Can we use Office 97 on Win8? We’re obsolete (but also broke)

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we have used our old office on every new pc from 95 to 98 to xppro just fine

will it still work on win8.1 or are we going to have to pay the gouge monthly rental to get an office that works

all we need to do is type letters and edit them
nothing fancy

i am hoping worst case we need to find some dlls that may be missing

anyone with a clue as to how far back win 8 will still run old apps ?

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Officially Office 97 will not work with Windows 8. Unofficially, I’ve seen posts around the net saying people have gotten various Office 97 components running successfully. Outlook 97 is definitely NOT compatible.

If you have very simple needs why not use OneDrive and Office online?

Joe

--Joe

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dont want outlook
not ever using the cloud

so if it wont hose the machine we will load it and see what happens

Officially Office 97 will not work with Windows 8. Unofficially, I’ve seen posts around the net saying people have gotten various Office 97 components running successfully. Outlook 97 is definitely NOT compatible.

If you have very simple needs why not use OneDrive and Office online?

Joe

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Running XP on a Virtual machine is also a way to run outdated software there. I would set it up without internet access just network access.
Joe

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I’ve seen Office 2000 on a Win8 computer but couldn’t find out if they had problems. For those folks such as Seniors with limited funds I recommend either OpenOffice or LibreOffice, both free. LibreOffice 4 can open Works files, both can open Office files except Outlook, no comparable application.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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I won’t guarantee anything with Office 97. All I know for sure is that Microsoft says it is not compatible.

Joe

--Joe

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I won’t guarantee anything with Office 97. All I know for sure is that Microsoft says it is not compatible.

Joe

i am sure it is not microsoft compatible accordign to microsoft
and they do want to sell you new things

but whether it can be made to work without major effort is still an open question

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Charles Kenyon (http://windowssecrets.com/forums/member.php/641-Charles-Kenyon), who occasionally posts in the Word Forum here, claims to have just about every version from Word 97 onwards installed concurrently on his (Win 8?) system.

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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Charles Kenyon (http://windowssecrets.com/forums/member.php/641-Charles-Kenyon), who occasionally posts in the Word Forum here, claims to have just about every version from Word 97 onwards installed concurrently on his (Win 8?) system.

i would think that a lot of old software would work just fine if you got a few missing dlls or libraries

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Charles Kenyon (http://windowssecrets.com/forums/member.php/641-Charles-Kenyon), who occasionally posts in the Word Forum here, claims to have just about every version from Word 97 onwards installed concurrently on his (Win 8?) system.

I have Word 97, Word 2003, Word 2007, Word 2010, and Word 2013 installed on my Windows 8.1 laptop. As I mentioned in my previous post, I get an error message when Word 97 launches, but it works as far as I can tell. Most of my work is done using Word 2010 with a lesser amount being done with Word 2003 and Word 2013. I only use the Word 97 to check for compatibility.

MS says that anything before Word 2007 is not compatible with Windows 8, AFAIK. I am sure they know things that I do not. (OTOH they still have the Master Documents “Feature” in Word 2013.) These earlier versions of Word certainly will not use all of the features of the OS but the touch screen works in Word 97 and Word 2003.

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Why struggle with ancient software when you can get a modern office suite for free that is compatible with your Office documents

http://www.libreoffice.org/

Use Thunderbird for your e-mail. If you want a planner, get the Lightening add on.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/lightning/

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Why struggle with ancient software when you can get a modern office suite for free that is compatible with your Office documents

http://www.libreoffice.org/

Use Thunderbird for your e-mail. If you want a planner, get the Lightening add on.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/lightning/

those are options for sure

my wife knows word
i would like to avoid anything with different menus or UI
to avoid a learning curve
but we may have to use libreoffice

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I agree w/ Calimanco — I started using LibreOffice when it first replaced OpenOffice several years ago, and eventually I just uninstalled my old MSOffice 2003, and never looked back. I have no trouble opening and editing old MS .doc/.xls/ files, etc., and can create both for others if necessary.

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May I suggest these alternatives…..

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/applications/best-free-microsoft-office-alternatives-5-suites-to-save-you-money-1139295

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Marvelous, isn’t it, how when someone asks whether they can use something they already have and are familiar with (or how to use it), so many people seem to think they should use something else. A good reason for not using the alternatives, quite apart from the inevitable learning curve, is that none of them is fully compatible with even Office 97.

Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

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Marvelous, isn’t it, how when someone asks whether they can use something they already have and are familiar with (or how to use it), so many people seem to think they should use something else. A good reason for not using the alternatives, quite apart from the inevitable learning curve, is that none of them is fully compatible with even Office 97.

I always give alternatives when the Subject line or the post mentions restrictions such as the part about “Okay we are obsolete (but also broke)“. I agree it’s good to use what one has but when there’s problems solutions may not be found for obsolete software. It’s always been a given that software becomes too obsolete at some point, at least since my first computer in ’92.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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FWIW, can I mention that I use Office 2000 on my W8 and all runs fine. I mostly use Word and Excel, narry a problem.
It also ran fine on W7 machines. Jean.

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I always give alternatives when the Subject line or the post mentions restrictions such as the part about “Okay we are obsolete (but also broke)“. I agree it’s good to use what one has but when there’s problems solutions may not be found for obsolete software. It’s always been a given that software becomes too obsolete at some point, at least since my first computer in ’92.

we have had some software die from old age

ever since dos 3-5
win 95
win 98se
and now xp
we have tossed software at some point

eventually there does come a point where it wont work all
or is not worth the effort to make it work with some compatibility mode
or other people use newer versions that are totally incompatible
or styles change
eg hollywood is now using a different ‘standard’ script formatter than they did 20 years ago

i wish i were rich like everybody else seems to be that i could also afford to buy the latest pc and newest software every few months

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Marvelous, isn’t it, how when someone asks whether they can use something they already have and are familiar with (or how to use it), so many people seem to think they should use something else. A good reason for not using the alternatives, quite apart from the inevitable learning curve, is that none of them is fully compatible with even Office 97.

You are absolutely correct! Just for the record, I am using Office 2000 (XP) and it works just fine. Give it a try!

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If you don’t necessarily need Microsoft Word, excellent recommendations have already been made. In my case I am still using volume license Microsoft Office 2000 which I believe cost about $100; it has lasted since 2001 on my Win98SE, XP Pro and now on my 3 Win7 computers 32-bit computers. For Windows 8.1, I’d consider that a new world. If you need Word for only 1 computer consider Microsoft Office 2013 single license program, not the 5 license monthly/annual fee program that normally comes with Windows 8. My friend bought Microsoft Home & Student for a one-time $150 with tax; it doesn’t include Outlook and if she gets umpteen years of usage on it, the annual cost is minimal for something that’s useful for her. Myself I stay with Microsoft Word and Excel because I have to interact with about 200 volunteers and some associated organizations at the non-profit organization I volunteer at. Those other programs are nice and even though they can be read between each other it can cause confusion when editing documents with every one else. One more caveat; on my Microsoft Office 2000, I do use the Microsoft Compatibility package but that takes only about a minute to install and the rest has been smooth sailing since then. I believe when I do migrate to Windows 8.1 or wait for Windows 9, I’ll have to consider the same options you are especially since I have more than 1 computer myself

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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If you don’t necessarily need Microsoft Word, excellent recommendations have already been made. In my case I am still using volume license Microsoft Office 2000 which I believe cost about $100; it has lasted since 2001 on my Win98SE, XP Pro and now on my 3 Win7 computers 32-bit computers. For Windows 8.1, I’d consider that a new world. If you need Word for only 1 computer consider Microsoft Office 2013 single license program, not the 5 license monthly/annual fee program that normally comes with Windows 8. My friend bought Microsoft Home & Student for a one-time $150 with tax; it doesn’t include Outlook and if she gets umpteen years of usage on it, the annual cost is minimal for something that’s useful for her. Myself I stay with Microsoft Word and Excel because I have to interact with about 200 volunteers and some associated organizations at the non-profit organization I volunteer at. Those other programs are nice and even though they can be read between each other it can cause confusion when editing documents with every one else. One more caveat; on my Microsoft Office 2000, I do use the Microsoft Compatibility package but that takes only about a minute to install and the rest has been smooth sailing since then. I believe when I do migrate to Windows 8.1 or wait for Windows 9, I’ll have to consider the same options you are especially since I have more than 1 computer myself

thanks

the whole new laptop for my wife was $220 with tax tags title and shipping
i will pay for the mbam gladly
but shelling out another $150 just to be able to type notes is a bit much

i wonder if win8 still comes with wordpad

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can I mention that I use Office 2000 on my W8 and all runs fine

You certainly can, I, for one, always appreciate reinforcement of my thoughts, ideas and opinions.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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Berton, hello.
I am also using a french dictionary, le Larousse, on all my subsequent Windows, this Larouse came with Win98 of yore. I had been told by an MS representative that I HAD to upgrade. :^_^:
You be good. Jean.

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For what it’s worth, I am running Office XP on my Win 8.1 laptop, with, so far, no problems. All I use is Word and Xcell, but all the bells and whistles for them work. The only problem I have had is trying to format number 10 envelopes in Word. The last time I tried, after about an hour, I gave up and addressed it by hand! It only wanted to print the envelope in the center of the feed tray, but my printer will NOT feed it in the center! I have tried ALL those other programs, and while they may be free, the compatibility is conditional. Even if you have to run your old Office 97 using the Compatibility mode, you will be way ahead of the game. Office programs don’t need the fastest processors and they don’t do much high-tech work, so they can be used as long as possible. Windows 10 MIGHT change all of that, though. If so, we may all be looking for a replacement to our old apps! But, meanwhile, just keep on trucking.

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Speedball “shelling out another $150 just to be able to type notes is a bit much”
— I know exactly what you mean
When I paid $100 back in 2001 for my Microsoft Office 2000 I thought it was a lot
— But with 13 years of usage, that averages out to $7.69 per year and I still plan on continuing to use it on my Windows 7 computer until 2020 which will decrease the average cost per year significantly

Windows 8 will not reach EOL until 2023, so let’s say you get to use Microsoft Home & Student until then; that averages out to $16.67 per year; if by then your computer qualifies to be upgraded to Windows 10, the average cost per year continues to decrease

But more importantly is whether or not you have to interact with others in a familiar and convenient manner. I have personal experience with others who have tried the free office programs but the result is not being able to create, maintain and edit documents between each other. That’s the issue. If it isn’t a concern for you, naturally go for the learning curve and have fun with the freebies. $0.00 per year is pretty hard to beat especially if convenience and consistency with others are not an issue

Edit: I am going to learn LibreOffice as we have installed it on one of our computers at the office I volunteer at. Just so you’ll know, I have nothing against any of the freebies; I just don’t want to go through the hassle again of document management between so many volunteers and organizations we have to interact with.

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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we are starting to save our pennies for a new pc
so
i really hope our win8 EOL happens much sooner
what a POS PITA, but the price was better than the alternatives
but at the time we were desperate for a working pc that could do email
and that was the least cost fastest path to solving the immediate problem

we are starting to save to get something that is sensible for a home pc
not that might work on cell phones tablets and other things for microslops covenience

worst case is people send us a file to read (not very often these days after retirement)
and we need to find a way to translate it to get to the content
but we are hopeful that we can find some program to do that okay
otherwise we write save and read our own occasional document for our use

Speedball “shelling out another $150 just to be able to type notes is a bit much”
— I know exactly what you mean
When I paid $100 back in 2001 for my Microsoft Office 2000 I thought it was a lot
— But with 13 years of usage, that averages out to $7.69 per year and I still plan on continuing to use it on my Windows 7 computer until 2020 which will decrease the average cost per year significantly

Windows 8 will not reach EOL until 2023, so let’s say you get to use Microsoft Home & Student until then; that averages out to $16.67 per year; if by then your computer qualifies to be upgraded to Windows 10, the average cost per year continues to decrease

But more importantly is whether or not you have to interact with others in a familiar and convenient manner. I have personal experience with others who have tried the free office programs but the result is not being able to create, maintain and edit documents between each other. That’s the issue. If it isn’t a concern for you, naturally go for the learning curve and have fun with the freebies. $0.00 per year is pretty hard to beat especially if convenience and consistency with others are not an issue

Edit: I am going to learn LibreOffice as we have installed it on one of our computers at the office I volunteer at. Just so you’ll know, I have nothing against any of the freebies; I just don’t want to go through the hassle again of document management between so many volunteers and organizations we have to interact with.

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…worst case is people send us a file to read (not very often these days after retirement)
and we need to find a way to translate it to get to the content
but we are hopeful that we can find some program to do that okay
otherwise we write save and read our own occasional document for our use

With the risk of raising hackles I’ll reiterate the point made earlier to try one of the Office substitutes like Libre-office or Open Office.

My very untechnical BETTER half uses Office at work, and has absolutely no problems with Open Office I installed on her laptop for home use. There are no issues reading .docx files, and at some point you WILL receive this format file as people move away from the .doc format.

Word 97 won’t work forever so taking on the slight learning curve now when you’re changing computers makes a lot of sense.

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we are starting to save our pennies for a new pc
so
i really hope our win8 EOL happens much sooner
what a POS PITA, but the price was better than the alternatives
but at the time we were desperate for a working pc that could do email
and that was the least cost fastest path to solving the immediate problem

we are starting to save to get something that is sensible for a home pc
not that might work on cell phones tablets and other things for microslops covenience

worst case is people send us a file to read (not very often these days after retirement)
and we need to find a way to translate it to get to the content
but we are hopeful that we can find some program to do that okay
otherwise we write save and read our own occasional document for our use

There are nonprofit organizations in some states that provide low income people with a free used computer that has been refurbished. Which state do you live in?

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thanks

we are not that low
just squeezed on our budget
so will let those worse off have that help instead of us taking it

the county still has outrageiously high taxes our house even though we are over 65
savings almost depleted
will be selling and moving to an apartment to avoid the confiscatory taxes here

There are nonprofit organizations in some states that provide low income people with a free used computer that has been refurbished. Which state do you live in?

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I agree, Open Office is a far better alternative to the grotesquely antiquated and insecure Office 97.
I’d rather go to the torrent sites looking to STEAL a more recent ver than to EVER consider putting 97 on ANYTHING.

What in the world are you thinking,…or not.

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not sure what is insecure about ofc 97
we never had any problems with it

we are thinking that we are broke and my wife knows how to use it
learning is a big issue
i bought my wife a table two years ago
so far all she can do is google with it
but prefers the pc as it is so much easier to use

i choose NOT to steal anything

maybe ignorance is bliss, or in this case being a mere luser not a supermod is good for us

i can understand why you would not want to use ofc 97 and maybe not even 2000
but for us it seems to be okay

I agree, Open Office is a far better alternative to the grotesquely antiquated and insecure Office 97.
I’d rather go to the torrent sites looking to STEAL a more recent ver than to EVER consider putting 97 on ANYTHING.

What in the world are you thinking,…or not.

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not sure what is insecure about ofc 97
we never had any problems with it

we are thinking that we are broke and my wife knows how to use it
learning is a big issue
i bought my wife a table two years ago
so far all she can do is google with it
but prefers the pc as it is so much easier to use

i choose NOT to steal anything

maybe ignorance is bliss, or in this case being a mere luser not a supermod is good for us

i can understand why you would not want to use ofc 97 and maybe not even 2000
but for us it seems to be okay

Office 97 is outdated and no longer supported with updates, security or otherwise,
which makes it insecure and open to attack, even on it’s intended operating system(s).

It’s continued use is not something ANYBODY with any computer know how would recommend, at least not someone who would have your best interest in mind.

If you don’t want to take the time to learn new software, and or, you cannont afford an updated version, then that’s both your business and problem, but don’t ask us to provide you with a “hack” that will make it work. It’s bad advice period.

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did not ask for a hack

asked if it would work

i speculated that at most it might need a new dll
that is not a hack in my book

i appreciate your concern for my safety and privacy
but we will have to live with that risk for now

we are absolutely unconcerned about xp pro too

IE scares me
flash is even worse as a security hole

Office 97 is outdated and no longer supported with updates, security or otherwise,
which makes it insecure and open to attack, even on it’s intended operating system(s).

It’s continued use is not something ANYBODY with any computer know how would recommend, at least not someone who would have your best interest in mind.

If you don’t want to take the time to learn new software, and or, you cannont afford an updated version, then that’s both your business and problem, but don’t ask us to provide you with a “hack” that will make it work. It’s bad advice period.

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Actually, I recommend Libre Office for those that want a free Office compatible suite. LibreOffice is a new fork of the OpenOffice.org code base that’s maintained by a nonprofit organization called the Document Foundation. LibreOffice looks like OpenOffice.org and it runs like OpenOffice.org. It even reads and writes OpenOffice.org’s OpenDocument file formats. The difference is that LibreOffice is being developed in a fully community-driven way, without oversight from Oracle as in Open Office.

http://www.libreoffice.org/

Jerry

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Jerry, I think OpenOffice is now owned by the Apache Foundation, not Oracle.

Speedball, have you actually tried installing and running Office 97. The system told me that Office 2003 wasn’t compatible, but fortunately My copy of Office wasn’t told and has been running happily ever since I went to W8.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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http://www.openoffice.org/download/
http://www.libreoffice.org/

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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Apache Open Office 4.0.1 is on one of the Windows 7 computers in our office and last I looked there was only one file created
— That computer isn’t for standard office use; it’s available for guest families who we help out
— According to http://www.openoffice.org/download/ the latest version is 4.1.1
— This is the free open office program I’ll train myself on instead of LibreOffice and I hope I’ll become helpful to those who want to use it the Apache Open Office that’s on this computer
— However I am also keeping LibreOffice available

Now I have to admit, I still need to be convinced that it’s possible to for these programs to interact with each other
— I have looked up descriptions of both office programs on other websites and the usual benefits are that they are free & compatible with Microsoft Office and the documents can be read but I haven’t seen one yet that actually states the documents can be edited so each person can work back and forth with each other and I have too many other people and organizations to interact with and past experience hasn’t been kind to us
— But I’ll find out when I start experimenting with Apache Open Office and Microsoft Office 2007 documents the office personnel work with

HP EliteBook 8540w laptop Windows 10 Pro (x64)

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I’ve run Word 97 on Win 8.1. An error message comes up when it is launched but as far as I can tell it works fine. I have not tried to have it set as the default program to handle .doc files. Obviously, it will not handle .docx .docm, etc. files.

I have an icon for it on my Start Screen. It runs macros, creates new documents based on templates, saves change to options, etc. It is a flawed product; I much prefer Word 2003 or Word 2010, but it seems to work.

Here are a couple of screen shots.

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Obviously, it will not handle .docx .docm, etc. files.

Right, the File Converter/Compatibility Pack to use for that is compatible only with Office 2000, Office XP/2002 and Office 2003.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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Right, the File Converter/Compatibility Pack to use for that is compatible only with Office 2000, Office XP/2002 and Office 2003.

Actually LibreOffice seems to open .docx files – I’ve just tried it.

Ian

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we have used our old office on every new pc from 95 to 98 to xppro just fine

will it still work on win8.1 or are we going to have to pay the gouge monthly rental to get an office that works

all we need to do is type letters and edit them
nothing fancy

i am hoping worst case we need to find some dlls that may be missing

anyone with a clue as to how far back win 8 will still run old apps ?

Why don’t you use LIbreOffice its free, high quality and claims to be as good as Office 2013 and will work on XP, Vista and 8?

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When I got my current win 7 desktop computer, I took the hard drive out of the old win xp computer and added it as a second drive. I know I have one very old address book program (Parsons Technology!) that still runs because it can find the DLL and other stuff it needs on the old drive. This might work for other old software like office 97. Of course, you have to open your case and know how to add a drive. You may also have issues with IDE vs SATA drives, but adapter hardware is available.

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good ideas but alas the win8 is a laptop with no real hd just some ssd
so we would have to find out how to fake it with a usb drive attached
whcih might just be doable if i take time to think about it

When I got my current win 7 desktop computer, I took the hard drive out of the old win xp computer and added it as a second drive. I know I have one very old address book program (Parsons Technology!) that still runs because it can find the DLL and other stuff it needs on the old drive. This might work for other old software like office 97. Of course, you have to open your case and know how to add a drive. You may also have issues with IDE vs SATA drives, but adapter hardware is available.

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thanks

not practical as the old xp pro pc is still in use
so cant take the disk to move to the laptop

we need to get word functions on a new laptop

When I got my current win 7 desktop computer, I took the hard drive out of the old win xp computer and added it as a second drive. I know I have one very old address book program (Parsons Technology!) that still runs because it can find the DLL and other stuff it needs on the old drive. This might work for other old software like office 97. Of course, you have to open your case and know how to add a drive. You may also have issues with IDE vs SATA drives, but adapter hardware is available.

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we have used our old office on every new pc from 95 to 98 to xppro just fine

will it still work on win8.1 or are we going to have to pay the gouge monthly rental to get an office that works

all we need to do is type letters and edit them
nothing fancy

i am hoping worst case we need to find some dlls that may be missing

anyone with a clue as to how far back win 8 will still run old apps ?

I use Office97, except for Outlook, in Windows XP, Windows 7 64, Windows 8.1 64 and the Win 10TP 64. Access 97 works well but if you clean install, it will not accept the SR2 patch. So I install bare and then copy the XP patched and installed programs (Directory) over and so far it works.

Hope this helps.

So far I have had no problems with either Excel or Word but only light word processing.

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i am hoping worst case we need to find some dlls that may be missing

As I am testing Windows-10, I thought I’d give it a try. Office 97 (no access nor Outlook) installed fine, and ran with no errors, but the built-in help didn’t work – the hoops I had to jump through to get the required WinHlp32.exe installed in the Windows folder might put some off! There is an ‘official’ method for getting this help installed on Windows up to 8.1 (KB917607) but none worked for me on Win-10. However, if you follow the first answer on this page then it should work.

I did not go any further in looking for other problems – I had forgotten how hard it is to get rid of that pesky assistant!

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well we dont want outlook or access
and can live without help

somehow we killed clippy long ago and any other irrating things billyg threw in because his wife thought it was nice

you gave us nice some clues to check out
thanks for that

As I am testing Windows-10, I thought I’d give it a try. Office 97 (no access nor Outlook) installed fine, and ran with no errors, but the built-in help didn’t work – the hoops I had to jump through to get the required WinHlp32.exe installed in the Windows folder might put some off! There is an ‘official’ method for getting this help installed on Windows up to 8.1 (KB917607) but none worked for me on Win-10. However, if you follow the first answer on this page then it should work.

I did not go any further in looking for other problems – I had forgotten how hard it is to get rid of that pesky assistant!

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i suspect win10 is going to more like xp and not crippled like 8.1 is

hopefully they wont let the vendors tailor it to make it ‘easier’
(for them to lock you in)

As I am testing Windows-10, I thought I’d give it a try. Office 97 (no access nor Outlook) installed fine, and ran with no errors, but the built-in help didn’t work – the hoops I had to jump through to get the required WinHlp32.exe installed in the Windows folder might put some off! There is an ‘official’ method for getting this help installed on Windows up to 8.1 (KB917607) but none worked for me on Win-10. However, if you follow the first answer on this page then it should work.

I did not go any further in looking for other problems – I had forgotten how hard it is to get rid of that pesky assistant!

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The issue with sharing/saving files from later versions of Word that use the .docx format is with Word 97. There is a file converter [Compatibility Pack] for Word 2000 through 2003 to enable reading the newer format but it won’t work on 97.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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all we need to do is type letters and edit them
nothing fancy

WordPad is a primitive but usable word-processor that is already on your Windows computer. It doesn’t have a spellchecker, but it does have formatting and a familiar toolbar. We can do better, but in the meantime all you have to do is open it and use it. Add a shortcut to your desktop.

Every post is recommending a suite, not a word-processor. If you don’t need a suite, don’t buy a suite. Before there were suites, there was, for example, WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, and dBase, all separate applications. Even WordPerfect is now a suite, and it is the first competitor you should look at if you need compatibility with Windows Office at a lower cost. Check carefully to see if you qualify for the upgrade price, or for the Home and Student edition. You may even be able to get a slightly older version, such as X5, free of charge, and X5 will certainly run under 8.1. Be sure to download the updates.

Many word-processors are free, small, and come with spell-checkers. http://www.jarte.com/“]Jarte[/url] is one such, and it is based on WordPad. What is more, it is available in a portable version as well as a regular installation – you can put it on a flash drive on your keychain. It integrates with the free dictionary from WordWeb, which you can download. Jarte can be upgraded for $20 to include active spell-checking and other features. WordWeb free can also be upgraded for various prices if you require a more extensive or specific dictionary. An online search will turn up many other free or inexpensive word-processors, with reviews.

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thanks

we are trying at last to get the laptop working
unfortunately many of the things toshiba says to do in their manual do NOT work at all

but we do know how to search now on win81
so will look to see if we got a wordpad with it

i know they gave us a one month try it and rent it office suite
which we are not going to use

all we need to do is type letters and edit them
nothing fancy

WordPad is a primitive but usable word-processor that is already on your Windows computer. It doesn’t have a spellchecker, but it does have formatting and a familiar toolbar. We can do better, but in the meantime all you have to do is open it and use it. Add a shortcut to your desktop.

Every post is recommending a suite, not a word-processor. If you don’t need a suite, don’t buy a suite. Before there were suites, there was, for example, WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, and dBase, all separate applications. Even WordPerfect is now a suite, and it is the first competitor you should look at if you need compatibility with Windows Office at a lower cost. Check carefully to see if you qualify for the upgrade price, or for the Home and Student edition. You may even be able to get a slightly older version, such as X5, free of charge, and X5 will certainly run under 8.1. Be sure to download the updates.

Many word-processors are free, small, and come with spell-checkers. http://www.jarte.com/“]Jarte[/url] is one such, and it is based on WordPad. What is more, it is available in a portable version as well as a regular installation – you can put it on a flash drive on your keychain. It integrates with the free dictionary from WordWeb, which you can download. Jarte can be upgraded for $20 to include active spell-checking and other features. WordWeb free can also be upgraded for various prices if you require a more extensive or specific dictionary. An online search will turn up many other free or inexpensive word-processors, with reviews.

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The free downloadable “Office Starter 2010” might be perfect for you on your ‘old’ machine, but I have been led to understand that it is not compatible with Windows 8. Office 2010 itself is entirely compatible with Windows 8, so I am skeptical about Office Starter 2010 not being compatible, but better-informed sources than me may know one way or another. Many if not most of us actually prefer 2010, which is an excellent build. In fact now that I think of it, if you prepare the installation on a flash drive using another computer, I don’t see how that could fail to run on Win 8 – but then again, maybe it would.

The “Starter” part of the deal is that it is a feature-limited version of Word and a feature-limited version of Excel, but it is otherwise entirely free of charge and there is no time limitation on it. Furthermore, it can conveniently be put on a flash drive to take with you. Try Google and you’ll get lots of hits.

I doubt that you will miss many of the features that are missing, and it would bring you completely up-to-date in such matters as file formats (*.docx) and such things. You can download templates from the Office templates site to go with it.

Here is an update: I just tested my installation-on-a-stick, and it worked like a dream under Win 7, and would be perfect for your stated purposes, and then I tried it under Win 8.1, and I got the message that there was a compatibility problem.

I must qualify it by saying that my 8.1 is Enterprise, which may complicate things for better or for worse, but which is unlikely to be the version you will be getting. I think it highly likely that I would have no trouble if I used Hyper-V, but then again, you probably won’t be getting that either. I should add that both computers have the full Office 2010 installed, but that didn’t seem to complicate things in the case in which it worked.

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i am finding a lot of things that are not compatible with 8 accordign to the web
have finally been updated and do work find with 8.1 now

(or maybe they fixed 81 so they work. whatever. things are working that we have tried so far)

The free downloadable “Office Starter 2010” might be perfect for you on your ‘old’ machine, but I have been led to understand that it is not compatible with Windows 8. Office 2010 itself is entirely compatible with Windows 8, so I am skeptical about Office Starter 2010 not being compatible, but better-informed sources than me may know one way or another. Many if not most of us actually prefer 2010, which is an excellent build. In fact now that I think of it, if you prepare the installation on a flash drive using another computer, I don’t see how that could fail to run on Win 8 – but then again, maybe it would.

The “Starter” part of the deal is that it is a feature-limited version of Word and a feature-limited version of Excel, but it is otherwise entirely free of charge and there is no time limitation on it. Furthermore, it can conveniently be put on a flash drive to take with you. Try Google and you’ll get lots of hits.

I doubt that you will miss many of the features that are missing, and it would bring you completely up-to-date in such matters as file formats (*.docx) and such things. You can download templates from the Office templates site to go with it.

Here is an update: I just tested my installation-on-a-stick, and it worked like a dream under Win 7, and would be perfect for your stated purposes, and then I tried it under Win 8.1, and I got the message that there was a compatibility problem.

I must qualify it by saying that my 8.1 is Enterprise, which may complicate things for better or for worse, but which is unlikely to be the version you will be getting. I think it highly likely that I would have no trouble if I used Hyper-V, but then again, you probably won’t be getting that either. I should add that both computers have the full Office 2010 installed, but that didn’t seem to complicate things in the case in which it worked.

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FYI Office97 s2 installs with minor glitch and runs ok so far on W10 64 bit

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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I’ll risk angering the Microsoft gods by telling you that I am writing this post using LibreOffice Writer under Ubuntu 14.04.

Ubuntu is one of a number of versions of Linux, which is an operating system that you can download free of charge and run from a DVD or a flash drive, and that you can install on your computer either beside Windows as a dual boot, or as a replacement for Windows. Recommending LibreOffice without recommending Linux is silly. Lots of us have it, including me.

Some versions of Linux will practically run on air. You can repurpose your old computer to run it and it will cost nothing more than download time. Setup is simple because major applications are included. It consumes very little drive space.

Ubuntu is the version that I ended up with – there are geeks and reviewers better able to guide you than me, but it has an interface that I find comfortable, and I didn’t shop around much. For help start with the Non-MS forum of the Lounge.

This is powerful software if you mess with the wrong things, and an early discovery will be that it can see everything there is to see on your existing computer. That’s why it is so widely used for troubleshooting other systems.

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if microslop does not get back to a real pc operating sytem then in the future we will be linux/android type users

not using some hoked up tablet interface on a real pc
win81 takes for ever to get anything done
even after i have learned some of the places they hide things
still a PITA

i guess ms is giving up on computers and going for dominating the net and its attached devices

I’ll risk angering the Microsoft gods by telling you that I am writing this post using LibreOffice Writer under Ubuntu 14.04.

Ubuntu is one of a number of versions of Linux, which is an operating system that you can download free of charge and run from a DVD or a flash drive, and that you can install on your computer either beside Windows as a dual boot, or as a replacement for Windows. Recommending LibreOffice without recommending Linux is silly. Lots of us have it, including me.

Some versions of Linux will practically run on air. You can repurpose your old computer to run it and it will cost nothing more than download time. Setup is simple because major applications are included. It consumes very little drive space.

Ubuntu is the version that I ended up with – there are geeks and reviewers better able to guide you than me, but it has an interface that I find comfortable, and I didn’t shop around much. For help start with the Non-MS forum of the Lounge.

This is powerful software if you mess with the wrong things, and an early discovery will be that it can see everything there is to see on your existing computer. That’s why it is so widely used for troubleshooting other systems.

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When Windows 7 came out in 2009 I installed it on an extra computer, followed by all my favorite programs including my beloved Office 97 (just Word, Excel & PP). Soon afterwards, I noticed some strange things. I couldn’t change the UAC setting, and all my restore points had disappeared, among a few other oddities. To make the long story short, I eventually re-installed Windows 7, followed by checking and testing after each and every program subsequently installed. The strange problems happened after Office 97 was installed. I liked Office 97 because it simply did everything I needed, but it was time to move on, so I picked up an Office 2003 disk(w/code, of course) on eBay for $40 and I’m living happily every after- so far. When the time comes that Office 2003 doesn’t work on a newer OS, if I can’t find a newer version of Office cheap, I’ll switch to Open Office or Libre Office or some such freebie. I won’t pay $150 and up for a newer version of Office, but if I could get an 2007 or 2010 for $40 to $60, I think that’s acceptable for me.

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if I can’t find a newer version of Office cheap

Yours is the kind of mindset that is encouraging M$ to go SAS :clapping::clapping: I 97 on W10 but have not used it. I am thinking now it would be a good idea to put it on my W7 install to test it out. I have OfficeLibre but rather the familiarity of the old Office. Newer versions just give me a headache.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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thanks

when we figure out how to make toshiba do the backup function
that totally fails when following their manuals instructions

we will start downloading otehr programs like apache or libreoffice

I, still, say the one thing (read, solution) that makes immense sense for you is to grab Open Office from Apache. Several others have said the same. FREE Download

I have always recommended it to any of my clients who have not wanted to purchase Microsoft Office. And they have been very happy w/ it.

Cheers,
Drew

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