Convert Office 2007 files down to Office 2003

cornerstone13

Hi, I'm being sent Office 2007 files more often (mainly word and excel) but only have Office 2003.

I understand I can install a piece of software to convert Office 2007 back down to Office 2003 - does anyone know what this is and is there a free version ? Does the conversion idea work, I can't really afford to buy Office 2007.

Any recommendations gratefully received - we're running Windows XP Professional.

Many thanks

kevsan

You need the office compatibility pack...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

John_Gray

It always amazes me that people with Office 2007 blithely assume that everyone has Office 2007, and so send .DOCX and .XLSX files to other people, when they could perfectly well have saved them as .DOC and .XLS. This would be at little or no disadvantage to themselves, and would solve your problem without the FileFormatConverter utilities suggested by kevsan...

fitshase

John_Gray wrote: »

It always amazes me that people with Office 2007 blithely assume that everyone has Office 2007, and so send .DOCX and .XLSX files to other people, when they could perfectly well have saved them as .DOC and .XLS. This would be at little or no disadvantage to themselves, and would solve your problem without the FileFormatConverter utilities suggested by kevsan...

I'm sorry you feel that way but you seem to blithely assume that everyone has Office.

There are lots of functions lost when saving as .DOC or .XLS (or any older version of Office) as opposed to the newer formats. Also, the newer formats take up less space and are therefore better for storage, etc.

I have the 2007 Office at home but the 2003 Office at work and the difference between Excel 2003 and Excel 2007 is astounding. I've made a fantastic spreadsheet which worked flawlessly in 2007 but as soon as it was saved in 2003 it lost lots of functionality.

For me, if I am using 2007, I save in 2007. If someone has the older version then that is their problem. If they can't open it, download the compatibility pack. If my spreadsheet doesn't work how it should, they should upgrade.

glenwheeler

in 2007 you should just be able to select office 2003 versions. You shouldnt need a convertor from my knowledge?

Oscar_The_Grouch

glenwheeler wrote: »

in 2007 you should just be able to select office 2003 versions. You shouldnt need a convertor from my knowledge?

Errmmm.... OP has 2003 and keeps receiving 2007 files, not the other way round.

googler

fitshase wrote: »

There are lots of functions lost when saving as .DOC or .XLS (or any older version of Office)

Such as?

fitshase wrote: »

For me, if I am using 2007, I save in 2007. If someone has the older version then that is their problem. If they can't open it, download the compatibility pack. If my spreadsheet doesn't work how it should, they should upgrade.

Maybe it's just me, but I find this arrogant in the extreme.

If you want to work with people, you adapt, you co-operate, you improvise.

You don't take the view that your way is best, and everyone else should toe the line with what you do....... just because you went out and got some gee-whiz software.

googler

RussJK wrote: »

You both make valid points, but it is true that many people will send a .docx file that could have been easily done in a .txt or .rtf - i.e. there is no formatting in the document that requires Office.

Or in my case, corporate memos that are written in word documents, attached to e-mail, then mass e-mailed to everyone in the organisation (300+).

Everyone then has to open the mail, either open or save the doc in order to read it, only to find that it's a plain set of words that could easily have been pasted into the e-mail, thus saving bandwidth and HDD space, and making it quicker for everyone concerned.

cornerstone13

Didn't mean to start a row - but discussion is good.

I asked the question because I'm doing some ad hoc work for a company and using my own (old) resources. The company has the money to buy up to date software - I don't. I can't ask them to save in 2003 just for me, when everyone else in the company can use 2007.

Anyway, thanks Kevsan, the download link you gave me worked beautifully and I can now convert the files, without having to buy Office 2007 - which was the reason for my question in the first place (trying to save a penny or two)

fitshase

googler wrote: »

Such as?



Maybe it's just me, but I find this arrogant in the extreme.

If you want to work with people, you adapt, you co-operate, you improvise.

You don't take the view that your way is best, and everyone else should toe the line with what you do....... just because you went out and got some gee-whiz software.

Such as advanced custom filtering. In 2007 when you autofilter a column, you can use tick boxes to select the values you want to filter on. In 2003, you can't. Other things like a better conditional formatting function.

As for being arrogant in the extreme, it is not. Our company is currently deploying 2007 across the board but some of us still have 2003. Our clients all have 2007 and the industry as a whole uses 2007. If there is one or two people who don't have this version, there are ways for them to open the files. Why should we use older file formats for just those few people. The "gee-whiz" software you are on about is already over 3 years old and soon to become the old version when 2010 comes out.

DVardysShadow

fitshase wrote: »

Why should we use older file formats for just those few people.

If everyone had that attitude, the Great Western Railway would still be broadgauge.

The reason to do it is for interoperability - presumably you want these people to actually be able to read the files. As far as I can see the new formats offer no tangible benefits which encourage the 2003 people to change.