WD2000: How to Open Documents into an Earlier Version of Word

ID: Q212267

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

This article describes how to open a Microsoft Word 2000 document in an earlier version of Word for Windows or in an earlier version of Word for the Macintosh.

NOTE: Word 2000 for Windows documents open directly in Microsoft Word 97 for Windows and Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition.


MORE INFORMATION

Windows

The best way to open a Word 2000 document in an earlier version of Word for Windows is to install the Word 97-2000 Import Converter.

NOTE: Word 2000 does not have an import converter for Word 2.0 for Windows or earlier.

For additional information about obtaining the Word 97-2000 Import Converter, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q162214 WD: How to Obtain the Word 97-2000 Import Converter
For more information about what happens when you use the Word 97-2000 Import Converter, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type "Word 2000 Import Converter" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

Macintosh

The best way to open a Word 2000 for Windows document in an earlier version of Word for the Macintosh is to use the Word 97-98-2000 Import Converter.

For additional information about obtaining the Word 97-98-2000 converter, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q184128 How to Obtain the Word 97-98-2000 Converter

Other Methods for Conversion

If you use Microsoft Word 2000 and need to send a document to someone using an earlier version of Word who does not have the Word 97-2000 Import Converter, use one of the following methods appropriate for your situation:

Method 1: Save the Document as Word 6.0/95

NOTE: If you want to open your Word 2000 document in Word 2.x for Windows, use either Method 2 or Method 3.

In Word 2000, follow these steps to save the document using the Microsoft Word 6.0/95 converter:
  1. Open the document in Word 2000.


  2. On the File menu, click Save As.


  3. In the Save as type box, click Word 6.0/95 and then click Save.

    NOTE: You may want to type a different file name for the Word 6.0/95 document before you click Save.


For more information about what happens when you save as Word 6.0/95, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type "Saving as Word 6.0/95" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

For additional information about what happens when you save as Word 6.0/95, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q212268 WD2000: Part 1: Limitations Converting from Word Document Format to Word 6.0/95
Q216920 WD2000: Part 2: Limitations Converting from Word Document Format to Word 6.0/95
Q216764 WD2000: Doc Err: Save a Word 2000 Document in Word 6.0/95 Format

Method 2: Save the Document as Rich Text Format (RTF)

In Word 2000, follow these steps to save the document using the Rich Text Format converter:
  1. Open the document in Word 2000.


  2. On the File menu, click Save As.


  3. In the Save as type box, click to select Rich Text Format and then click Save.

    NOTE: You may want to type a different file name for the RTF document before you click Save.


Method 3: Save the Document as Word 2.x for Windows

In Word 2000, use the following steps to save the document using the Word 2.x for Windows converter:
  1. Open the document in Word 2000.


  2. On the File menu, click Save As.


  3. In the Save as type box, click to select Word 2.x for Windows, and then click Save.



REFERENCES

For more information about sharing documents with earlier versions of Word, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type "What method can I use to share documents with earlier versions?" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Additional query words: convert saveas 


Keywords          : kbdta wd2000 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: July 12, 1999