# Converting Files



## JohnV (Oct 14, 2005)

I have a lot of files on my old ME computer, and I want to transfer some of them to my new XP. The XP won't read the Microsoft Word or Word Pad files, so I have to convert them all to Microsoft 2000, which both computers have. Is there as way that I can do that without going through a tedious cut and paste for each file? All of them are written articles, books, etc. 

I have this little removable memory device that can hold a lot at once, and it would be nice if I didn't have to do all that work just to transfer them.


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## fredtgreco (Oct 14, 2005)

> _Originally posted by JohnV_
> I have a lot of files on my old ME computer, and I want to transfer some of them to my new XP. The XP won't read the Microsoft Word or Word Pad files, so I have to convert them all to Microsoft 2000, which both computers have. Is there as way that I can do that without going through a tedious cut and paste for each file? All of them are written articles, books, etc.
> 
> I have this little removable memory device that can hold a lot at once, and it would be nice if I didn't have to do all that work just to transfer them.



John,

This is a software and not an operating system issue.

First chekc and see what programs are installed on the XP computer. You should have WordPad already on the XP computer (it is standard). Check in Start>>All Programs>>Accessories

You would need Microsoft Word installed (usually a part of MS Office) to read the Word files. If you have it on the ME computer you should have an install disk to install it on the XP computer.


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## JohnV (Oct 14, 2005)

I have Office 2002 for both ( sorry for the earlier mistake of saying it was 2000 ) which includes Word; the very same version on both ( after market add-on for ME, and part of the installed programs on XP. ) I have WordPad on both. The WordPad on XP won't open the WordPad from the ME. I have Microsoft Works on ME, but can't find it on the XP. Most everything I have is in Microsoft Works format, with some in WordPad, and some in PDF. PDF is no problem, but the XP does not open either Works or WordPad from the ME. The way I've done it so far is to copy and paste whole files from Works into Office Word, and then copy onto the XP. I had to do it one at a time, and this was for those important files for which I got the laptop. 

Is there a way to copy a lot of files at one time from Works to Word? 

I'll go back onto the XP laptop and see what I've got on there to convert files, as well as looking more closely on the ME too.


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## Presbyrino (Oct 14, 2005)

John,

The Microsoft works file format is a different file format than Microsoft Word.
This is why you cannot open your works files in MS Word.

What you can try to do is convert your works files to a RTF format, or try to use the Works 6.0 Converter from Microsoft, that converts works files to word.


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## fredtgreco (Oct 14, 2005)

> _Originally posted by sntijerina_
> John,
> 
> The Microsoft works file format is a different file format than Microsoft Word.
> ...



That is a good solution. But I am still befuddled by the WordPad problem. John, what is the extension of the wordpad documents? Like Word is .doc and Excel is .xls and Notepad is .txt


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## JohnV (Oct 14, 2005)

I'll ty that, Steve. 

I can do it, its just that I have to do it one at a time, using copy and paste. All I want is to find an easier way. Let's hope this works.


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## JohnV (Oct 15, 2005)

> _Originally posted by fredtgreco_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by sntijerina_
> ...



On my ME its .doc; on my XP its rtf. 
On my ME the MS Works is in .wps

OK, I'm going to try that too, changing things into rtf on my ME and see if my XP reads that. I am still looking for a way to do that a bunch at a time instead of one at a time with copy and paste. I mean, that will work with Office 2002, but its just tedious, and I have a lot of them to do. 

I can't just put things on floppy either, as my laptop doesn't have a floopy drive. No kidding; I looked for half an hour for it when I first got. When I bought it I just assumed it was there and never thought about it. But I guess with a CD reader and writer you don't need a floppy drive. But the old ME doesn't have a CD writer, so I can't copy things over that way.


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## JohnV (Oct 15, 2005)

Does his converter program install itself into the Word Processor programs? I don't see it on my desktop, or in the programs listing. Mind you, I just downloaded it and this is a first reaction.


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