WD: Converter Will Not Automatically Install in Word

• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word for Macintosh, versions 6.x
• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.x, 7.x

SYMPTOMS

In any of the versions of Microsoft Word listed above, if you have already opened a file during the current session, you cannot auto-install a file converter.

CAUSE

This behavior is by design. In Word version 2.0c and earlier, Word searches for file converters that had not yet been installed every time the File Open command runs. This slows the process of opening files. To avoid this problem, Word 6.x and later only search for and auto-install converters the first time you open a file in a Word session.

MORE INFORMATION

Auto-Installing the Converter

To auto-install the converter, follow these steps:

1. Copy the converter to the appropriate directory or folder.

   Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.5x:

   Under Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.5x, place the converter in the Winword program directory, or the \Msapps\Textconv directory.

   Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0:

   Under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, place the converter in the same directory as the Winword.exe file or the \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv directory.

   Macintosh:

   On the Macintosh, place the converter in the Word Extensions folder (version 6.x), or the Text Converters folder (Word 98 Macintosh Edition).

2. Save your work, quit Word, and restart Word.

3. Open any document that Word cannot recognize (for example, a document of the format supported by the converter, a program file, or a clipart graphics file).

REFERENCES

For more information about supported file formats, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE ID: Q162987
   TITLE     : WD97: Supported Non-Word File Formats

   ARTICLE ID: Q119461
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in Word 6 for the Macintosh

   ARTICLE ID: Q136385
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in Word and Office 95

   ARTICLE ID: Q104949
   TITLE     : Supported Foreign File Formats in WinWord 6.0 / 6.0a / 6.0c

   ARTICLE ID: Q96119
   TITLE     : History of WinWord File Converters Categorized by Word
               Release

   ARTICLE ID: Q125409
   TITLE     : Converters Not Available After Installing Word 6.0 for the
               Mac