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Post #1
I had to reinstall Windows 7 as my Windows Media Player somehow had disappeared. In any event, in Windows 7, 64-bit, as my Word Processing program I had Microsoft Office 97 Professional. I have used this program for about 11 years on every operating system I have had and it worked fine. It also worked fine on Windows 7 64 bit. BUT then after I had to reinstall Windows my Office 97 disk will not work any more. It will just hang or it will give some .dll error messages. I tried cleaning the disk with toothpaste as suggested on the Web, rinsed it good and let it dry overnight. But that did not help. The only part that I use is the Word part, When I have used the disk to install Word I do not install Excel, Power Point (I use a viewer for that) and other that the disk has. I do have a Word viewer that I installed so I can see my documents but cannot change them. I have about 1,000 Microsoft Word 97 documents that I need to get to… I am a caretaker for a brother who has Alzheimer’s and I have all of his medical records on Word documents, plus my own, plus a lot more personal information. I was thinking of getting online a basic cd of Microsoft Word 2003 but do not know if it is compatible with the 97 documents. A few years when Open Office first came out I tried that but had a problem making my Word documents have the extension doc. Would someone be able to give me some guidance as the best thing for me to do? Thanks much. I am writing all of this on Microsoft Works.
Post #2
Hi foxygrandma,

Im no expert on Microsoft Office, but as you have important files you may need to access urgently, you can download the free open source program "Open Office" here

It acts and even looks like MO and will open any of it's documents and works just like MO. This at least will at give you a Temp. fix until and experienced MO Tech. comes along to help you.

It would be a very good Idea before proceeding with any later computer fix, to copy all of those important files to removable storage, Either to disk, USB thumb drive or USB hard drive.

Cheers,
Lee
Post #3

I had to reinstall Windows 7 as my Windows Media Player somehow had disappeared. In any event, in Windows 7, 64-bit, as my Word Processing program I had Microsoft Office 97 Professional. I have used this program for about 11 years on every operating system I have had and it worked fine. It also worked fine on Windows 7 64 bit. BUT then after I had to reinstall Windows my Office 97 disk will not work any more. It will just hang or it will give some .dll error messages. I tried cleaning the disk with toothpaste as suggested on the Web, rinsed it good and let it dry overnight. But that did not help. The only part that I use is the Word part, When I have used the disk to install Word I do not install Excel, Power Point (I use a viewer for that) and other that the disk has.

I do have a Word viewer that I installed so I can see my documents but cannot change them. I have about 1,000 Microsoft Word 97 documents that I need to get to… I am a caretaker for a brother who has Alzheimer’s and I have all of his medical records on Word documents, plus my own, plus a lot more personal information.

I was thinking of getting online a basic cd of Microsoft Word 2003 but do not know if it is compatible with the 97 documents.

A few years when Open Office first came out I tried that but had a problem making my Word documents have the extension doc.

Would someone be able to give me some guidance as the best thing for me to do? Thanks much.

I am writing all of this on Microsoft Works.

Post #4

Hi foxygrandma,

Im no expert on Microsoft Office, but as you have important files you may need to access urgently, you can download the free open source program "Open Office" here

It acts and even looks like MO and will open any of it's documents and works just like MO. This at least will at give you a Temp. fix until and experienced MO Tech. comes along to help you.

It would be a very good Idea before proceeding with any later computer fix, to copy all of those important files to removable storage, Either to disk, USB thumb drive or USB hard drive.

Cheers,
Lee



June 13, 2011, 3:34 AM
Thank you, Lee. I had backed up all of my important documents before I did the Windows reinstall. Now, before I install Open Office, I guess I should uninstall the Word Viewer. When I install Open Office does that change right away my 97 documents into readable .doc extensions? As mentioned I had tried Open Office several years ago and had some problems changing the extension to .doc. Hope it does then all at one time as would dislike having to change 1,000 separately. Thanks again for your reply.
Post #5

When I install Open Office does that change right away my 97 documents into readable .doc extensions?

I think the recent one does (there were problems back in 2008 that required a converter add-on). Try and see is my advice.
Choose "custom" install and only install the programs you need from Open Office. "Calc" and "Draw" you probably don't need.

Cheers,
Lee
Post #6

When I install Open Office does that change right away my 97 documents into readable .doc extensions?

I think the recent one does (there were problems back in 2008 that required a converter add-on). Try and see is my advice.
Choose "custom" install and only install the programs you need from Open Office. "Calc" and "Draw" you probably don't need.

Cheers,
Lee

Post #7

When I install Open Office does that change right away my 97 documents into readable .doc extensions?

I think the recent one does (there were problems back in 2008 that required a converter add-on). Try and see is my advice.
Choose "custom" install and only install the programs you need from Open Office. "Calc" and "Draw" you probably don't need.

Cheers,
Lee



Al right, and thanks again, Lee. Will try sometime later this afernoon. It is 4 AM and I am dragging. :(
Post #8 last edited
use libre office and not open office(not supported by the people who matter, the programmers/developers, political thing, when it was bought out they were all replaced so they forked open office into libre office, then the people who bought open office(oracle) abandoned it, i think they gave it to apache, anyway always recommend libre office now.) :- http://www.libreoffice.org/

:popcorn:
Post #9

use libre office and not open office(not supported by the people who matter, the programmers/developers, political thing, when it was bought out they were all replaced so they forked open office into libre office, then the people who bought open office(oracle) abandoned it, i think they gave it to apache, anyway always recommend libre office now.) :- http://www.libreoffice.org/

:popcorn:


Thanks for that heads-up Terry. :thumbup:
Post #11

use libre office and not open office(not supported by the people who matter, the programmers/developers, political thing, when it was bought out they were all replaced so they forked open office into libre office, then the people who bought open office(oracle) abandoned it, i think they gave it to apache, anyway always recommend libre office now.) :- http://www.libreoffice.org/

:popcorn:


Thanks for that heads-up Terry. :thumbup:

Post #12

Thank you, Terry. I will try it. I had installed Open Office last night so will uninstall it.. Confusing to my 76-year-old brain. :pullhair: :D

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/li…suite-block.htm



Do not know if I am replying right on here.
Anyway, installed Libre Office, after I uninstalled Open Office. I rebooted. I have documents on desk top that I am working on. My question is this: Each document I open in very large letters are the words: Libre Office 3 the Document Foundation.. Then it will open the document. Does anyone know how I can get it to go right to the document without getting those words? Thanks much. Went to Help but offhand did not see what I needed to know. Anyway, will take me a while to get used to this program. When I can afford it will get a Microsoft Office suite.
Post #14

sorry can't answer your question but here's the documentation on using it :- http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/documentation/

:popcorn:



Thank you, Terry. I had been to the Help site but so much to read and no time to read all of it. I willl just copy some of my documents into Mirosoft Works till I can get good ole Microsoft back again. Had never seen a word program do that before Pretty weird! Oh, well, thanks again.
Post #15
Try making a copy of the Office 97 CD. Often that will work when installing from the original CD will not.

You could also try copying the contents of the CD to a folder on your hard drive and installing from there or copy it to a Flash drive and install from there.

The critical part is getting Win 7 to copy it successfully. Seems to have more success doing this than installing from it.

Also, run Disk Cleanup and Defrag the hard drive before installing.

If still no luck, try doing a Safeboot (minimal).

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter
Click on the Boot tab
Check Safe Boot under Boot Options and select MINIMAL
Click Apply then OK
Reboot

Try installing Office again.

Lastly, run System File Checker
Open a Command Prompt: Start then Run, type cmd and press Enter
Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
Let it complete. It can take awhile.

Try installing Office again.

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