Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I have a computer running Windows XP and Microsoft Office. I use Word to create texts which are added to additional texts created by other colleagues. One of my colleagues now uses the word processor program in OpenOffice to add sections of text to the overall master document (which has been in Word, until now).

I believe that my WXP or Office/Word will not read my colleague's OpenOffice documents when I receive them as a separate component to eventually add to the master document. Is this correct?
In order to read my colleagues texts on my computer, I can imagine that I would have to download OpenOffice and use it to open my colleagues texts? Is this the way to go? Is there another way, another download?
When I download the OpenOffice suite, am I able to delete any individual component that I do not want (i.e. if I need the space eventually)?
Do you know if Microsoft Office/Word or OpenOffice can 'translate' the text from OpenOffice into a Word format so that I can edit it on my computer in Word before inserting it into the master document, even if I have OpenOffice installed? To put it another way, do you know if/how I can put an OpenOffice text together with a MSWord document and have the whole document in Word?
Finally, am I correct that my colleague with the OpenOffice suite can receive an MSWord document into his OpenOffice program and read it (because OpenOffice can read MSWord documents)?

Thanks for your patience.

It's usually better to stick with one question per topic, but in this case I guess it makes sense, so here goes...

I believe that my WXP or Office/Word will not read my colleague's OpenOffice documents when I receive them as a separate component to eventually add to the master document. Is this correct?

Yes. MS Office cannot open native OOo files ("Open Document Format").

In order to read my colleagues texts on my computer, I can imagine that I would have to download OpenOffice and use it to open my colleagues texts? Is this the way to go? Is there another way, another download?

Just ask your colleague to send you the text in MS Office format. It is a simple menu option: File > Send > Email as MS Word. That should result in a blank email message with the current document attached as a .doc file.

Ideally, all contributors would be using the same software, but it is not absolutely necessary. The less text formatting the other contributors provide, the better. If they are sending you text with a lot of complicated formatting, you are more likely to have problems converting between office suites.

When I download the OpenOffice suite, am I able to delete any individual component that I do not want (i.e. if I need the space eventually)?

Yes, but it's not worth the trouble. OOo is really meant to be a suite. Deleting components saves very little space and generates frustration when some needed part of the suite is not present.

... how I can put an OpenOffice text together with a MSWord document and have the whole document in Word?

OOo can read and write the common MS Office file formats (but not yet Office 2007--.docx).

Finally, am I correct that my colleague with the OpenOffice suite can receive an MSWord document into his OpenOffice program and read it (because OpenOffice can read MSWord documents)?

Correct, as long as you're not using Office 2007, or if you are, then you have to save in the older Office format (.doc).

Many thanks Acknak. Your response was extremely helpful.