More threads by stargazer

stargazer

Member
I finally acquired a new Dell computer... This time I got a desktop instead of another laptop. I think it will be nice to have a desktop once again, and not to be taking my laptop everywhere I go.

Wow! I had no idea what kind of specs these new desktops are carrying. 1gb RAM of memory, 150gb hard drive, 3600mhz processor speed. Six USB ports! The mouse and the keyboard take up two of them, though. Windows Vista and a 17 inch flat panel. Combined CD drive, DVD drive, and burner.

Pretty cool! The only thing is it doesn't have Microsoft Word, of course.

I'm content to create text files on Notepad at home, put them on a disk, and then copy them onto Word from work. I'm doing that right now, in fact.
 

stargazer

Member
Re: Online at Home at Last!

The new computer, of course, did not come with Microsoft Word, and yesterday I had to create a Word doc to attach to an email.

So I put it on Notepad, took it to work, and pasted it onto Word from there. Twice, because of a poor DSL connection, I was disconnected right at the moment of sending the email. Both times I thought: "I better just buy Microsoft Office and not have to use my boss's computer anymore!!!"

Then, I saw this:

Microsoft Office Online

The student version of MS Office, straight from Microsoft, for only $150.
 

David Baxter PhD

Late Founder
Re: Online at Home at Last!

While you are waiting to purchase Word, you might create a desktop shortcut to WordPad and use that to create Word readable and editable documents in the .doc format.

You have Vista and I'm still using XP so it may not come with your OS, although it did in all versions of Windows going back at least to Windows 95.

In XP, Wordpad was located at "C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe" by default. If you don't see it there, try searching for wordpad.exe and see if Vista has it.
 

stargazer

Member
Re: Online at Home at Last!

Wow - I guess you learn something new every day! I didn't realize that WordPad creates documents in the .doc format. I guess that's why they call it "Word" Pad. :dance:

It's under All Programs/Accessories in Vista, just as with XP and earlier Windows operating systems. I'll go ahead & create a desktop shortcut to it.

I realized while I was on my three mile run (which I ran unusually fast, by the way), that it's completely impractical to shell out $150 on MS Word (Student Edition) right now. I better hang onto my wallet, remembering where I've been, and how the job situation isn't exactly solid.

I myself am not all that solid, given my disorder(s), and my boss is something of a live wire himself. It might be a good time to be saving money, rather than spending it.
 

Daniel E.

daniel@psychlinks.ca
Administrator
Re: Online at Home at Last!

In the Vista version of WordPad, I don't see an option to save as a .DOC file. In any case, another option is to use OpenOffice, which includes a popular, freeware alternative to MS Word:

WRITER can of course read all your old Microsoft Word documents, or save your work in Microsoft Word format for sending to people who are still locked into Microsoft products.

Writer
 

David Baxter PhD

Late Founder
Re: Online at Home at Last!

In the Vista version of WordPad, I don't see an option to save as a .DOC file. In any case, another option is to use OpenOffice, which includes a popular, freeware alternative to MS Word:

It's the same in the XP version. Just save it as filename.doc by selecting the RTF format and typing in the filename and .doc extension. Anyone with Word can open, read, edit, and save as a Word DOC file. Wordpad can also open DOC files.
 
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stargazer

Member
Re: Online at Home at Last!

I'm having a problem with this, too. I sent a Word doc to my email address, then saved it to my desktop, but when I try to open it, it says Windows can't open the .doc extension.

It might be that I'm not saving it *in* WordPad -- if so, I need to know how to do that. It is possible that files I've created on WordPad with .rtf extensions will open on Word, but I'll have to test that at work, or send it to someone whom I know has Word.
 

David Baxter PhD

Late Founder
Re: Online at Home at Last!

I'm having a problem with this, too. I sent a Word doc to my email address, then saved it to my desktop, but when I try to open it, it says Windows can't open the .doc extension.

It might be that I'm not saving it *in* WordPad -- if so, I need to know how to do that. It is possible that files I've created on WordPad with .rtf extensions will open on Word, but I'll have to test that at work, or send it to someone whom I know has Word.

When you say, "Windows can't open the .doc extension", that just means that you don't have the .doc extension associated with any program on your computer. When you install Word, the association is automatically created. Since you don't have Word yet, you'll need to create the association manually.

Here's how to do that in Windows XP - you can experiment with Vista to find something similar if it doesn't apply directly, or perhaps Daniel can step you through it for Vista:

  1. Open Windows Explorer
  2. From the main (top) menu, go to Tools | Folder Options
  3. Select the File Types tab
  4. Click on New and then Advanced
  5. Enter doc into "File Extension" and select "Wordpad document" from the dropdown menu next to "Associated Filetype"

Alternatively, I am attaching a small freeware utility that adds an "Open with..." option as a right click. I don't know if this works in Vista - it does in XP.
 

Attachments

  • OpenExpert-OpenWithTool.zip
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stargazer

Member
If I'm not mistaken, there seems to be a major difference in Windows Explorer between XP and Vista. "Windows Explorer" in Vista is a program that only displays the files and folders on the computer itself, and there is no "Tools" option as there is on a browser. I may be wrong. Daniel might be able to confirm. (Windows Explorer is found under "Accessories" under "All Programs.")

In a bit, I'll try opening the zip file for the freeware.

In a bit, I'll try opening the zip file for the freeware.

Have not been able to get it to work -- there doesn't seem to be an "open with" option, only "open" -- just as there was before I installed the Open Express freeware. I've even uninstalled it, and re-installed it. So I'm not sure where the problem lies.

David, I'm going to e-mail you a Word doc that I have tried to open in WordPad. On my system, it appears to be gobble-di-gook on WordPad. Maybe you can let me know if WordPad opens it as a .doc file on yours.
 
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stargazer

Member
I bookmarked the site, and they'll probably update the product eventually. Also, I googled "Works to Word converter" late last night, since this computer came with Microsoft Works. It appears that Microsoft itself provides (or provided?) a Works to Word converter, which I attempted to install last night, but failed on two attempts. I may try again later today. I need to take care of some work-related stuff first.
 

stargazer

Member
I am slowly coming to the conclusion that all of this is a Windows Vista issue. There are a lot of things that could easily be done with XP that can't be done easily with Vista until one understands the nuances of the O.S. This applies not only to opening Word docs with WordPad, etc.; but also to the location of downloads, unzipping compressed zip files, and all sorts of things. I'm going to have to spend some time exploring Vista before I go too much farther with any of this.

However, I received checks in much excess of the sum I'd expected yesterday, and I'm going to go ahead and invest the $150 in the student edition of Microsoft Office. It will have Excel and Power Point as well as Word, and I'm finding it really hard to proceed -- both with my own projects and with the work I'm actually paid to do -- without being able to send and receive Word docs like everyone else.

I'm going to go ahead and invest the $150 in the student edition of Microsoft Office. It will have Excel and Power Point as well as Word, and I'm finding it really hard to proceed -- both with my own projects and with the work I'm actually paid to do -- without being able to send and receive Word docs.

I went ahead and bought the package, and downloaded it right away. I feel fine about this. For $150, you basically get Word 2007, Excel & Power Point, and Open Note (whatever that is).

An unexpected paycheck yesterday motivated me to rationalize the purchase. As you might recall from another thread, I've been working off my debt to my boss, and he's been paying me every other week. But he paid me yesterday for last week anyway, even though it was the week I wasn't supposed to get paid. I think he just figured I needed the money at the beginning of the month, and I didn't argue with him.

Anyway, today's my day off, so I can experiment with Office. I've always wanted to learn Excel. Also, I can finally transfer all my Word docs from disk and from my Yahoo onto My Documents, and be able to save and open them there. So this is all good.

By the way, what AntiVirus software do you guys use? The system came with McAfee, and I'm not sure I like it. Plus, I have to pay for it after 30 days. I'd been using Avast, free from Czechoslovakia, before. But when I went to their web site to download it, it looks as though it's no longer free.
 
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David Baxter PhD

Late Founder
By the way, what AntiVirus software do you guys use? The system came with McAfee, and I'm not sure I like it. Plus, I have to pay for it after 30 days. I'd been using Avast, free from Czechoslovakia, before. But when I went to their web site to download it, it looks as though it's no longer free.

AVG Free
 

stargazer

Member
OK I'll download that now. I'd never heard of it, but noticed my boss was using it at the office. Thanks, David.
 
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