How to Open an Older Version of Word Documents in 2003

Opening and saving documents in different versions of Microsoft Word is seamless.

People create documents on home, work and other computers using various versions of Microsoft Word. Since the basics of Microsoft Word software remains the same from version to version, opening, editing and saving documents in different versions is seamless. When opening a document in Microsoft Word 2003 that was created in a different version of Word, your document will retain most of its original properties.

Instructions

1. Open a blank document in Microsoft Word 2003.

2. Click on "File" from the taskbar and select "Open" from the drop-down menu.

3. Search for the document in the appropriate folder. To accelerate this process, select the document's file type (Word 2007, Word 2000 or other file versions) from the "Files of type" pull-down menu located at the bottom of the "Open" window.

4. Select the document and click "Open." Microsoft Word will then convert incompatible aspects of the document, such as formatting, before fully opening the document. The conversion process is indicated by a status bar at the bottom left of the document window.

5. Edit and save the document, as necessary. The document will automatically save in the Microsoft Word 2003 format as a new document, separate from the original format.

Tips & Warnings

• The document conversion process is typically quick (ten to 15 seconds). If a particular document takes longer to convert, the file may be corrupted.

References

• Microsoft Word 2003 Help: Document Conversion