How to Convert a Newer Word Document to an Older Version
By Contributing Writer
Updated July 21, 2017
A part of the Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Word, is the popular word processing and editing software. Microsoft has released a number of versions of this program since 1989. Often an older version of Word cannot read a document created with a subsequent one. For example, Word 2007 uses a novel XML (Extensible Markup Language) file format with the compression to reduce the file size. Fortunately every Microsoft Word program has an implemented option that allows you to convert a document to an older version format.
Microsoft Word 2007
Launch Microsoft Word by clicking on its desktop icon or through the Start menu.
Press "Ctrl" + "O" on the keyboard. Then browse to find a Word 2007 document. Note that Word 2007 files have an extension ".docx."
Double-click on the docx file to open the document in Microsoft Word.
Click the orb-shaped "Office Button" button in the upper corner of the Word window.
Click the option "Save As."
Select an older Word format (for example "Word 97-2003") using the "Save as Type" drop-down box.
Click the "Save" button, and then click "Yes" to confirm the document conversion.
Microsoft Word 2003/XP/97 or Older
Launch Microsoft Word by clicking on its desktop icon or through the Start menu.
Press "Ctrl" + "O" on the keyboard.
Browse to find a DOC file. Then double-click on the file to open in Word.
Click the menu "File" and then "Save As."
Select an older Word format (for example "Word 6.0") using the drop-down box "Save as Type."
Click the "Save" button, and then click "Yes" to confirm the document conversion.
References
- “Microsoft Office 2007 Simplified"; Sherry Willard Kinkoph; 2007
- File Info: DOCX File Extension
- File Info: DOC File Extension