Can You Read Open Office Docs on Microsoft Office?
An open-source productivity suite, OpenOffice can save you time and keep you from building up a pricey software bill. However, before you delete that old Microsoft Office software, make sure the suite does everything you need it to. The last thing you want to do is finish that big report for your boss in a format he can't read.
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Save As
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In order to read your OpenOffice spreadsheet or document in Microsoft Office, before you hit "Save" be sure to select the option to save with the Microsoft file extension, such as .doc or .xls.
Open With
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To open a document saved in OpenOffice format (rather than Microsoft format) into Microsoft Office, right-click on the file, select the "Open with" option and select the Microsoft Office program for that format (e.g., Word or Excel).
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Formatting
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If you forget to save the file in OpenOffice as a file with a Microsoft extension, formatting issues like disappearing page breaks, tabs and spacing, along with odd margins can arise, or the document may not be able to open at all.
Font Issues
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When using OpenOffice, always use standard fonts like Times New Roman. The fonts in OpenOffice and Microsoft Office do not always match, and using a non-standard font can create odd letters and other problems.
Other Considerations
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OpenOffice's Calc program does not support as many functions as Excel in Microsoft Office. Other OpenOffice programs such as Impress and Draw also have issues converting to Microsoft Office formats. Microsoft Office users may be unable to open these OpenOffice documents.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Rudolf Schuba
