How to Open a Word 2007 Document on a Computer With an Earlier Word Program

Earlier versions of Word can still open Word 2007 documents.

Prior users of Microsoft Word noticed many changes with Word 2007 when it was released, including the file format. Word 2007 documents are based on the Open Extensible Markup Language (XML), which makes files smaller, improves damage recovery and makes documents more secure, according to Microsoft. However, there are many users with Word versions prior to Word 2007. The Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack allows users with Word 2000, 2002 and 2003 versions to open, edit, print and save Word 2007 documents.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Word 2000 and up

Instructions

Download and Install the Compatibility Pack

1. Install all required updates by using Microsoft Update (see Resources) before you begin to install the Compatibility Pack, especially if you are using Microsoft Office XP or 2003. You can download the updates from the site by following the online instructions.

2. Point your browser to the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack from the Microsoft Download Center (see Resources). Download the pack by clicking on the "Download Button" located on the deep blue line in the middle of the page.

3. Follow the instructions to install the Compatibility Pack. Once installed, you can open, modify, print and save the Word 2007 file format by using a previous version of Word.

Open a Word 2007 File in Word 2003

1. Open Word 2003 and click on "File" in the top right of the toolbar. Click "Open" from the drop-down menu to get the Open dialog box.

2. Double-click on the Word 2007 file name in the Open dialog box (you may need to scroll through your file listings to find the file). As the file opens, a taskbar message at the bottom of the screen indicates the conversion process. Depending on file size and complexity, this takes a few seconds or minutes. Once Word 2003 finishes converting, the file opens in Word 2003 and you can make changes.

3. Save the file by clicking "File" and then "Save As." When the Save As dialog box appears, look at the Save as Type field at the bottom of the box and notice the file is being saved as a Word 2007 file. Click "Save" to keep the file a Word 2007 document. You can also save the file in the Word 2003 format by clicking on the "Save as Type" drop-down menu and selecting "Word document." When you click "Save," the file will be saved as a DOC file.

Tips & Warnings

• You do not have to download and install the Compatibility Pack if you are only going to be working with a few Word 2007 documents. Ask the Word 2007 user to save the file as a Word 97-2003 file. In Word 2007, click on the "Microsoft Office Button" and then click "Save As." Click on the "Save as Type" field at the bottom of the dialog box and select "Word 97-2003 Document (*doc)." Click "Save" to save the file as a previous version.

• According to Microsoft, Word 2007 uses many enhanced features, so a Word 2007 document might have some formatting changes when opened in a prior version of Word. For example, charts, diagrams and equations created in Word 2007 will become graphics in previous versions of Word and cannot be edited.

References

• Office Online: Open XML Formats and File Name Extensions
• Office Online: Open a Word 2007 Document in an Earlier Version of Word
• Ohio Dominican University: To Open a Word 2007 Document if You Have an Older Version of Office

Resources

• Microsoft: Microsoft Update
• Microsoft: Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats