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[Technology] Microsoft Word help please.



The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jan 11, 2016
24,155
West is BEST
When I bought my laptop about 3 years ago I got a years subscription to Word with it. It expired and I didn’t upgrade or renew and have not missed it. Now I’m finding I need to use Word again. Does anybody know of a reliable, free download of a basic Word package that will def be virus free please?

I am okay-ish with technology but concerned what I can trust in the way of free stuff on the internet.

Thanks folks.

TC
 

Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
When I bought my laptop about 3 years ago I got a years subscription to Word with it. It expired and I didn’t upgrade or renew and have not missed it. Now I’m finding I need to use Word again. Does anybody know of a reliable, free download of a basic Word package that will def be virus free please?

I am okay-ish with technology but concerned what I can trust in the way of free stuff on the internet.

Thanks folks.

TC

Open Office, free. Google it.
 

father_and_son

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2012
4,646
Under the Police Box
Open Office or Libre Office.

Both free and compatible with Microsoft Office file formats


The only thing you won't get is compatibility with any visual basic or macros embedded in documents... Only an issue with 'intelligent' forms and something maybe <1% of people need.
 

The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jan 11, 2016
24,155
West is BEST
Open Office or Libre Office.

Both free and compatible with Microsoft Office file formats


The only thing you won't get is compatibility with any visual basic or macros embedded in documents... Only an issue with 'intelligent' forms and something maybe <1% of people need.

Ah okay, thank you. Yep, def just need a basic package. I shall look tonight. Thank you.
 

The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jan 11, 2016
24,155
West is BEST
Thanks folks, knew some of you would be able to help!
 


Sussex Nomad

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2010
18,185
EP
Ah okay, thank you. Yep, def just need a basic package. I shall look tonight. Thank you.

Open office is a safe open source software from Apache. I have it on one of my computers and it works perfectly for your basic needs.
 

Djmiles

Barndoor Holroyd
Dec 1, 2005
12,060
Kitchener, Canada
I use open office too. Can’t remember the last time I needed to use Microsoft office.
 
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Albion my Albion

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Feb 6, 2016
17,519
Indiana, USA


Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
69,788
I use open office too. Can’t remember the last time I needed to use Microsoft office.

Have often, well at least once or twice, wondered is Open Office is open to the point whereby you can write a Word-equivalent document and send it to somebody else and they can access it. Used to be in the olden days that your PC would come with a complete set of 'MS Works' disks. Always assumed they'd be completely useless apart from for personal use.
 

Fungus

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
May 21, 2004
7,033
Truro
Libre Office is better I understand, has more updates.

This. I wanted an Office alternative on a new laptop recently, and reviews suggested that LibreOffice is more frequently updated.
 


Fungus

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
May 21, 2004
7,033
Truro
Have often, well at least once or twice, wondered is Open Office is open to the point whereby you can write a Word-equivalent document and send it to somebody else and they can access it. Used to be in the olden days that your PC would come with a complete set of 'MS Works' disks. Always assumed they'd be completely useless apart from for personal use.

Yes, as [MENTION=23289]father_and_son[/MENTION] mentioned, unless you're using embedded macros, it should be fine for Word-type documents; just save them in the MS compatible format.
I have documents in Dropbox that I open in MS Word 2013 on my PC and LibreOffice on my Windows laptop, and OpenOffice on my Linux laptop.
I don't think password-protected documents will open, though.
Not sure about spreadsheets.
 

Djmiles

Barndoor Holroyd
Dec 1, 2005
12,060
Kitchener, Canada
Have often, well at least once or twice, wondered is Open Office is open to the point whereby you can write a Word-equivalent document and send it to somebody else and they can access it. Used to be in the olden days that your PC would come with a complete set of 'MS Works' disks. Always assumed they'd be completely useless apart from for personal use.

Absolutely. I wrote my CV in open office, and needed it printed so used my girlfriends laptop and opened the document in Microsoft office (as she has it for teaching). Same formatting, same font. Marvellous.
 

clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,128
Yes, as [MENTION=23289]father_and_son[/MENTION] mentioned, unless you're using embedded macros, it should be fine for Word-type documents; just save them in the MS compatible format.
I have documents in Dropbox that I open in MS Word 2013 on my PC and LibreOffice on my Windows laptop, and OpenOffice on my Linux laptop.
I don't think password-protected documents will open, though.
Not sure about spreadsheets.

I've just used it to convert 1000s of spreadsheets into XLSX from the variety of formats Microsoft have conjured up over the years. It supports batch conversion also you to hack it somewhat to work in Windows to do that.
 


clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,128
Absolutely. I wrote my CV in open office, and needed it printed so used my girlfriends laptop and opened the document in Microsoft office (as she has it for teaching). Same formatting, same font. Marvellous.

That's because the newest Microsoft format is actually an open format.

They are actually zip files containing a number of XML files if anyone is interested. Change the extension of an XLSX or DOCX and unzip.....
 

clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,128
As I just pinged Clamp, the other option is to get an MS Outlook Email account and use the free online version of word.

There is also google docs, but I have an aversion to google docs.
 

maffew

Well-known member
Dec 10, 2003
8,858
Worcester England
That's because the newest Microsoft format is actually an open format.

They are actually zip files containing a number of XML files if anyone is interested. Change the extension of an XLSX or DOCX and unzip.....

a very handy way to workaround password protected vba sheets (with another step or two) you are probably aware of
 

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