Options for opening new Word documents with old software

  • Posted: November 05, 2009  Topics: Software

Here's a question I received from one of my readers. I thought everyone could benefit from my reply so I'm including the full question and answer below.

Q: When I tried to open a Word document attachment, a pop up said it was created from a newer version of Microsoft Word and that I needed to install a compatibility pack.

When I clicked through to see what was involved to do that, it came up that it would be a big deal with a number of preliminary steps so I decided it wasn't worth the effort and risk. Did I do the right thing?

A: You can either go back and stumble your way through the compatibility pack installation for free or upgrade to Office 2007. You can get away with the Home & Student version for around $90 - $120 (price fluctuates frequently). But you may need to spend another $80 to get the newest version of Outlook 2007 as well.

Keep in mind that Microsoft is releasing the next version of Office in 2010 so, even if you upgrade to Office 2007, you will only have the most current version for a few months to a year.

So you can spend just under $200 to be current (for now) with your Office software, or install a compatibility pack for free.

I didn't mention this but you also have another option. You could send an email reply to the person who sent you the Word 2007 attachment and ask him or her to re-save the document in a more compatible Word 2003 format. Then you would be able to open the attachment with no modifications to your computer.

2 comments for this blog post so far...

  • #1
    November 10, 2009 at 9:11 am

    Andy - The Digitante

    Another answer would be to upload the document to Google Docs. It will accept any current Microsoft Office version of documents.

    Once uploaded, you can open the document, go to the File Menu and choose Download As… and select Word. It will then download the document in the .doc format. Perfect for opening in most prior versions of MS Office.

  • #2
    November 10, 2009 at 9:24 pm

    Patric Welch

    @Andy - Fantastic tip! I had never heard that one but will definitely add it to my arsenal. Thanks!

Add A Comment

Notify me by e-mail of follow-up comments?


Patric Welch

Need help leaving a comment?

Just fill out your name, email address (for our eyes only) and web site address (if you have one, this is optional) above. Next, type your comment in the comment box. Feel free to use the Enter key to leave spaces between paragraphs.

The last step before submitting your comment is to enter the CAPTCHA word. This is the funny little series of letters and numbers you see below the comment field that helps prevent comment spam and ensures your comment can be seen on the web site immediately after you submit it.

The last step is to click the "Submit Your Comment" button. Thank you for commenting.