OpenOffice 3.2 compatibility with Microsoft Works?

AllenOK

New member
Ok, here's the run-down: This system we got is a custom-built machine that a local computer shop put together. They loaded it with MS XP for the OS. However, instead of loading MS Works for word processor / spreadsheet / others, they gave us OpenOffice 3.2. Supposedly, this office suite will open MS documents. I have not been able to get any of my recipes or spreadsheets to open. I'm thinking the templates that came with OpenOffice are for MS Office, not Works. I've tried to download extra templates, but have not had any luck.

Do any of you all have any tips for me? Can I open my documents with the software already installed in this system? Or will I have to download more templates? Should I just bite the bullet, and purchase/download MS Works?
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I also have Open Office that I downloaded to see just how compatible it is with Microsoft Office. I had the same results as you have and yes it opens the data bases and spread sheets however it saves in its own priority format unless you specify the format. It however will not run applications written in Visual Basic which my system is based on. In a word it works for reading files but then Windows has free download software to read, print etc any of their file formats. I found it an absolute waste of download time for my needs since I already had Office Developers version XP. If I didn't have it at all and was creating a system from scratch I might consider it.
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
MS works is a completely different animal from MS word. Word itself does not always read the output form works.

I have one computer that crashes hard frequently (Something to do with Bear & Liam not liking it). I only load free apps on it, therefore I have Open office. I have never had a problem opening anything that ME Office makes, in fact it opens an awful lot of cross platform stuff the MS products will not. I did go through when I set it up and set the default formats to match MS products.

I digress. If all of your stuff is MS works, I suggest that you procure MS Works for the system.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
MS works is a completely different animal from MS word. Word itself does not always read the output form works.

I have one computer that crashes hard frequently (Something to do with Bear & Liam not liking it). I only load free apps on it, therefore I have Open office. I have never had a problem opening anything that ME Office makes, in fact it opens an awful lot of cross platform stuff the MS products will not. I did go through when I set it up and set the default formats to match MS products.

I digress. If all of your stuff is MS works, I suggest that you procure MS Works for the system.

I agree Adillo but the latest version of Open Office claims to be compatible with MS Works if I read the info correctly.
 

AllenOK

New member
Right now, I think I'm about to throw in the towel when it comes to computers.

This machine only has (had) 1 GB of RAM installed. I have a couple of 1 GB cards, so I figured I would swap out the cards and give myself 2 GB of RAM. I turned the system off, opened it up, and pulled the cards out. Reading the the labeling on the cards, each card was labeled "Kit of 2" 1 GB. I'm thinking, ok, these cards are the same size as the ones I'm putting in. Why bother? So I started to reinstall the original cards.

Once I got them seated, I powered the system up. It wouldn't start. Kept giving me a beep, beep, beep (silence) (HDD starts spinning again) beep, beep, beep. Repeat, ad infinium. GREAT!!!

We called a friend that's a computer geek. He said that odds are, I didn't have the cards fully seated. We tried again and again. Same results. We tried the cards I was going to insert. Same results. DOUBLE GREAT!

I'm thinking that I used to much pressure to seat the cards, and cracked the motherboard. Well, in trying some other things, we did get the system to start up, with only one of the RAM cards installed. I guess I damaged one of the RAM sockets. It's currently running on one of the original cards. We only have 512 MB's of RAM. We're going to take it in to the shop where we bought it, and see what they say. I may be able to use one of the 1 GB cards that I already have, to get it back up to original spec's. I may end up buying a 2 GB card in a few weeks, to get it up to where I want it. Of course, I might just leave it at 1 GB (assuming we can get it to work), and buy a laptop for myself, with MS Works, so I can use that for my recipes and other files.

I also want to install an internal card reader. I've found a couple on tigerdirect. I think I even found the port to plug the cable into the motherboard while I had the case open. I might have PeppA ask them if they have any internal card readers they can install.

Right now, I've just had some really bad luck with computers for the past couple of years. I'm getting real jittery about doing anything with them.
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Joe - Please believe me when I say that I am not trying to be argumentative. I have been doing this for a living a long time. I would cringe if I had to count the hours that I have spent trying to get things back from MS Works. I have also had an easy time of it on other occasions. Works just seems to have a mind of it's own.
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Allen, I had that happen to a tech of mine too. Just as you said a bit too much pressure on the board when inserting the sticks and the socket goes bad. Are you sure that the sticks were the same as the board?
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Joe - Please believe me when I say that I am not trying to be argumentative. I have been doing this for a living a long time. I would cringe if I had to count the hours that I have spent trying to get things back from MS Works. I have also had an easy time of it on other occasions. Works just seems to have a mind of it's own.

I did it myself as a system analyst for 5 years and a programmer 5 years before that. I've have dealt with every problem with windows to XP when I finally retired from it. I do agree MW is a different animal however the newest version of Open Office claims it can deal with it but it can't no better than Office. Simply more of the same for Java junk as I prefer to call it.
 

MexicoKaren

Joyfully Retired
Super Site Supporter
MS Works files are .wps files - I know they won't open in Office and I spent hours once trying to get them to open in OpenOffice, which I actually find gets better and better. Do you still have your MSWorks disks? Or download it for cheap or free, then you can at least open your files. Try googling "open a .wps file" and see if you can get some suggestions.
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Sounds like you'll have to get a copy of Works one way or another. The download looks like a good deal. However, if it were me, once I had Works running I'd open each file, copy and paste the contents into a Open Office document or into a MS Word document. This will give you more flexibility in the future.
I have used files between Open Office and MS Word with no issues. As others have said Works is 'different'. It's that difference that is the gotcha.
Good luck with this Allen.
 

AllenOK

New member
I did some looking around to download MS Works as well last night. That's probably what I'm going to do. Opening and re-saving ALL 6,151 recipes that I have is not a task I relish.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I use notepad to save recipes though I actually use Ultra Edit a note pad replacement. At any rate it saves in a simple text file which even an apple can read.
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
When Joe said Text file a little bell went off for me. Text is a good solution if you don't need the special formatting.
So I googled "convert works to text file" and found this link that looks promising. It can even convert the files to .doc files (Old MS Word) which will work with open office too.

I can't imagine editing over 6k of files. We'll find an auto conversion one for you eventually.
This one has promise and some good comments. See what you think:
http://blog.zamzar.com/2007/04/23/convert-wps-microsoft-works-files-to-doc-odt-txt-and-pdf/

MAKE A BACKUP OF ALL THE FILES BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY COVERSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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