Does vista work with word documents?

traceya89

I am looking to buy a new computer for downstairs (i have a computer upstairs in the kids bedroom and also a laptop). the computer downstairs will be the one i use most of the type when browsing the net when hubby watching tv. I also use it to store all our digital photos on and type a lot of word documents on it, which I save to go back and use. The guy in pc world said that I would not be able to transfer my word documents as they would not be compatible with the new system and would have to buy a package that would be compatible with word which would cost £100 but seeing as i was buying a computer it would only cost £80. Why can i not just use my cd disc for word and install on the new computer. I am not technically minded and would be grateful for help!

Incidently I asked him for a discount on the computer if i bought it as i said I cou ld get cashback with quidco on the internet and I could collect in store the next day but he was not very helpful in offering me any discount!

Tils

Well you understand that Word is a product seperate to Windows right? Its part of the MS Office suite of programs so some people have it as MS OFfice some just word on its own (same thing basically).

Well Microsoft Word works with Vista well atleast 2003 and 2007 versions do (dont know the older ones).

So if you have a copy of word you can install on the Vista computer it would work like an XP machine. If you want to just view the documents and not edit them on this computer there is a free word viewer you can download from the Microsoft Web site.

reehsetin

bit confused, what system is yours currently? xp running office 2003?
and new system would be vista using office 07 im guessing?
your old word docs (03) will work in office (07) but unless you specifically save things as the old format in office 07 you wouldnt be able to open up documents on your other computers if they are in the old format
i hope im answering the question, bit confused about what your asking

BillScarab

These are the versions of MS Office that work on Vista

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932087

I'm sure there was a question about this yesterday, have a search it may be useful.

You can't just use the CD you've got unless you un-install the software from whatever machine it is currently installed on as usually it is only licensed to be used on one machine and to use it on two would be illegal.

However assuming it is one of the versions supported by Vista and you un-install it first then you could install it on a Vista machine.

Basically the salesman was either lying or stupid.

personally I wouldn't give any more money to Microsoft or PC World. I'd just download Open Office and use that, it's free, it's compatible with MS Office and it works on Vista.

It would be helpful if you could tell us what version of Office/Word you have now and what OS it is running on.

Tils

reehsetin wrote: »

but unless you specifically save things as the old format in office 07 you wouldnt be able to open up documents on your other computers if they are in the old format

Actually where this would have been true for previous versions of word its different for 2007.

Microsoft have, I for the first time ive ever seen ,made a backwards compatability to open the new word 2007 documents docx files into word 2003 and 2000

You can download this pack here if you want it.

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

banger9365

the sales person is just trying to get more money out of you ,i am using office 2003 pro on vista ultimate 64 and it work with all the doc

albertross_2

3 computers..what's wrong with the laptop?

Shop around, you might get a better deal than PC World

https://www.dmxdimension.com .. with quidco. Dell laptops are dirt cheap atm.

http://www.hotukdeals.com/?merchant_filter=28&category_filter=All&type_filter=All&availability_filter=All&status_filter=Active&order_by=Newest

https://www.ebuyer.com

And if you are saving all your photos on this new PC, don't forget to back them up to DVD, preferably using ghost or trueimage

devizes18193

would not open office work

krishna

Tils wrote: »

Actually where this would have been true for previous versions of word its different for 2007.

Microsoft have, I for the first time ive ever seen ,made a backwards compatability to open the new word 2007 documents docx files into word 2003 and 2000

You can download this pack here if you want it.

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

Actually, they have done this before. Can't remember exactly. May have been Word 2.0 to Word 6.0 (when they cleverly changed their versioning system). Or possibly Word 6 or Word 95 (or were those the same file format? Memory fails me).

Millionare

krishna wrote: »

Actually, they have done this before. Can't remember exactly. May have been Word 2.0 to Word 6.0 (when they cleverly changed their versioning system). Or possibly Word 6 or Word 95 (or were those the same file format? Memory fails me).

Hi, Ive got Vista and Office 2007 Student and Home Edition.

Office 2007 will def Open Office 2003 Documents, and you dont even have to save them to the new file system as thats how it works with mine.

Also just a note, Student and Home Edition 2007 can be installed on 3 different non commerical machines Legally!! SO you can load it up on differnet machines.

Also the new "Ribbon" redesign in Office is Great!

However if you've got 2003 it will work on vista, so the PC world guys telling you lies.

I read something similair a couple of days ago, i think someone needs to complain about their sales tactics!

Tils

krishna wrote: »

Actually, they have done this before. Can't remember exactly. May have been Word 2.0 to Word 6.0 (when they cleverly changed their versioning system). Or possibly Word 6 or Word 95 (or were those the same file format? Memory fails me).

6 and 95 were the same yep. Word 2 was drastically different as you also had the dos version too but most people were only slowly converting word when it was version 2.

I remember when i used to do 1st line support had a crazy mix of wordstar, wordperfect and ami pro instead of word at the time but MS took over as the main word processor at word 95 ...well in my experiences. So I didnt really have to support the 2 to 95 "upgrade" so I guess this is why i wasnt aware of that at the time.