How to open Works 3.0-4.0 WPS File in Modern Word (like 2010 or 2007)?

[DaveS_68]

I need to load some old Works 3.0 .wps files into my new computer w/Windows 7. What do I have to do so 7 can open and save these files?

 

[RealBeast]

Opening pre-Works 6.0 documents is not very simple. AFAIK Microsoft no longer has the old converters available due to security issues: "The Office Converter Packs for Office 97, 2000, and XP have been retired from the Microsoft Download Center due to the discovery of a potential security vulnerability." None of the converters for Word after 2000 work on the real old Works files.

First try THIS or THIS free online converter that may or may not work.

Failing that, the original Word 1997 CD came with all the needed converters on the disk. If I *had* to do that conversion, I would install Word 1997 into an XP Mode VM on Windows 7, convert the documents to Word 1997, and then open those with Word 2010. It would have to be done one at a time, as none of the batch converters are available any more, and I would expect a lot of formatting issues.

 

[DaveS_68]

Thanks realbeast,
Thank you for your response. lHowever, I am so computer illiterate that very little of what you posted meant anything to me. Windows 7 has an "Easy File Transfer" in the system, but I don't know how to use it. So, hoping to glean something that I could use-being the dummy I am proved unsuccessful. Suppose I'll have to get a professional to make the conversion for me.
Thanks very much-just the same, for your response.
DaveS_68

 

[RealBeast]

You can probably do it for yourself. The first thing that you need to do is to transfer the files as they are onto your current computer. Being a bit of a geek, I still have floppy disk drives (the 5.25 and 3.5 inch) available to recover ancient data. You may or may not have a drive now that will read what you stored them on -- so that is the first task, get them onto your computer.

Then it is a very simple matter of using one of those free online converters that I linked to the two words THAT in my first post. You simply choose one, upload the data by hitting browse and selecting the file from where you put it on your current computer (use an easy to find file called something like ancient data). The conversion is very quick and you just need to save it to a new folder, like converted ancient data.

It really is that simple, assuming you can get the data onto your computer.

 

[DaveS_68]

As a matter of fact, I have already loaded the files with a Flash Drive.

 

[DaveS_68]

I also have the original floppies of the Works program.

 

[RealBeast]

You won't be able to use the Works program in Windows 7, but if you already loaded the files, give the free converters a try, they are quite intuitive.

 

[DaveS_68]

Thx Realbeast. I really appreciate the info.
DaveS_68