How to Convert a Newer Word Document to an Older Version

By Contributing Writer

Updated July 21, 2017

A part of the Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Word, is the popular word processing and editing software. Microsoft has released a number of versions of this program since 1989. Often an older version of Word cannot read a document created with a subsequent one. For example, Word 2007 uses a novel XML (Extensible Markup Language) file format with the compression to reduce the file size. Fortunately every Microsoft Word program has an implemented option that allows you to convert a document to an older version format.

Microsoft Word 2007

Launch Microsoft Word by clicking on its desktop icon or through the Start menu.

Press "Ctrl" + "O" on the keyboard. Then browse to find a Word 2007 document. Note that Word 2007 files have an extension ".docx."

Double-click on the docx file to open the document in Microsoft Word.

Click the orb-shaped "Office Button" button in the upper corner of the Word window.

Click the option "Save As."

Select an older Word format (for example "Word 97-2003") using the "Save as Type" drop-down box.

Click the "Save" button, and then click "Yes" to confirm the document conversion.

Microsoft Word 2003/XP/97 or Older

Launch Microsoft Word by clicking on its desktop icon or through the Start menu.

Press "Ctrl" + "O" on the keyboard.

Browse to find a DOC file. Then double-click on the file to open in Word.

Click the menu "File" and then "Save As."

Select an older Word format (for example "Word 6.0") using the drop-down box "Save as Type."

Click the "Save" button, and then click "Yes" to confirm the document conversion.

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