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New Tools for the Conversion Process

How to Use the Microsoft Office Converter Pack

Many organizations upgrade gradually to new applications. During the transition, users often need to exchange files among old and new versions of an application.

To make the upgrade process go smoothly, the Microsoft Office Converter Pack provides tools that allow Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint users to share files with previous versions of Office and other applications.

The Office Converter Pack includes add-ins, converters, and filters for Word 97, Word 95, and Word 6.0; Excel 97, Excel 95, and Excel 5.0; and PowerPoint 97, PowerPoint 95, and PowerPoint 4.0.

Note   The Office Converter Pack does not recognize Word 6.0 for Windows NT or Excel 5.0 for Windows NT. You cannot install converters or add-ins from the Office Converter Pack for these 32-bit versions of Word or Excel.

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Components for users of previous versions of Office

The Office Converter Pack includes the 97-2000 and HTML converters, which are of particular interest to users of previous Office versions.

Word 2000 and PowerPoint 2000 users can open documents and presentations saved in previous versions of Word and PowerPoint by using the converters installed during Office 2000 Setup. However, to open files saved in 97-2000 format, Word 95 and Word 6.0 users and PowerPoint 95 and PowerPoint 4.0 users must first install the 97-2000 converters included in the Office Converter Pack.

When Office 2000 users save documents, workbooks, and presentations in Web Page format, the files are converted to HTML format. The add-ins and converters necessary for opening and saving files in HTML format are included with Office 2000 Setup. However, users of previous versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint must first install the HTML add-ins and converters included in the Office Converter Pack before they can open and save HTML files.

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Components for Office 2000 users

The Office Converter Pack includes additional text converters and filters not included with Office 2000 Setup.

Word 2000 users can install the following text converters:

Word 2000, Excel 2000, and PowerPoint 2000 users can install the following graphics filters:

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Install Office Converter Pack components

To install the add-ins, converters, and filters included in the Office Converter Pack on users’ computers, perform the following steps:

  1. Specify the components that you want to install by editing the Convpack.ini file.
  2. Distribute the Office Converter Pack program files, and then instruct users to copy the files to a folder on their hard disks.
  3. Instruct users to run the Office Converter Pack Setup program by clicking the Setup icon or typing setup –s on the command line.

Toolbox   The Office Converter Pack provides tools that allow Word 2000, Excel 2000, and PowerPoint 2000 users to share files with previous versions of Office and other applications. For more information about installing the Office Converter Pack, see Microsoft Office Converter Pack.

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Edit the Convpack.ini file

The Office Converter Pack includes several program files; however, the Convpack.ini file is the only file that you can modify.

The Convpack.ini file stores Setup options for the Office Converter Pack. By editing the INI file, you can select the components that you want to install on users’ computers.

The default is to install the add-ins, converters, and filters listed in the Convpack.ini file. However, if an application is not installed on a user’s computer, the Office Converter Pack does not install any components for that application. For example, if a user doesn’t have Word 95 installed on their computer, the Office Converter Pack does not install any Word 95 components (such as the WordPerfect, WordStar, or Word 97-2000 converters) even though you might have specified text converters in the Word95 section of the INI file.

In the Convpack.ini file, you can also specify the mode in which you want users to run the Office Converter Pack Setup program:

To modify the Convpack.ini file

  1. Open the Convpack.ini file in a text editor, such as Notepad.
  2. In each section of the INI file, set the options that you want.

    In all sections of Convpack.ini (except the ConvPack section), the default for each option is Yes, which installs or automatically registers the component. If you do not want to install or automatically register a particular add-in, converter, or filter, you must change the value of the option to No.

The following syntax is used in the Convpack.ini file:

option = value

ConvPack section

The ConvPack section of the Convpack.ini file determines the Setup mode for the Office Converter Pack. The two options in this section include the following.

When the value of the Quiet option is set to No (the default), the Setup program runs in full user interface mode and users are prompted to select add-ins, converters, and filters for installation.

If you do not want the Setup program to prompt users to select components, set the value of the Quiet option to Yes. The components that you specify in the Convpack.ini file are installed automatically on users’ hard disks when they run the Setup program.

Note   If a user does not have an application on their computer, the Office Converter Pack does not install any components for that application even though you might have specified components for installation.

When the value of the PreventUninstall option is set to No (the default), the Uninstall Microsoft Office Converter Pack submenu is added to the Programs menu in Windows. By clicking Uninstall Microsoft Office Converter Pack, users can remove Office Converter Pack components from their computers. Users are prompted to confirm the removal of any shared components.

If you do not want users to remove components, set the value of the PreventUninstall option to Yes. The Setup program does not add a submenu to the Programs menu. However, users can still remove Office Converter Pack components by clicking Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel.

Word sections

The following table identifies the options in the Word2000, Word97, Word95, and Word6 sections of the Convpack.ini file. The default value for each option is Yes. If you do not want Word users to install a particular converter, change the value of the option to No.

Option Description
AmiPro2 Lotus AmiPro 2. 0 for Windows. Included in Word6 section only.
AmiPro3 Lotus AmiPro 3.x for Windows. Not included in Word6 section.
dBASE Borland dBASE II, III, III+, and IV
FoxPro Microsoft FoxPro 2.6
Excel Microsoft Excel 2.x – Excel 97
HTML Hyper Text Markup Language (import and export). Not included in Word6 section.
Lotus123 Lotus 1-2-3 versions 2.0 – 4.0
RFT-DCA Revisable-Form-Text Document Content Architecture
Text Text with Layout converter and recover text from any file
Word97-2000 Microsoft Word 97-2000. Included in Word6 and Word95 sections only.
Word6-95 Microsoft Word 6.0/95. Included in Word97 section only.
DOSWord Microsoft Word 3.x – 6.0 for MS-DOS
MacWord Microsoft Word 5.x and 4.0 for the Macintosh
WordPerfect4 WordPerfect 4.0 for MS-DOS
WordPerfect5 WordPerfect 5.x for MS-DOS and Windows
WordPerfect6 WordPerfect 6.x for MS-DOS and Windows. Not included in Word6 section.
WordStar WordStar 3.3 – 7.0for MS-DOS and WordStar 1.0 – 2.0 for Windows
Works3 Microsoft Works 3.0 for Windows. Not included in Word6 section.
Works95 Microsoft Works 4.x for Windows. Not included in Word6 section.
Write Microsoft Windows Write 3.x
Excel sections

The following table identifies the options in the Excel97, Excel95, and Excel5 sections of the Convpack.ini file.

Option Description
RegisterHTMLAddIn Registers the HTML add-in
HTML HTML Language add-in
Lotus123 Lotus 1-2-3 version 4.0 add-in. Included in Excel5 section only.
QuattroPro1 Quattro Pro 1.0 – 5.0 for Windows add-in
RegisterQuattroPro7AddIn Registers the Quattro Pro 7.0 – 8.0 for Windows add-in. Included in Excel5 and Excel95 sections only.
QuattroPro7 Quattro Pro 7.0 – 8.0 for Windows add-in

For Excel 97, Excel 95, and Excel 5.0, the default is to install and automatically register the HTML add-in. The RegisterHTMLAddIn option is set to Yes, and a semicolon appears in front of the HTML option. If you don’t want users to install and automatically register the HTML add-in, change the RegisterHTMLAddIn option to No. Then delete the semicolon in front of the HTML option, and set the option to Yes or No depending on whether you want users to install the HTML add-in.

For Excel 95 and Excel 5.0, the default is to install and automatically register the Quattro Pro 7.0 – 8.0 for Windows add-in. If you don’t want users to install and automatically register the add-in, change the RegisterQuattroPro7AddIn option to No in the Excel95 and Excel5.0 sections. Then delete the semicolon in front of the QuattroPro7 option, and set the option to Yes or No depending on whether you want users to install the add-in.

PowerPoint sections

The following table identifies the options in the PowerPoint97, PowerPoint95, and PowerPoint4 sections of the Convpack.ini file. The default for each option is Yes. If you do not want PowerPoint users to install a particular converter, change the value of the option to No.

Note   If you change the value of the PowerPoint97-2000 option in the PowerPoint4 section to No, you must also update the Filters16 section by removing the semicolons that appear in front of the EMF, JPEG, PICT, and PNG options and setting these filter options to Yes or No depending on whether you want users to install these filters.

Option Description
PowerPoint95 PowerPoint 95 converter for PowerPoint 4.0. Included in PowerPoint4 section only.
PowerPoint97-2000 PowerPoint 97-2000 converter for PowerPoint 95 and PowerPoint 4.0. Included in PowerPoint95 and PowerPoint4 sections only.
HTML Hypertext Markup Language converter. Included in PowerPoint95 section only.
Harvard Harvard Graphics 3.0 and 2.3 for DOS converters
Freelance Lotus Freelance 4.0 for DOS and Lotus Freelance 1.0 – 2.1 for Windows
Filters16 section

The Office Converter Pack includes a set of 16-bit graphics filters for Word and PowerPoint users.

The following table identifies the options in the Filters16 section of the Convpack.ini file. The default for each option is Yes. If you do not want Word or PowerPoint users to install a particular filter, change the value of the option to No.

Note   By default, the PowerPoint97-2000 option in the PowerPoint4 section is set to Yes and a semicolon appears in front of the EMF, JPEG, PICT, and PNG options in the Filters16 section. If you don’t want PowerPoint 4.0 users to install the 97-2000 converter, change the value of the PowerPoint97-2000 option to No in the PowerPoint4 section. Then delete the semicolon in front of the EMF, JPEG, PICT, and PNG options in the Filters16 section, and set the options to Yes or No depending on whether you want users to install the filters.

Option Description
BMP Bitmap import filter (Bmpimp.flt, Iffbmp.dll)
DRW Micrografx Designer & Draw import filter (Drwimp.flt)
DXF AutoCAD import filter (Dxfimp.flt)
EPS Encapsulated PostScript import filter (Epsimp.flt)
GIF Graphics Interchange Format import filter (Gifimp.flt, Iffgif.dll)
HPGL Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language import filter (Hpglimp.flt)
PCX PC Paintbrush import filter (Pcximp.flt, Iffpcx.dll)
TGA Truevision Targa import filter (Tgaimp.flt, Ifftga.dll)
TIFF Tag image file format import and export filter (Tiffimp.flt, Ifftiff.dll)
WMF Windows Metafile import filter (Wmfimp.flt)
WPG WordPerfect graphics import (Wpgimp.flt) and export (Wpgexp.flt) filters
EMF Windows Enhanced Metafile import filter (Emfimp.flt)
JPEG JPEG File Interchange Format import and export filter (Jpegimp.flt, Iffjpeg.dll)
PICT Macintosh PICT import filter (Pictimp.flt)
PNG Portable Network Graphics import filter (Pngimp.flt)
Filters32 section

The Office Converter Pack includes a set of 32-bit graphics filters for Word and PowerPoint users.

The following table identifies the options in the Filters32 section of the Convpack.ini file. The default for each option is Yes. If you do not want Word or PowerPoint users to install a particular filter, change the value of the option to No.

Note   By default, the GIF option is set to Yes and the PNG option is disabled. (A semicolon appears in front of the PNG option.) If you don’t want users to install the GIF filter, change the GIF option to No. Then delete the semicolon in front of the PNG option, and set the option to Yes or No depending on whether you want users to install the PNG filter.

Option Description
BMP Bitmap import filter (Bmpimp32.flt)
CDR CorelDRAW import filter (Cdrimp32.flt)
CGM Computer Graphics Metafile import filter (Cgmimp32.flt, Cgmimp32.fnt, Cgmimp32.cfg, Cgmimp32.hlp)
DRW Micrografx Designer & Draw import filter (Drwimp32.flt)
DXF AutoCAD import filter (Dxfimp32.flt)
EMF Windows Enhanced Metafile import filter (Emfimp32.flt)
EPS Encapsulated PostScript import filter (Epsimp32.flt)
FPX FlashPix™ and Microsoft Picture It!® import and export filter (Fpx32.flt)
GIF Graphics Interchange Format import and export filter (Gifimp32.flt)
PNG Portable Network Graphics import and export filter (Png32.flt)
JPEG JPEG File Interchange Format import and export filter (Jpegim32.flt)
PCD Kodak® Photo CD import filter (Pcdimp32.flt, Pcdlib32.dll)
PCX PC Paintbrush import filter (Pcximp32.flt)
PICT Macintosh PICT import filter (Pictim32.flt)
TGA Truevision Targa import filter (Tgaimp32.flt)
TIFF Tag Image File Format import and export filter (Tiffim32.flt)
WMF Windows metafile import filter (Wmfimp32.flt)
WPG WordPerfect graphics import (Wpgimp32.flt) and export (Wpgexp32.flt) filters

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Distribute the Office Converter Pack

After selecting the components that you want users to install by editing the Convpack.ini file, you are ready to distribute the Office Converter Pack program to users.

An easy way to distribute the program is to copy the Convpack.ini file and other files to a network location where users can download the files. When it’s time for users to install add-ins, converters, and filters, you can notify the users to copy the Convpack.ini file and other files from the network location to a folder on their hard disks.

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Install add-ins, converters, and filters on users’ computers

Users can install the add-ins, converters, and filters on their computers by running the Office Converter Pack Setup program.

To install add-ins, converters, and filters

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Remove Office Converter Pack components

If users no longer need the add-ins, converters, and filters that they installed with the Office Converter Pack, they can remove the components by using one of the following methods.



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Friday, March 5, 1999
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