Incorrect File Conversions Running BatchConversion Macro

ID: Q117121

6.00 6.00a 6.00c WINDOWS kbusage kbmacro

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SYMPTOMS

When you use the BatchConversion macro that ships with Microsoft Word, the files may be converted to Text Only and will display garbage characters.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if you use the BatchConversion macro to convert one or more of the following file types:

   DisplayWrite
   MultiMate
   RFT-DCA
   WordPerfect 4.x
   WordStar

This behavior may occur for one of the following reasons:

Cause 1: Word recognizes the file header as Text Only either because there

         are no converters installed for that file type or the file format
         is simply a text file with tagged formatting information.

Cause 2: The file extension for the file being converted does not match the

         default file extension for the converter. The BatchConversion
         macro is unable to associate the file with a specific converter
         and defaults to Text Only.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes available.

RESOLUTION

Method 1: If you do not have converters installed for that file type, or if

          the file format is a text file with tagged formatting
          information, use the following steps:

          a. Click Open on the File menu, select the Confirm Conversions
             option.

          b. Convert the files one at a time, selecting the appropriate
             converter from the list.

Method 2: Check to see which default extension is associated with the

          converter before you running the macro. Use the following
          instructions to verify and change the default extension, if
          necessary:

          1. Open the Winword6.ini file.

          2. On the Search menu, click Find.

          3. In the Find What box, type "MSWord Text Converters" (without
             the quotation marks).

          4. Locate the converter you want to use. (If you do not find the
             converter in this section, close the Winword6.ini, open the
             Win.ini file, and search for the "MS Text Converters"
             section.)

          5. If the files have a different extension from the default
             extension specified in the .ini file, change the default
             extension to the extension being used. For example, if your
             MultiMate files have the extension ".dx", you can change the
             following entry from

                MultiMate 4.0=MultiMate 4.0, C:\Winword\Multimat.Cnv, DOX

             to:

             MultiMate 4.0=MultiMate 4.0, C:\Winword\Multimat.Cnv, DX

             If your files have extensions other than the default
             extension, rename the files so that they use the default
             extension.

MORE INFORMATION

If Word is unable to determine the file format of the document to be converted, it will propose to open the document as a text file in the Convert File dialog box and will allow you to choose any installed converter as an alternate choice.

Because the Convert File dialog box does not appear during the batch conversion process, Word will open files it cannot determine the format of as text files, and you will see unconverted binary formatting codes, which will appear as garbage characters when you open the document in Word.

The BatchConversion macro ships with the Word Macro Template, Convert.dot, which is typically found in the Winword\Macros subdirectory. To install this macro, use the following steps:

1. On the File menu, click Templates.

2. In the Templates And Add-Ins dialog box, click the Add button and

   select Convert.dot from the Winword\Macros subdirectory and click OK.

   The template should be added to the list under Global Templates And
   Add-Ins and the check box should be selected.

3. Choose OK.

To run the macro, click Macros on the Tools menu, select the BatchConversion macro, and click Run.

For more information about how Word auto-recognizes foreign file formats, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   auto and recognizes and foreign and formats

KBCategory: kbusage kbmacro kbprb KBSubcategory: kbtemplate

Additional reference words: textconv conversions batch extension text wrong incorrect garbage junk word6 winword batchconverter

Keywords          : kbtemplate 
Version           : 6.00 6.00a 6.00c
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: February 6, 1998