xml files (Word2002)

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Help! I have data sent to me as a .dotx file. I unzipped it using 7-Zip. Now I have the files shown in the graphic below. I have tried numerous ways to get this to display as a document but I cannot figure out how. There is a file located deeper in these folders called – document.xml – that I finally opened in FrontPage 2003 but it doesn’t have any of the layout that is associated with it being activated. Can anyone tell me what I need to do to be able to work with this material – or is my only choice to write back to the sender and ask that he save it as a simple document?

Thanks!

ps: I did do a search but I didn’t find anything that seemed to make sense regarding this situation.

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Hi Skitterbug,

You shouldn’t unzip the .docx file. The new file format .docx for Word 2007 is a zip format, but you should treat it as a single file. If you have Office XP, you should download and install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats if you don’t already have it. You can then open the .docx file directly in Word 2002, and save it as a .doc file if you wish.

Alternatively, ask the sender to save the .docx file as a Word 97-2003 file (.doc), and send that.

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Hi Hans

I have the compatibility package loaded but word won’t open the zipped file. It has the extension of .dotx not .docx.
I have found a free “Advanced XML Converter” but I haven’t figured out how to reassemble all of the pieces back into a working document with it. Why do some tasks have to be so complicated!

Thanks

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Hi Skitterbug,

The .dotx extension stands for a Word 2007 template (whereas .docx is a Word 2007 document). Although both .dotx and .docx contain XML files, they aren’t really intended to be treated as XML files unless you need to poke in the inner workings of the template/document.

It’s probably easiest to ask the sender to save the file in Word 97-2003 format and resend it, you should be able to open it without problem then.

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okay – I’ll toss in the towel and ask the “sender” to re-save his files and send them along in something I can open.

Thanks for your help and sage advice!

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Me Again Hans!

I have to tell you that I finally got the thing opened with Open Office! . I am a happy camper! I won and the file lost!

Thanks again for your information regarding my problem!

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