Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I own Microsoft WORKS which has an easy program
for adding and last year and most years I have done
my TAXES with this program.

Meanwhile, I also have
OPEN OFFICE.
Well, last August they revised OPEN OFFICE so that
I can no longer open anything that i ever did in
Microsoft Works.
I can't open my 2014 TAX Forms that were done in Works,'
and usually I just use the 2014 Forms and change 2014 to 2015
and i'm good to go. I fill in the blanks, do the changes and it's easy.
NOW IT"S IMPOSSIBLE because Open Office won't let me open
any of my documents in Microsoft WORKS>
This all happened after the update of Open Office in 2014.

How can I stop Open Office from
"eating up" all my work which was done in Works??
As soon as i save anything in WORKS, it is no longer available to me in WORKS.

Will i have to uninstall OPEN OFFICE and get different word processor???

My problem is that if I email anything, no one can read it in Works, \unless I
put it into PDF.

PLEASE HELP ME, so I can finish my taxes!!

Thanks, Skippy

The LibreOffice can open the Microsoft Works .wps files.


Store your important documents in the native, international Standard ODF fileformats (.odt, .ods, .odg, .odp)

Or use http://www.zamzar.com to transfer your files to OpenOffice format.

My problem is that if I email anything, no one can read it in Works, \unless I
put it into PDF.

If you go File - Save As you will be presented with a list of options of different file types you can save as.
I usually choose Word 2007/2010 .docx if I'm going to send the file to someone running windows. mr. softy says these formats are supported for works 7: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/884182

What I do is keep the file on my computer in the openoffice .odt format. If I have to email a file, I open it and File - Save As and choose the .docx. If that doesn't work, I ask them what program they are using and try a couple different formats. You can always export to PDF(as you discovered), if they are using some arcane software.

If you works program is old, try the 95 .doc format. That was a standard format for it's day. If it's new, the docx should work.

Good luck with your taxes!