[Dropped] Get Finder to open Word files with Writer (Sonoma)

[stevenseth]

Hi, I just got a new MacBook Air (OS Sonoma 14.5) and I was able to install OpenOffice, but every written file I've transferred from my old computer or iCloud storage now opens in Pages. I can change them one at a time, but can I set a default so every document will open in OpenOffice automatically, as it did on my previous Mac? Thank you.

Edit: Changed subject, was How do I make OpenOffice the default on Mac Sonoma for word documents?  Make your post understandable by others  -- MrProgrammer, forum moderator

[MrProgrammer]

I can change them one at a time, but can I set a default so every document will open in OpenOffice automatically, as it did on my previous Mac?

I think the following procedure still applies to MacOS 14. I do not use that version of MacOS and can't test for you.
Q33/A33: How do I get my documents to open with OpenOffice when I use Finder?

Documents created in Writer's native file format, ODT, will never open in Pages. So, I will guess that these documents are in a foreign file format, DOC or DOCX. It is well known that saving in other than Writer's native document format risks loss of content, formatting, or features. I do not recommend working with documents in foreign file formats. You will find that it is not possible for OpenOffice to save in DOCX format. Since you use OpenOffice and not Microsnot Word, you may want to consider using File → Wizards → Document Converter. I have no personal experience with that tool.
[Solved] Microsoft Office 2007-365 format (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX)
[Solved] Comparison to Microsoft Office
[Solved] Is OpenOffice 100% compatible with MS Office?

Internally Openoffice always works in ODT structure. When you open a DOC file, OpenOffice has to translate that structure to ODT structure. Then when you save to a DOC file, OpenOffice has to translate ODT structure back to DOC structure. The two structures are different. Some DOC structure has no exact equivalent in ODT. Some of the ODT structure has no exact equivalent in DOC. The basics are more-or-less the same, but more advanced features or formatting may be difficult to translate. OpenOffice does the best it can. But making repeated translations from/to DOC is just asking for trouble. If you need to work reliably with documents in DOC files, MS Office is the one and only product for you because it is designed to support that structure directly, without translation.

If this solved your problem please go to your first post use the Edit ☐ button and add [Solved] to the start of the Subject field. Select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

[stevenseth]

thanks for the quick reply. I have saved all my Writer documents in DOC rather than ODT since I began using it in 2015 and never encountered any difficulties with this (I do know about the difficulty with DOCX). I started doing this, I think, so the docs were readable to other parties when I emailed or shared them.

I did read through the tutorial, Q33/A33. I have already done this, and am thus able to open all my docs individually with OpenOffice, but still not have it work as the de facto default without going through one-by-one.

[MrProgrammer]

I have already done this, and am thus able to open all my docs individually with OpenOffice, but still not have it work as the de facto default without going through one-by-one.

Once you've selected OpenOffice as the application, click the Change All button, then Continue.

You have not explained what procedure you use to open your files. If you open your files with OpenOffice → File → Open, they will not open in Pages. Are you double-clicking your files in Finder? If so, are you certain that you used the Change All button (or whatever it is now called in MacOS 14). Perhaps you should do it again, just in case you didn't use Change All. I do not use that version and cannot test for you. It is Finder's job to open files with the correct application. Ask Apple about how to get Finder to open files the way you want. If Finder isn't doing what you want that is not an OpenOffice problem.

If this solved your problem please go to your first post use the Edit ☐ button and add [Solved] to the start of the Subject field. Select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

[stevenseth]

thanks for your help. I'll pursue it with apple.