A lot of Mac users are still struggling with MS docx files. My previous post, a quick and dirty solution on how to open .docx files on your mac, is driving 40% of my current traffic. Time to give you an update! MS released the Open XML File Format Converter (no longer beta) on july 3rd. Since the download page is kinda hidden on the MS Mac website I decided to place the links in this post. Enjoy…
Open XML Converter allows you to convert Open XML files that were created in Office 2008 for Mac or Office 2007 for Windows so that you can open, edit, and save them in earlier versions of Office for Mac. Open XML Converter can convert Word documents, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations that are in the Open XML Format so that you can open and edit the files in Office 2004 for Mac and Office v. X for Mac. You can choose to convert and open one file, or convert a large number of files.
Released: Thursday, July 03, 2008
.dmg file size: 45mb
56k modem: 3hrs 55min
| Deutsch (.dmg) | Italiano (.dmg) |
| English (.dmg) | Japanese (.dmg) |
| Español (.dmg) | Nederlands (.dmg) |
| Français (.dmg) | Svenska (.dmg) |
Popularity: 100% [?]
[...] See this post and links for Microsoft Office Open XML File Converter [...]
Thanks so much. Your post and link just got me out of a real bind!!
Your welcome =)
So I downloaded the converter, but now what I do with it? Every time I click it, it asks me to install again…
@MacGirl: Once you’ve downloaded the file you need to install it. Sounds like you already did this.
Depending on where you installed the program you should now be able to open this. The default folder would be your application folder. Look for Open XML Converter:
Hard Drive > Applications > Open XML Converter
Double click and the program will open. You will see this. Drag the .docx file in the center area and the converter will do the rest. Lemme know if you still have any problems converting the file.
Good luck!
I second Lorinda’s response. Before visiting your website, I saw lots of squirrelly approaches to converting these files. And I certainly didn’t know that Microsoft had a converter.
Now I can open up all of these new file formats in Office v.X. Thanks again for providing the link!
I have been waiting several months for this app. Thanks for the link.
This is the message I keep getting whether I try Safari or Firefox
Safari can’t open the page “http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/5/8/158d6d58-43f8-4334-9d3f-479010fbcad7/OpenXMLConverter100.dmg” because it can’t find the server “download.microsoft.com”.
thank you. i had been just refusing to open these docs, but i guess this makes life a bit easier on everybody.
These methods lose a lot of formatting. In particular, highlighting is lost. Is there any way to get all the info? (I need to grade multiple-choice tests where people often answer by highlighting. It works in .doc files.)
@WDW Another solution could be OpenOffice. The 3.0 version is fully compatible with .docx files. I’m sure highlighting is included. OpenOffice.org
I just downloaded and installed the converter and tried it out on a .docx file of algebra homework a student sent me.
It says “conversion successful” and produces an .rtf file, but then Word says it “can’t open the file.”
Sigh,
Steve
@Steve: I just send you an email. Please check your inbox
Hi
Thanks for this, I was opening a document with english and arabic, unknown to me, did the trick
I keep having the same problem that JB noted:
This is the message I keep getting whether I try Safari or Firefox
Safari can’t open the page “http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/5/8/158d6d58-43f8-4334-9d3f-479010fbcad7/OpenXMLConverter100.dmg” because it can’t find the server “download.microsoft.com”.
Why? What to do?
@Jim S: It’s possible Microsoft’s download server is down or is having a high volume of traffic.
Try this link. If it not downloading automatically, try right-clicking on the link and ‘Save Link As…’
Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot.
The link worked! Now to see if the converter does…
[...] Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.0 [...]
Link worked fine, File Format Converter perfectly…. thanks!
This is a lifesaver! Thank you!
Thank you, this post helped.
A bit like Steve Highland above, I downloaded the converter, it said ‘conversion successful’ and produced an rtf file. It opened in Word but contained nothing but a dot.
@Jackie: I just sent you an email. Please check your inbox
oh lord! Thank you sooooo much!This saved me.
will this only work with Leopard, i have tiger and whenever i try to open the XML converter for a brief moment it opens an application and then closes it again.
[...] – bookmarked by 5 members originally found by BPerritt on 2008-12-26 Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.0 http://mindplunge.com/2008/07/14/open-xml-file-format-converter-mac-10/ – bookmarked by 3 members [...]
Thanks a bunch. It works perfectly.
Thanks very much. All my clients send me .docx files, very annoying (the files, not the clients!). This is a big help.
Bob
Rare individuals like you–those with the wit and heart to volunteer as solutions providers–compensate for all the web-rabble and bug-ridden/cross platform nonsense which plagues online efficiency for us all.
BRAVO–Thanks VERY much!