Can Windows Read Linux Word Documents?

  • Thread starter Thread starter PeeDee
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PeeDee

I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be read on
my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.

If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there something I
can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux program) in order to be
able to read these files and, if necesssary, to upload the files onto my
computer so that I can edit them in Word?

Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited documents
in Word?

Thanks.
 
PeeDee wrote:
> I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
> program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
> computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be read on
> my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.

He probably has Open Office and should save the documents as .docs so
you can read them.

> If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there something I
> can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux program) in order to be
> able to read these files and, if necesssary, to upload the files onto my
> computer so that I can edit them in Word?
>
> Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited documents
> in Word?
>
> Thanks.

If you save as a .doc, yes, if you have Office 2007 and save it as
..docx, NOBODY without Office 2007 will be able to read it without
downloading a reader from MS.

Alias
 
PeeDee wrote:
> I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
> program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
> computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be read on
> my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.
>
> If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there something I
> can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux program) in order to be
> able to read these files and, if necesssary, to upload the files onto my
> computer so that I can edit them in Word?
>
> Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited documents
> in Word?

To start with, files are created in programs. Operating systems run
programs. Linux is an operating system. Windows XP is an operating
system. There are many, many word processing programs for both Linux and
Windows so it isn't possible to answer your question without knowing:

1. What program your colleague used to create the documents.
2. What word processing program(s) you have installed on your computer.

Come back with that information and we'll be able to help you.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
 
PeeDee wrote:
> I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the
> Linux 'word' program (not sure of the name), which is the only word
> program on his computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB
> device, to be read on my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows
> XP.
>
> If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there
> something I can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux
> program) in order to be able to read these files and, if necesssary,
> to upload the files onto my computer so that I can edit them in Word?
>
> Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited
> documents in Word?
>
> Thanks.

Have your collegue save the documents as .rtf files, these can be read and
edited in MS-Word. Alternitivley have him install OpenOffice
(http://www.openoffice.org/) which can save documents in MS formats.
 
Are you referring to "Open Office"?
Open Office runs on Windows & Linux. It's an entire suite of office
programs, but after installing, you can uninstall everything but WRITER, if
you so desire.
<Quote>
WRITER can of course read all your old Microsoft Word documents, or save
your work in Microsoft Word format for sending to people who are still locked
into Microsoft products. <end quote>

You can download and use it, free:
http://www.openoffice.org/index.html



"PeeDee" wrote:

> I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
> program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
> computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be read on
> my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.
>
> If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there something I
> can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux program) in order to be
> able to read these files and, if necesssary, to upload the files onto my
> computer so that I can edit them in Word?
>
> Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited documents
> in Word?
>
> Thanks.
 
"Alias" <alias@aliasmail.com> wrote in message news:fnre5t$9og$1@aioe.org...
> PeeDee wrote:
>> I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux
>> 'word' program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on
>> his computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be
>> read on my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.
>
> He probably has Open Office and should save the documents as .docs so you
> can read them.
>

It is generally considered safer to transfer the documents as rich text
format (.rtf) files. Although not supporting all the features of every
word processor, they support the principal features and generally transport
better than word processor specific format files.
 
if they are WORD type formatted documents, there are FREE readers for different document types at microsoft.
download the word reader from there and also the file translation program.

when you open microsoft web site, upper right corner should be search box.
look for FREE readers.




mikeyhsd@sprintpcs.com



"PeeDee" . wrote in message news:77ED9DF3-BCA0-440F-A9D8-1A16F73949D0@microsoft.com...
I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be read on
my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.

If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there something I
can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux program) in order to be
able to read these files and, if necesssary, to upload the files onto my
computer so that I can edit them in Word?

Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited documents
in Word?

Thanks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:09:50 +0100, Alias wrote:

>
> If you save as a .doc, yes, if you have Office 2007 and save it as
> .docx, NOBODY without Office 2007 will be able to read it without
> downloading a reader from MS.
>
> Alias

Just read in one of the Linux mags that OO is prepping the next version to read/write Office 2007 docs,
which you had to figure, had to happens eventually. Nice to see it in print. Also going to have a normal
installer for the Mac if anyone cares about THAT...
 
Thanks to everyone for your responses, each of which has been helpful. I have
a very good sense of how to proceed now. My colleague is using OpenOffice.
He'll work it out at his end so that he can send me documents that I can read
at my end, and vice versa. As well, I will download necessary readers if and
as needed.

I'm very grateful for all of this input.

"mikeyhsd" wrote:

> if they are WORD type formatted documents, there are FREE readers for different document types at microsoft.
> download the word reader from there and also the file translation program.
>
> when you open microsoft web site, upper right corner should be search box.
> look for FREE readers.
>
>
>
>
> mikeyhsd@sprintpcs.com
>
>
>
> "PeeDee" . wrote in message news:77ED9DF3-BCA0-440F-A9D8-1A16F73949D0@microsoft.com...
> I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
> program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
> computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be read on
> my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.
>
> If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there something I
> can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux program) in order to be
> able to read these files and, if necesssary, to upload the files onto my
> computer so that I can edit them in Word?
>
> Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited documents
> in Word?
>
> Thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Message for Malke at Elephant Boy.

Malke, thanks for your message (and further to my earlier general thanks to
everyone who replied), in response to your specific questions, my colleague
is using OpenOffice and the word program in it. I have MSWord 2003 (part of
Office 2003) on my computer.

I'm still not sure exactly where to go for a download - and which
download(s) - that would allow my MSWord to read the OpenOffice word
documents directly in their file format without downloading OpenOffice myself
and reading/translating things in that suite. Any suggestions?

Peedee

"Malke" wrote:

> PeeDee wrote:
> > I would like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
> > program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
> > computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be read on
> > my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.
> >
> > If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there something I
> > can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux program) in order to be
> > able to read these files and, if necesssary, to upload the files onto my
> > computer so that I can edit them in Word?
> >
> > Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited documents
> > in Word?
>
> To start with, files are created in programs. Operating systems run
> programs. Linux is an operating system. Windows XP is an operating
> system. There are many, many word processing programs for both Linux and
> Windows so it isn't possible to answer your question without knowing:
>
> 1. What program your colleague used to create the documents.
> 2. What word processing program(s) you have installed on your computer.
>
> Come back with that information and we'll be able to help you.
>
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>
 
On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:25:01 -0800, PeeDee wrote:

> Thanks to everyone for your responses, each of which has been helpful. I
> have a very good sense of how to proceed now. My colleague is using
> OpenOffice. He'll work it out at his end so that he can send me
> documents that I can read at my end, and vice versa. As well, I will
> download necessary readers if and as needed.
>
> I'm very grateful for all of this input.
>
> "mikeyhsd" wrote:
>
>> if they are WORD type formatted documents, there are FREE readers for
>> different document types at microsoft. download the word reader from
>> there and also the file translation program.
>>
>> when you open microsoft web site, upper right corner should be search
>> box. look for FREE readers.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> mikeyhsd@sprintpcs.com
>>
>>
>>
>> "PeeDee" . wrote in message
>> news:77ED9DF3-BCA0-440F-A9D8-1A16F73949D0@microsoft.com... I would
>> like to read documents prepared by a colleague using the Linux 'word'
>> program (not sure of the name), which is the only word program on his
>> computer. These documents can be given to me on a USB device, to be
>> read on my Thinkpad, which is loaded only with Windows XP.
>>
>> If WXP, as currently loaded, cannot read these files, is there
>> something I can load onto my computer (short of the whole Linux
>> program) in order to be able to read these files and, if necesssary,
>> to upload the files onto my computer so that I can edit them in Word?
>>
>> Will my colleague (with only Linux) be able then to read my edited
>> documents in Word?
>>
>> Thanks

Yes, be sure to grab that next OO upgrade when it hits as that will make you fully MS compatible.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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