[SOLVED] replace MS Word

[PDN]

I have used Microsoft Word for many years but do not like the way it's moving with subscriptions etc. I need a word processor to take its place.
I have looked at all of the options that Google has to present and it certainly is confusing.
I don't know which to select and once I do I don't know how to change all of the voluminous files and folders which are currently Word to the new system. Could you please help me out?
TY

 

[USAFRet]

The LibreOffice suite is a mostly compatible replacement for MS Office.

Home | LibreOffice - Free and private office suite - Based on OpenOffice - Compatible with Microsoft

Free office suite – the evolution of OpenOffice. Compatible with Microsoft .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx. Updated regularly, community powered.

www.libreoffice.org

I use it on my systems that do not have MS Office.
If I did not get MS Office really cheap from my employer, it would be on all of them.

 

[PDN]

Thank you so much for replying. I think we all I'm not too fond of the way Microsoft is moving with its subscriptions etc.
I am currently running MS Office Home and Student 2019. It is owned for perpetuity but I noticed the support mainstream ends in October 2023 and all security in 2025. However other choices likely offer no support at all so that should not be a factor. I will give LibreOffice a try. Could you please tell me how I can transfer all of my voluminous Office Word files and folders over to LibreOffice? Uninstall Office then install Libre or the other way around?

I do not know if I already own Word to perpetuity regardless of support if I should move at all. I am unsure of the ramifications.
I am suspicious of all I read these days. God Bless America and please hurry!!
TY

 

[punkncat]

I second Libre and/or Open Office. Both of them are very easy to utilize for those familiar with the MS program. I would mention the Google Suite as a distant third. It works well, but Google.

 

[USAFRet]

If you currently have MS word and/or Office installed, and are NOT paying some sort of subscription fee...you will not have to pay a fee in the future.
It won't just 'change'.

In 2025, when supprt runs out for your current 2019 version, then either buy whatever MS is offering, or get something else like LibreOffice.

As for LibreOffice?
You can have it installed alongside MS Office. It does not need to be only one or the other.

 

[PDN]

If I download Open Office and want all my tons of files and folders which are in Word now, how do I switch all Word files to Open Office before I uninstall MS ?

Win 11 = maybe go to default aps and change there then and se if all files are open Office before I uninstall MS?

Or is there a better way? I have a lot of MSWord files and folders I don't ant to lose.

 

[Math Geek]

open office will use the .doc/.docx files as is and will even save them the same way.

so nothing to worry about there. you stay compatible with every MS office user out there and won't have any issues using anything made with MS office. you can share your docs no problem as well. it's just like using MS product but you don't have to pay for it

 

[USAFRet]

If I download Open Office and want all my tons of files and folders which are in Word now, how do I switch all Word files to Open Office before I uninstall MS ?

Win 11 = maybe go to default aps and change there then and se if all files are open Office before I uninstall MS?

Or is there a better way? I have a lot of MSWord files and folders I don't ant to lose.

OpenOffice or LibreOffice will open MS Word files as is.
Most Excel files as well.

 

[PDN]

I am sorry I do not understand how to switch from MS to Open Office. Do I install open offce then go to default apps and after seeing all files as Open Office uninstall MS? Or is here a right way? I don't ant to lose any files which are important in the process -doctor recs etc...

 

[ex_bubblehead]

You just continue to use those files as is. There is no need to convert anything. However, one thing to keep in mind is that macros are not interchangable between the two.

 

[USAFRet]

Here is the same file.
Created and Saved in MS Word 2019, and then opened and saved in LibreOffice Writer.

No 'conversion'. Just open the same .docx.

Word 2019

LibreOffice Writer

 

[PDN]

When support for Microsoft Word runs out and I wish to uninstall it and just use open office do I just uninstall Microsoft without damage to my files?
I don’t know what macros are and never used them so hopefully they are not a problem?

 

[Math Geek]

again, yes you can uninstall ms office with no "damage" to your files

uninstalling a program has nothing to do with your personal data sitting elsewhere. you can install and uninstall office 100 times with no harm coming to your files.

if your fear of losing this precious data is this strong, then you should already have MULTIPLE back ups of it somewhere other than on the computer itself anyway. DO NOT wait until your hdd dies to wonder what to do. back it up now before anything can happen to it. once it is gone from the pc no amount of "Needing it really really bad" will bring it back. get a thumb drive and save it there and perhaps also have it on some cloud based system as well. encrypt it first though since ALL the cloud providers read your stuff once it is placed there. encrypt it so it stays private.

 

[Wolfshadw]

I think the question the OP is asking is when they double click on a document saved on the desktop or in a folder, how do you get it to open in LibreOffice Writer and not MS Word? For that, you would need to change the default application for .doc and .docx files to LibreOffice Writer..

If you right-click on one of your documents and select "Open With..." you should be presented with a pop-up box asking which program you wish to use. From there, select More Apps and then select LibreOffice Writer. Be sure to check the Always open with this app check box.

From now on, when you double click a document on your system, it should open with LibreOffice Writer.

-Wolf sends

 

[USAFRet]

When support for Microsoft Word runs out and I wish to uninstall it and just use open office do I just uninstall Microsoft without damage to my files?
I don’t know what macros are and never used them so hopefully they are not a problem?

You do not have to uninstall MS Word.

My above pics were from this evening, obviously, and the LibreOffice suite was installed specifically to show this.
This is a relatively new PC, and did not have Libre installed before.

They can exist side by side.

 

[PDN]

Sorry to be so foggy about this. I just wanted to clarify the steps so files are not lost although they are well backed up.
I will use MS until the security support ends and at that time will install Libre or OpenOffice .
Then right click a file and open with Libre with the box checked to always open - thanks to Wolfshadow.

With Windows 11 what I have been hammering at is the default app section which is unique.
I think I should see Libre in default apps not Word - or change it to Libre. Then uninstall MS office which will be unsupported by then.
Apologies to all for the agony but I am finally all set.

 

[USAFRet]

You can have Libre installed alongside Word. It does not have to be only one or the other.
You can start using Libre right now if you want

To change the defauilt, in Settings/Apps....

 

[PDN]

Exactly what I was referring to. I knew where to go and what to do I just didn't know if I should do it. Thanks so much for your cooperation and work.
For future reference, although a bit off topic, did you present this in the forum with the snipping tool or print screen and paint?

 

[USAFRet]

Exactly what I was referring to. I knew where to go and what to do I just didn't know if I should do it. Thanks so much for your cooperation and work.
For future reference, although a bit off topic, did you present this in the forum with the snipping tool or print screen and paint?

Snipping tool. I use it almost daily.

As far as "should you..." Try it. See how it works before you actually need it.
You can always default back to MS Word.

 

[PDN]

Snipping tool. I use it almost daily.

As far as "should you..." Try it. See how it works before you actually need it.
You can always default back to MS Word.

>Thanks for all the help.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I use Open Office for any of my machines that do not have a license for Microsoft Office currently, including my laptop where I do document writing the most. I don't see any benefits to going back to Microsoft, even for how expensive it is.

Windows has "WordPad" built in, which is a text editor that sits somewhere in between notepad and word in terms of features, however it does not do properly open Word documents, which is probably intentional. I have not run into any compatibility issues with Open Office Writer not being able to open .doc or .docx MS Word files, it usually works perfectly.

 

[USAFRet]

I use Open Office for any of my machines that do not have a license for Microsoft Office currently, including my laptop where I do document writing the most. I don't see any benefits to going back to Microsoft, even for how expensive it is.

Windows has "WordPad" built in, which is a text editor that sits somewhere in between notepad and word in terms of features, however it does not do properly open Word documents, which is probably intentional. I have not run into any compatibility issues with Open Office Writer not being able to open .doc or .docx MS Word files, it usually works perfectly.

Absent any macros, Word -> Writer works just fine.

Excel -> Calc, mostly works. Calc has a smaller number of Columns. Can't remember what the exact number is, but I ran into that opening a large Excel with LibreOffice Calc.

If I didn't need MS Office to stay current with work stuff, and if I didn't get Office Pro for $20 from my employer, I'd use LibreOffice on all my home systems.

 

[PDN]

I watched aa YouTube video of installation and configuration.
All seems to default to LibreOffice but there is an issue;
At apps>default when I click on Word there is no LibreOffice option as there is for all else. I have right clicked a file and told it to open as LibreOffice to be sure, although it already was.
Default apps tells me to search for an option to the existing blue Word in the store or my computer. How do I make Word the default in default apps IN WINDOWS 11. All others are LibreOffice except the top and the bottom 2 which are word!
I'm glad I watched YouTube as it made not only installation but configuration; it was however out dated so I had to guess at times.

 

[USAFRet]

I watched aa YouTube video of installation and configuration.
All seems to default to LibreOffice but there is an issue;
At apps>default when I click on Word there is no LibreOffice option as there is for all else. I have right clicked a file and told it to open as LibreOffice to be sure, although it already was.
Default apps tells me to search for an option to the existing blue Word in the store or my computer. How do I make Word the default in default apps IN WINDOWS 11. All others are LibreOffice?

My screencap above is in Win 11.

You have LibreOffice installed?
If not, it can't appear in that menu.

 

[PDN]

I have installed Libre Office and wondered if I can uninstall any of the subsets under the title in "apps" that I do not need?