MS Word - what a mickey mouse pile of sh!t.

Gordon

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that I will ever have a 'fresh' system that
needs Office XP install, so it unlikely that I can corroborate if this is
just a problem with the version on that disk or if it an Office XP-wide
problem. It certainly is an undesirable install though.

Terry

"Gordon" wrote in message
...
: TF wrote:
: That was installed on freshly formatted disk? No chance that there was a
: legacy normal.dot on it? I've never seen that happen before. What
version of
: Office is it: OEM, retail or licensed media?
:
:
: It was a freshly formatted HDD. It's a promotional copy, that I got at a
: seminar, and I've slipstreamed SP2 into it.
:
: --
: Registered Linux User no 240308
: Just waiting for Broadband to complete the conversion!(4 weeks and
: counting!)
: gordonATgbpcomputingDOTcoDOTuk
: to email me remove the obvious!

.com




Newsgroups: microsoft.public.word.newusers
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2.47.62.81.cust.bluewin.ch 81.62.47.2
Path: TK2MSFTNGP08.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl
Lines: 1
Xref: TK2MSFTNGP08.phx.gbl microsoft.public.word.newusers:80395

Normal style is not set to Automatically update by default.

Actually, Terry, it is in Word 2002 (XP). Drove me (and
everyone else) absolutely nutty until we figured it out. It
was THE FAQ when the version hit the markets.

-- Cindy

Hi Gordon,

Closed source software does NOT give you any assurance that the source
will be around when the company that developed it goes out of business.

In fact it's happened with MS - the Outlook 2003 pst file format is NOT
backwards compatible!

No, but Outlook 2003 still supports the older file format, so that you can
bring *.pst files forwards (and continue to use them with older versions,
or convert them).

File format compatibility has always been a big discussion, for any
software (not just MS). I remember the uproar when Word changed file
formats, going from 6.0 to 97. (There was also a change from 2.0 to 6.0,
but somehow, that didn't throw as many waves; maybe because 6.0 was so
clearly an improvement.) The thing is, if a program is going to develop,
and be able to do new things, sometimes internal structures MUST change.
I've heard discussions among MS people about: should/can we go forward,
will it break backwards compatibility, and is it worth it.

I suppose we react more strongly / are more sensitized to this with
Office-type products because that's where we're most likely to exchange
files with other people. Used to be, the biggest concern was whether "the
other guy" could open my WP/AmiPro/Word/QuattroPro/1-2-3/Excel file. Now
it's more a version, rather than a product question.

And BTW, when discussing MS vs. other products, this is another reason why
big companies choose MS: highest chances for compatibility when exchanging
files.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or
reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

Hi Amedee,

however one might argue that some non-MS
systems give IT departments even more control and standardization. It
all depends how well it is implemented. I'm sure you'll agree on the
implementation argument.

Certainly. Then there's also the maintainance aspect, that Terry
pointed out. That's mostly what I was thinking about. Along with being
able to exchange files with other people (see my reply to Gordon).

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question
or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

I'm curious as to why I didn't experience it, then. I bought a new computer
with Office XP installed. I set it up from scratch (didn't import an old
Normal.dot), and I don't recall ever having to change this setting. My
charmed life again, I guess! g

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Cindy M -WordMVP-" wrote in message
news:VA.0000a6ff.00df642b@speedy...
Normal style is not set to Automatically update by default.

Actually, Terry, it is in Word 2002 (XP). Drove me (and
everyone else) absolutely nutty until we figured it out. It
was THE FAQ when the version hit the markets.

-- Cindy

Cindy

I take your word for it: XP is history now!

Terry

"Cindy M -WordMVP-" wrote in message
news:VA.0000a6ff.00df642b@speedy...
: Normal style is not set to Automatically update by default.
:
: Actually, Terry, it is in Word 2002 (XP). Drove me (and
: everyone else) absolutely nutty until we figured it out. It
: was THE FAQ when the version hit the markets.
:
: -- Cindy
:

Unfortunately Microsoft has made it impossible to ignore it and use something
else. I lived in Ireland for a year, where nothing BUT the ubiquitous
microsoft word was available on office computers. Although I save all my
documents in rtf, upon my return I discovered I CAN'T convert them back to
wordperfect. THEY MUST BE OPENED IN WORD. And now Microsoft has made it
impossible to complain to anyone who can do anything about it. They set up
some discussion group to allow us to vent our spleen, but never accomplish
anything substantive. They don't provide a single way for me to ask a simple
question about how I can convert my documents back to WP, thus forcing me to
use their substandard product. It should be illegal.

"TF" wrote:

Hear! Hear! PLONK.

--
Terry Farrell - Word MVP
http://word.mvps.org/

"Amedee Van Gasse" wrote in message
...
: David shared this with us in microsoft.public.word.newusers:
:
: I have never come across such an ill thought out, unintuitive or
: illogical piece of software.
:
: Fortunately you have every right in the world to ignore it and use
: something else.
: Likewise people here have every right in the world to ignore *you* and
: read something else.
:
: G'day!
:
: *plonk*
:
: --
: Amedee Van Gasse using XanaNews 1.17.1.2
: If it has an "X" in the name, it must be Linux?
: Please don't thank me in advance. Thank me afterwards if it works or
: hit me in the face if it doesn't. ;-)

Though I've never used WordPerfect, I'm quite sure that you can tell it to
open RTF documents. I think you are doing something wrong. Try using File
| Open from inside WP instead of double-clicking.


On 9/1/05 10:08 AM, "andalucia" wrote:

Unfortunately Microsoft has made it impossible to ignore it and use something
else. I lived in Ireland for a year, where nothing BUT the ubiquitous
microsoft word was available on office computers. Although I save all my
documents in rtf, upon my return I discovered I CAN'T convert them back to
wordperfect. THEY MUST BE OPENED IN WORD. And now Microsoft has made it
impossible to complain to anyone who can do anything about it. They set up
some discussion group to allow us to vent our spleen, but never accomplish
anything substantive. They don't provide a single way for me to ask a simple
question about how I can convert my documents back to WP, thus forcing me to
use their substandard product. It should be illegal.

Would you please let us know the details of how you are trying to open the
files in Word Perfect and how you save them in Word.

Word will save to Word Perfect 5 for Windows format. Word Perfect will
open Word files. There is something wrong with what you are doing or with
your particular configuration.

We can't help unless we have details.

Consider posting this to the conversion news group.

NEWS://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...rd.conversions

Corel's news groups about Word Perfect are available through their web
site
http://www.corel.com

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satelli...=1047024361372

and by NNTP.
NEWS://cnews.corel.com/corel.WordPerfect12
is for, wait for it, Word Perfect 12.

Microsoft contact information is here.
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=mscom


Tom
MSMVP
Windows Shell/User


"andalucia" wrote in message
...
: Unfortunately Microsoft has made it impossible to ignore it and use
something
: else. I lived in Ireland for a year, where nothing BUT the ubiquitous
: microsoft word was available on office computers. Although I save all my
: documents in rtf, upon my return I discovered I CAN'T convert them back
to
: wordperfect. THEY MUST BE OPENED IN WORD. And now Microsoft has made it
: impossible to complain to anyone who can do anything about it. They set
up
: some discussion group to allow us to vent our spleen, but never
accomplish
: anything substantive. They don't provide a single way for me to ask a
simple
: question about how I can convert my documents back to WP, thus forcing
me to
: use their substandard product. It should be illegal.
:
: "TF" wrote:
:
: Hear! Hear! PLONK.
:
: --
: Terry Farrell - Word MVP
: http://word.mvps.org/
:
: "Amedee Van Gasse" wrote in message
: ...
: : David shared this with us in microsoft.public.word.newusers:
: :
: : I have never come across such an ill thought out, unintuitive or
: : illogical piece of software.
: :
: : Fortunately you have every right in the world to ignore it and use
: : something else.
: : Likewise people here have every right in the world to ignore *you*
and
: : read something else.
: :
: : G'day!
: :
: : *plonk*
: :
: : --
: : Amedee Van Gasse using XanaNews 1.17.1.2
: : If it has an "X" in the name, it must be Linux?
: : Please don't thank me in advance. Thank me afterwards if it works or
: : hit me in the face if it doesn't. ;-)
:
:
:

On 9/1/05 1:08 PM, in article
, "andalucia"
wrote:

THEY MUST BE OPENED IN WORD

Simply _not_ true. RTF is a universal file format which can be opened by
virtually any text-based application. If WordPerfect _can't_ open your RTF
files perhaps your ire would better be directed toward it.

Regards |:)