• open publisher file? (win 2000/office 2000 pro)

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    #420631

    greetings to one and all!

    question or two, if i may. i have a publisher file that i cannot open. according to the properties, the file uses publisher 2000. i have publisher 2000, also. unfortunately, it will not open the file. whenever i try to open it, i get the following error message:

    Publisher cannot open files from a different version.

    i tried updating office just in case i was missing something, and got a pop-up from microsoft that asked me if i wanted to register my copy of office 2000 SR-1 disc 2. i told it yes, then followed the bouncing ball (no, not a bouncing ball…the screens, actually). i got as far as the modem attempting to connect to microsoft, then got an error telling me that my modem was not correctly configured. i tried to do that, but it did not work, so i gave up on that.

    i don’t understand these two things: 1. why can i not open a file that was created with the same version of a program that i have? and 2. why, all of a sudden, microsoft would ask me to register a disc that i have been using for over six years (and have been faithfully updating all those years. first time i have ever been asked if i wanted to register the disc, which is weird, as i have the product ID numbers for both discs from each time i have had to reinstall the program.)?

    the modem part i am completely lost on, but will have to figure out myself, which should be fun, as there is not really any type of documentation that came with it, other than a diagram to show me how to install the physical card itself. all i wanted to do with the modem was to be able to fax things to people and companies, and can’t even do that. oh, and occasionally register a program when i buy a new one. it’s really bad when one has to register by mail, instead of by phone or on-line. so much for technology… hairout

    so, can, and will, anyone help me figure this puzzle of the non-compatible file out? i’d really appreciate it. as usual, i thank you all for your time, both in reading this plea, and for any help that you can send my way. i hope to hear from someone, anyone, soon. until then, take care and God bless.

    smiles-
    ladyleadfoot!!!

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    • #953042

      You say that “according to the properties” it is a Publisher 2000 file. How are you getting the properties, e.g. right-click in Explorer and choose properties? Because, if so, I think all you will be seeing is Windows assuming, because of the .pub extension, that this is a Pub2000 file. If this was created by someone else and sent to you I’d suggest that you check with them as to what version of Publisher they used.
      I have had that message when sending Publisher XP (2002) files to a friend who has Publisher 2000. The good news is that (using File-Save As) it is possible to create 2000 version files from later versions of Publisher. HTH

      • #954433

        thanks ever so much. i’d not thought of that before. i always assumed (yes, i know the meaning of the word! i just didn’t think {oops}…’nough said! doh ) that microsoft would do that. i always thought that the properties would tell me what version of a program was used to create a file, not what it assumed was so based on what version i was using.

        heck, my answer is just as convoluted as my original question. hopefully, this will be the last time i have to ask for help with this challenge. nonetheless, thanks again for your help. take care and God bless.

        smiles-
        ladyleadfoot!!!

        • #964300

          What about if you receive a later version of Publisher and you are running 2000? Is there a way to open the later version file?

          • #965034

            According to the ” Frequently Asked Questions About Publisher 2002 ” page on the MS website:

            Q. Can previous versions of Publisher open Publisher 2002 files?

            A. Not directly. The file format for Publisher 2002 is different from those of previous versions. However, Publisher 2002 gives you the option to save a file in the Publisher 2002, Publisher 2000, or Publisher 98 file formats. Publisher 2002 can open files created in previous versions.

            So the answer to your question would seem to be that you need to find someone with Pub02 (or Pub03) and ask them nicely to save your file in the Pub00 format. MS undoubtedly has a better answer that involves money

            • #965147

              Thanks! That is what I suspected. I had the sender convert the file to a pdf and resend it.

            • #965335

              Ah, didn’t realise that you were happy just to be able to see the file (as distinct from being able to actually edit it in Publisher).
              The Adobe website has an online method of creating PDF files and according to the page listing the file types it can handle it mentions MS Publisher, provided it is a file that Pub02 can open and print. You need to either sign up for a subscription or you can have a free trial that allows you up to five conversions. The process is simple and involves uploading your file to the website and receiving a PDF in return (of course there may be security issues depending on the file content).
              To give it a whirl, go to http://createpdf.adobe.com/%5B/url%5D

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