WD97: How to Auto-Register a Converter

ID: Q194645

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

This articles discusses how to automatically install (register) a converter in Word 97.


MORE INFORMATION

To automatically install (register) a converter in Word 97, follow these steps:

  1. Copy the converter file that you want to install to either the Word program folder or the \Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Textconv folder.


  2. Start Word.


  3. On the File menu, click Open.


  4. Select a file that Word cannot recognize (for example, a plain text file or a document in the format supported by the converter that you installed).


Word will detect and automatically register the converter in the following location in the Windows 95 Registration Database: 

   HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Text Converters
It is not necessary to complete steps 1 and 2 during the first file open in a Word session. Also the "Confirm conversion at Open" option (located on the General tab of the Options command on the Tools menu) does not have to be checked during this process. One of the following occurs when you open a foreign file in Word 97:

  1. If the "Confirm Conversions at Open" option (located on the General tab of the Options command on the Tools menu) is not checked, Word will immediately open your document using the matching supported and installed converter.


  2. If the file is a text file, Word will immediately open the file as Text Only.


  3. If the file is of some other format not recognized by Word, and the "Confirm Conversion at Open" option is not check, the Convert File From dialog box will appear anyway, proposing to open the document as Text Only. Click Cancel and only open documents supported by the available converters.

    NOTE: If the FileOpen command has been modified in some way, the Convert File From dialog box may be bypassed. The macro intercepts the Convert File From dialog box and defaults to opening the file as Text Only, resulting in garbage characters. To display the Convert File From dialog box, select Confirm Conversions before opening the file.


  4. If the Confirm Conversions option is checked, Word will prompt to open the document from the format supported by one of the installed converters or will prompt to open the file as Text Only if the file is plain text or another format not recognized by any of the installed converters or internally by Winword.exe.

    NOTE: All converters that are made available for use with Word 97, with the exception of the AmiPro and Enable converters, are shipped with Word 97 and Microsoft Office 97. You should use Setup to add and remove converters that are supplied with the product.


For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q157092 Supplemental Text Converters Available for Word 97

Additional query words: textconv convert converted converts conversion translate translated translates translation transfer transferred transfers transferring open opening saving as save register autoinstall auto- install autoregister auto-register

Keywords : kbdta winword word97
Version : WINDOWS:97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: August 13, 1999
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