Office 2007 Converter

With Office 2007 being installed in the College in the Summer and Fall of 2008, staff still using Office 2003 may see a message that they need to download a ‘compatibility pack’ to work with a file saved in the newer format.

For example, when someone opens a Word 2007 document with Word 2003, a message will appear that says: "This file was created by a newer version of Microsoft Word. Do you want to download a compatibility pack so that you can work with this file?" You should click Cancel at this point.

By having the compatibility pack for Microsoft Office 2003 installed, you will be able to open, edit, and save files using the 2007 file formats new to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

To Install the Compatibility Pack

To contact the HelpDesk, call extension 4357 or send an email to HelpDesk@NIACC.edu.  When the installation is completed, you will be able to open Office 2007 documents from within Office 2003.

1. Contact the NIACC Technology Services HelpDesk to request the installation of the 'Office 2007 Compatibility Pack'

- or -

1. Install all High-Priority updates from Microsoft Update. If needed, restart the computer.
2. To go to the Microsoft download page, click the following link. Note: This will open a new window.

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Format

1. Click Download.
2. Click Save. Click Desktop. Click Save again to save the FileFormatConverters.exe file to your desktop. If needed, click Close.
3. Close all open applications, especially Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
4. Double-click the FileFormatConverters.exe program file on your desktop.
   
5. Follow the prompts to install the software and accept the license agreement. Upon completion, a dialog box will confirm the successful installation.
6. When done, you would now be able to open Office 2007 documents from within Office 2003.
7. You can delete the FileFormatConverters.exe program file from the desktop.

Notes on Converter Use

1. If you open a Word 2007 .docx file In Word 2003 once the compatibility pack is installed, you will be able to open and save the file in the new .docx format.
   
   
2. If you open a Powerpoint 2007 .pptx file in Powerpoint 2003 once the compatibility pack is installed, you will be able to open and save the file in the new .pptx format. But, Powerpoint 2007 enhancements such as the new SmartArt or WordArt will become a single object when opened in a lower Powerpoint version and they can't be edited. If you open the document in Powerpoint 2007 again, the feature or function will still be intact and editable.
   
   
3. If you open a Excel 2007 .xlsx file In Excel 2003 once the compatibility pack is installed, you will be able to open and save the file in the new .xlsx format. But, if the Excel 2007 .xlsx file has made use of the new multiple conditional formatting rules, you will see the following message. Your only option is to click OK. Tthe file opens in ‘read-only’ mode to protect the original file. If changes are made to the file, it will need to be saved with a new filename since it’s read-only.
   
   
   
   
   

To Remove the Compatibility Pack

These steps are provided as a courtesy in case you need to remove the compatibility pack manually.

1. Click Start and choose Control Panel.
   
2. Select Add/Remove Programs.
   
3. In the list of currently installed programs, select Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office system and then click Remove or Add/Remove. If a dialog box appears, follow the instructions to remove the program.
   
4. Click Yes or OK to confirm that you want to remove the program.