Converting files

I am new to Word 2003, installed on a new PC. I have backed up many files and folders written in Word 97 which I am transferring to My Documents, including, for example, the old addressbook which does not seem to feature in 2003. The screen appearance seems to be in draft, although that option is turned off, and I have selected a truetype new Roman. The printout is fine. Word 97 always asked about docs opened in older versions of Word, if i wished to save in the latest version. How do I do this now? And can I do a whole batch at a time?

Hi Margaret

1. I can't help with info about the addressbook. If we're lucky, someone
else will come along with help about that.

2. The display problem might be a video driver problem. Use Start Windows
Update to see if it would like to offer you a new driver for your monitor.
Or, go to the web site of the manufacturer of the monitor, and see if they
have a new driver.

3. You don't need to "convert" 97 documents to 2003. The reason you saw the
offer to convert files in Word 97 is that the fundamental file format
changed between Word 95 and Word 97. So when you opened an old Word 95
document in 97, it needed to convert the document. However, the file format
has not changed since Word 97. Word 97, 2000, 2002 and 2003 all use the same
file format. You can open documents from 97 in 2003, and you can open 2003
documents in 97. Obviously if you have a Word 2003 document that uses some
new features (like nested tables), which Word 97 didn't know about, then
Word 97 won't be able to display them. But in general, you can take a
document to and from any of the recent versions of Word.

So just leave all your 97 documents on your drive. When you open then, Word
2003 will open them with no problems. When you save, it will save to the
file format that 97, 2000, 2002 and 2003 can all read.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word


"Margaret" wrote in message
...
I am new to Word 2003, installed on a new PC. I have backed up many files
and folders written in Word 97 which I am transferring to My Documents,
including, for example, the old addressbook which does not seem to feature
in 2003. The screen appearance seems to be in draft, although that option
is turned off, and I have selected a truetype new Roman. The printout is
fine. Word 97 always asked about docs opened in older versions of Word, if
i wished to save in the latest version. How do I do this now? And can I do
a whole batch at a time?