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aardvaak
aardvaak Posts: 5,833 Forumite
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in Techie Stuff
Recently my laptop wants to open Word 2016 as the default but I only have Word 2003 installed.
How do I change the default?
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  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 2,632 Forumite
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    How can Word 2016 open if the only version of Word on the machine is 2003?
  • grumpycrab
    grumpycrab Posts: 4,989 Forumite
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    1. Try.... find a Word document in File Explorer
    2. Right-mouse-click the document and select "Open With" and then click "Choose another app" at the bottom of the list
    3. left-mouse-click Word 2003 (if it's not in the list click More Apps and if its still not there click Look for other apps on this PC and browse to the Word 2003 executable...)
    4. Finally check the tick box for "Always use this app to open .doc files"

    (May have to repeat the above for any othe doc types that you want to open with Word 2003.)
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  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
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    I wonder if the issue is that the OP is trying to open .docx files, which probably won't open in Word 2003 so it's asking for 2016 (the current version)?
  • aardvaak
    aardvaak Posts: 5,833 Forumite
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    wongataa wrote: »
    How can Word 2016 open if the only version of Word on the machine is 2003?


    Word 2016 is there put there by microsoft in one of their updates but I have never activated it as they want money for it
  • TadleyBaggie
    TadleyBaggie Posts: 6,073 Forumite
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    As per post #4, what is the type of Word file? If it .docx then Word 2003 isn't going to be able to open it.
  • GunJack
    GunJack Posts: 11,676 Forumite
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    There is a downloadable add-on compatability pack to allow 2003 to open .docx .xlsx etc...

    instructions here:-
    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2003-word/compatibility-pack-for-office-2003/349b8e51-1ec9-4f64-8508-27abd8107873

    it talks about XP but should work on later versions too...got it on this lappy (W10 with Office 2000 installed ;) )
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  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
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    agrinnall wrote: »
    I wonder if the issue is that the OP is trying to open .docx files, which probably won't open in Word 2003 so it's asking for 2016 (the current version)?

    I concur.

    If OP doesn't want to pay to upgrade Word, Libre Office will open the .DOCX files, and 2003 will still do the .DOC.
  • aardvaak
    aardvaak Posts: 5,833 Forumite
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    agrinnall wrote: »
    I wonder if the issue is that the OP is trying to open .docx files, which probably won't open in Word 2003 so it's asking for 2016 (the current version)?


    It is normally happening on files that someone has emailed to me so I suspect they have Word 2016 - how do I change the type of file and what to?
  • aardvaak
    aardvaak Posts: 5,833 Forumite
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    googler wrote: »
    I concur.

    If OP doesn't want to pay to upgrade Word, Libre Office will open the .DOCX files, and 2003 will still do the .DOC.


    Thank you - if I download Libre Officehow do I make sure it is the default?
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
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    aardvaak wrote: »
    It is normally happening on files that someone has emailed to me so I suspect they have Word 2016 - how do I change the type of file and what to?


    I'm not sure that you can (and it is any version of Word from 2007 onwards that will default to .docx), but a solution for you is given in post #7.
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