Recover Text
- Use to recover text from any file when you open damaged documents.
- Lotus 1-2-3
- Opens versions 2.x, 3.x, and 4.0.
- Web Page
- Opens or saves documents in HTML format. Preserves Word document properties so that HTML documents retain Word-specific features if they are later saved back to Word document format.
- Web Page, Filtered
- Saves documents in HTML. This converter removes the Word-specific HTML encoding.
- Web Archive
- Saves all the elements of a Web site, including text and graphics, into a single file.
- Word for Windows 5.0
- Saves as version 5.x. No converter is needed to open Word 5.x documents.
Opening Word documents in other programs
When these converters are installed, you can open Microsoft Word documents from the specified programs.
- Word 97-Word 2002
- Opens Word 97-2002 documents in Word 6.0, Word 95, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Works, and Microsoft Publisher.
- Lotus Notes
- Use to open Word 6.0 or later documents in Lotus Notes.
Plain-text file formats
- Plain Text
- Saves text without its formatting. Converts all section breaks, page breaks, and new line characters to paragraph marks. Allows you to select the ANSI character set or to use the encoding standard that you choose. Use an encoded format when you share documents with people who use system software in another language.
- Encoded Text
- Available when the Confirm conversion at Open option is selected (Tools menu, Options command, General tab). Opens text without its formatting. Uses the encoding standard that you choose. Use this format when you share documents with people who use system software in another language.
- Rich Text Format (RTF)
- Saves all formatting. Converts formatting to instructions that other programs, including compatible Microsoft programs, can read and interpret.
Supplemental converters
Supplemental converters are available on the Microsoft Office Resource Kit Web site and the Microsoft Office Web site.
Note The hyperlinks in this topic go to the Web. You can switch back to Help at any time.