[Solved] Opening MS Office files deleted by MS

[*35forever*]

Am letting MS office subscription lapse and apparently MS eventually deletes all your files. Will Open Office be able to find and read .doc files from my computer once MS deletes them?

[Zizi64]

I don't belive that the MSO deleted your DOCUMENTS from YOUR PC. Search them with a file manager software on your HDD, and copy/move them to an available place (directory).
And yes, the AOO and the LO can open the MS type documents.

[*35forever*]

This is what MS puts on their site.: After a certain amount of time "users can't access MS office files"

I assumed that my files stay on my computer but that they would be un-openable. Are you saying that if I click on them once MS "deletes" them, that Open Office will read them anyway?

or do I go to each current MS doc and xls file and save to Open Office before I end my MS subscription?

[FJCC]

I think that "users can't access MS office files" means that the software to read and edit the files, meaning MS Office, will no longer be available. Assuming that the files are on your computer, nothing prevents you from getting other software, like OpenOffice, and using that to read or edit the files. They don't want to mention that alternative, I'm sure. MS would be asking for a firestorm of criticism if they started deleting users personal files.

[Bill]

This is what MS puts on their site.: After a certain amount of time "users can't access MS office files"

Google can't find that statement. Where did you find it?

[*35forever*]

https://support.office.com/en-us/articl ... 3ade10cceb

[RoryOF]

I agree with FJCC: the files are still on your computer, you can use OpenOffice to open and edit them.

[*35forever*]

Thanks, I just want to clarify and put in simple terms my untechnical mind will understand completely.

The .doc files and the .xls files will be on my computer but I won't have MS Office to open them with. So if I didn't have Open Office or some other program to use, they would just sit there unable to be opened. But because I do have Open Office, I can just click on them and they will open in Open Office and then I save changes in the Open Office format? Or would I have to first open Open Office and then click open files to take me to my Finder and my files and open that way?

Once I completely understand that, I should be good to go and can close this thread. Thanks for your insight.

[RoryOF]

If you have installed OpenOffice after MS Office trial has terminated, OO should be set as the default program to open .doc, .xls, etc files. If double clicking on (say) a .doc file does not start up OpenOffice, then you need to set file associations to tell computer to use OpenOffice. Of course, at any stage you can start OO from the programs button or a desktop shortcut, and using /File /Open point to the .doc etc files.

[Bill]

The MS support site says that Office will run in "reduced functionality mode" and the user won't be able to edit or create new documents using Office. It doesn't say that anything about the files themselves. Users should still be able to edit the files using some program other than Office.

[*35forever*]

Thanks. I already installed OO and am using it for new projects. MS Office subscription expires mid June.

I know how to use file/open and find my old projects. I don't know how to set file associations to use OpenOffice but I'll figure that out.

Thanks again. The way I read MS information about deleting files, I got nervous even though it seemed strange to me that my docs weren't really MY docs.

[*35forever*]

https://support.office.com/en-us/articl ... 647f97d8a3

after 90 days it says files are disabled, users can't access files or applications. I am now assuming it means you can't access them because you don't have MS office software.
But if you have OpenOffice software, you CAN access and open and edit them.

[RoryOF]

This posting may be sufficient to help
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=88959&p=418811

If not, I give a link earlier in that thread to a method of changing File Associations

[Bill]

The first paragraph in the new link states "... if you're leaving Office365, backup your data before it is ultimately deleted." That sounds like data being stored on MS servers. If your data is being stored by MS and you cancel a subscription which pays for that storage, then you need to copy your data files to your local computer before the deadline.

Back up data before switching O365 for business plans

[*35forever*]

Thanks. Makes sense. Appreciate everyone's helping me through this. I'll close the thread now.