Vista & XP

[metta]

Hello All,

I have a laptop whose harddrive is dying so I'm looking at new ones. I have a network of computers that I use that are currently all XP.

Most of the new laptops are vista.

When using the new Word and Excel documents in Vista, is it an issue to be able to change documents between xp and vista versions? I often times need to make changes to documents on the various computers.

For example, I heard that word files on vista are saved as .docx files and the xp office word files are .doc. But that .docx files can be converted into .doc files. Can the default for the new vista office documents be changed so that they automatically are saved to autoamically work with files created on xp, such as .doc files? I don't really want to create more work and hassel looking at files between computers. But I'm also thinking that it might be a good idea to have a vista computer so that when people send me files in it I can open them without asking them to change them.

Thank you in advance for the advice.

 

[hunky]

. docx is for office 2007. Vista or XP will open it regardless the program you use. Office 2007 will open the ones before, but it will not the other way around.

 

[metta]

. docx is for office 2007. Vista or XP will open it regardless the program you use. Office 2007 will open the ones before, but it will not the other way around.

Thank you! So that means that if I upgrade my office to 2007 on my XP's and get a lapttop with vista and the office for that, they will work together...is that correct? Excel will work the same as well?

 

[nickmybabe]

WOW, why is Office 2007 have to be .docx, thats ridiculous

 

[justgofaster]

Just use OpenOffice, metta.

Not only will all your different computers with different versions of Windows be able to talk to each other, but you'll also be able to communicate with Mac and Linux users as well. The .doc standard is now an international standard format.

Plus, it won't cost you a cent. OpenOffice is free.

 

[_AJ_]

WOW, why is Office 2007 have to be .docx, thats ridiculous

i think its due to needing more information than the old .doc format and also improving the file type

remember .doc as a format is over 10 years old

 

[AdmiraalW238]

Hello All,

I have a laptop whose harddrive is dying so I'm looking at new ones. I have a network of computers that I use that are currently all XP.

Most of the new laptops are vista.

When using the new Word and Excel documents in Vista, is it an issue to be able to change documents between xp and vista versions? I often times need to make changes to documents on the various computers.

For example, I heard that word files on vista are saved as .docx files and the xp office word files are .doc. But that .docx files can be converted into .doc files. Can the default for the new vista office documents be changed so that they automatically are saved to autoamically work with files created on xp, such as .doc files? I don't really want to create more work and hassel looking at files between computers. But I'm also thinking that it might be a good idea to have a vista computer so that when people send me files in it I can open them without asking them to change them.

Thank you in advance for the advice.

To change the default file type in any of the new Office 2007 program open say WORD...with a blank document open click the swirly symbol in the top left hand corner and then click WORD OPTIONS - then click SAVE - then click the drop down list next to SAVE FILES AS and select Word 97-2004 (*.doc) then click OK.

Now all word documents will be saved in Word 97-2003 and can be opened on any computer no matter what version of Office they are running.

Repeat the same steps for EXCEL, POWERPOINT and PUBLISHER.

Alternatively there is a office 2007 converter file available for download and you just install that on all the computers running Office 2003 or lower and then the other computer can still open your *.docs files.

 

[metta]

What's the big hoo ha guys?

You can just go into the Options of whatever Office 2007 application you're using and either set it to always save in a backward compatible mode or just do it one doc at a time.

I have Office 2007 and I set the default to save as a .doc not a .docx as I need to bring stuff into college where they have older versions. It's easy peezy.

Yeah yeah sure you lose some extra features but who uses all those extras? Certainly not me.

To change the default file type in any of the new Office 2007 program open say WORD...with a blank document open click the swirly symbol in the top left hand corner and then click WORD OPTIONS - then click SAVE - then click the drop down list next to SAVE FILES AS and select Word 97-2004 (*.doc) then click OK.

Now all word documents will be saved in Word 97-2003 and can be opened on any computer no matter what version of Office they are running.

Repeat the same steps for EXCEL, POWERPOINT and PUBLISHER.

Alternatively there is a office 2007 converter file available for download and you just install that on all the computers running Office 2003 or lower and then the other computer can still open your *.docs files.

Thank you for the helpful advice everyone! That will save me from updating my software on all of my computers.

 

[wanderer]

i use multiple computers on a network, both with vista and xp, and i dont have trouble opening office documents or editing them. i use office 2003 and have made new docs on either opperating system, saved them to shared transfer folders, and opened them on other computers with the other opperating system...no problem.

the one problem i had with vista is that it wouldn't run a small number of programs that ran well for me on xp, like certain video editing, or older versions of programs. so if you want to do some upgrading, now is the time., but check first before you buy upgrades that you didnt have to.

 

[metta]

i use multiple computers on a network, both with vista and xp, and i dont have trouble opening office documents or editing them. i use office 2003 and have made new docs on either opperating system, saved them to shared transfer folders, and opened them on other computers with the other opperating system...no problem.

the one problem i had with vista is that it wouldn't run a small number of programs that ran well for me on xp, like certain video editing, or older versions of programs. so if you want to do some upgrading, now is the time., but check first before you buy upgrades that you didnt have to.

Thanks!

Why not just purchase a new hard drive and rebuild the operating system?

Actually, that is what I plan on doing. But I'm buying a new laptop as well. That way I will have 2 to use and dkonfrost can use the other one. The one that he is using now is so old and slow. Dang thing just keeps on going...it is a fujitsu.