If I am using an older version of Microsoft Word, why can't I open some Word documents?

New versions of Microsoft Office save to a default format that older Microsoft Word versions may not be able to read. To view newer Word documents in an older version of Word, you have two options:

• Use conversion software, provided by Microsoft and available via IUware to Indiana University students, faculty, and staff.
  
  
• Use a newer version of Word to save it in the older format, by using the Save As... feature and saving the document in the .doc format (the default format is most likely the .docx format).

Student Technology Centers (STCs) at IU have the latest version of Office, which you may use to make the appropriate conversions.

For more, see In Microsoft Word, how can I save documents in an older Word format?

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