WD: Converter Will Not Automatically Install in Word

ID: q114801

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
Microsoft Word for Macintosh, versions 6.x
Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.x, 7.x

SYMPTOMS

In any of the versions of Microsoft Word listed above, if you have already opened a file during the current session, you cannot auto-install a file converter.

CAUSE

This behavior is by design. In Word version 2.0c and earlier, Word searches for file converters that have not yet been installed every time the File Open command runs. This slows the process of opening files. To avoid this problem, Word 6.x and later only search for and auto-install converters the first time you open a file in a Word session.

MORE INFORMATION

Auto-Installing the Converter

To auto-install the converter, follow these steps:

1. Copy the converter to the appropriate directory or folder.

   Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.5x:

   Under Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.5x, place the converter in the
   Winword program directory, or the \Msapps\Textconv directory.

   Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0:

   Under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, place the converter in the same
   directory as the Winword.exe file or the \Program Files\Common
   Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv directory.

   Macintosh:

   On the Macintosh, place the converter in the Word Extensions folder
   (version 6.x), or the Text Converters folder (Word 98 Macintosh
   Edition).

2. Save your work, quit Word, and restart Word.

3. Open any document that Word cannot recognize (for example, a document of

   the format supported by the converter, a program file, or a clipart
   graphics file).

Word will find and install the converter, and it will henceforth appear as a choice in the Open and Save As dialog boxes.

REFERENCES

For more information about supported file formats, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE ID: Q162987
   TITLE     : WD97: Supported Non-Word File Formats

   ARTICLE ID: Q119461
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in Word 6 for the Macintosh

   ARTICLE ID: Q136385
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in Word and Office 95

   ARTICLE ID: Q104949
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in WinWord 6.0 / 6.0a / 6.0c

   ARTICLE ID: Q96119
   TITLE     : History of WinWord File Converters Categorized by Word
               Release

For more information about installing Word for the Macintosh converters, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE ID: Q125409
   TITLE     : Converters Not Available After Installing Word 6.0 for the
               Mac

Additional query words: conversion converted converts transfer transfers translation translate problemautoinstall auto installation setup automatic installation automatic install

Keywords          : kbinterop wordnt word8 macword98 winword ntword macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : MACINTOSH:6.x,98;WINDOWS:6.x,7.x
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: November 7, 1998