Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I love OpenOffice. But I need to save my files in .docx and when I try to do that, docx doesn't show in the available file extensions. Is it me being dumb or is it not possible for OpenOffice to save in docx?

Help please.

I've been using Libre Office, but found the spell checker for Danish is too bad anf full of wrong words. It's literally unuseable for me.

Currently not possible. Save as .doc - all .docx capable applications can also open .doc files.

The LibreOffice can save into OOXML file formats. Note: There is not (never was and never will be) 100% compatibility between the native and the foreign file formats.

Always store your important documents in the international standard ODF file formats.

Well, problem is, I'm working as a copy writer and we have to deliver our work in .docx not anything else. I know that Libre office can save in docx and it works fine. But the Danish spellchecker is disastrous, filled with lots of wrong spelled words, which makes it useless for me. As a copy writer time is essential. We have to work very fast if we want to earn somewhat decent money. Formating and layout doesn't matter, all that counts is the text and H1 - H3 headlines.
I know I could use libre Office to convert into docx, but again this is an extra step that is consuming time which I won't get payed for. I should be able to write an SEO article of 500 words in max 12 minutes to make decent money.

But if it's not possible to save in docx I have to find another solution, one way or another. Thanks for your replies. It doesn't solve my problem but it helps me to make a decision

Why? No one has ever defined what formatting can be saved in .docx that cannot be saved in .doc.

See [Tutorial] Differences between Writer and MS Word files for a discussion of the problems - see the image below to get an idea - and for why you should always work in and save files as .odt.

You could try using zamzar.com to convert your .odt file to a .docx file.
Showing that a problem has been solved helps others searching so, if your problem is now solved, please view your first post in this thread and click the Edit button (top right in the post) and add [Solved] in front of the subject.

RoryOF wrote:Why? No one has ever defined what formatting can be saved in .docx that cannot be saved in .doc.

Yes, I know. But it's not my place to ask. They want it in docx and that's what they get from everyone else. And it shouldn't be a problem. It's just me who doesn't want to buy MS Office because I like AOO more. Bote even about the money, I just despise the way Microsoft is doing business, taking us hostages with Windows10. As I said, it's all about working speedy and not doing any extra steps that might slow you down. That's why I don't want to do any conversions even though I know they technically work. (Or not. Because yesterday I actually lost a file due to a conversion error that made it unreadable). I guess I just have to wait and hope that OO one day will do it directly. It looks mainly like politics - who is controlling what file formats....can't see any technical reason why it should be complicated. Libre Office is doing it nicely, but as I said, their Danish spellchecker is crap. Maybe that could be tweaked but hell, I just need a writer that can do basic writing, with spellcheck and a resonable thesaurus, and being able to save in docx. Looks to me like the only free alternative that can do all of this in one go is bloody google docs. Not happy about that, but I may have to settle there.

Be warned that we get many pleas for help on Forum from LibreOffice users whose .docx file has corrupted. We can usually help, but there could be occasional failures.

Yea, I believe that. But I won't be using it anyway. I prefer AOO and I'm using it for everything else, just not for these jobs, alas.

Install LibreOffice.
Do all editing in Apache OpenOffice
Save as .odt
Open file in LibreOffice
Save file as .docx

Stupid but it should be a viable work-around and the Open & Save in LO should only add a few seconds on the work time.

Think but do not tell clients that they are blithering idiots.

yea, I thought already of that (both things) they're not my clients but my bosses...

Download the Danish dictionary extension, which might be the one at
https://extensions.openoffice.org/en/pr ... ctionaries

Install LibreOffice then install that extension in LibreOffice - use /Tools/ Extension manager.

But that's exactly how I lost the file....due to conversion error. As it is only 500 words text writing it again is the fastest option. I have no interest in battling with conversion errors, the stuff should just work and if it does not, i have to find another way

RoryOF wrote:Download the Danish dictionary extension, which might be the one at
https://extensions.openoffice.org/en/pr ... ctionaries

Install LibreOffice then install that extension in LibreOffice - use /Tools/ Extension manager.

That's what i mean with not wanting to tweak. I might do that one day when I fancy playing around. But for now I just want to be able to write my work.

But thanks for all the suggestions, they're all valid and good.

Without much enthusiasm: If you are staisfied with the way your language packs work under AOO, but need to convert to OOXML, and you don't want to expend extra time for opening each .odt file again with LibO and export it to .docX, you may automate the conversion/export with a "macro". Then you can collect your freshly typed/spellchecked documents in a day-work's delivery folder and batch-convert them in one go with LibO (a portable version probably) while you prepare for the next day's work.

Your bosses should provide MS Word if they insist in MS file formats.

Lupp wrote:Without much enthusiasm: If you are staisfied with the way your language packs work under AOO, but need to convert to OOXML, and you don't want to expend extra time for opening each .odt file again with LibO and export it to .docX, you may automate the conversion/export with a "macro". Then you can collect your freshly typed/spellchecked documents in a day-work's delivery folder and batch-convert them in one go with LibO (a portable version probably) while you prepare for the next day's work.

That's a very good idea. Thanks, iImight do just that, once I have a bit time. I'm not a shark with macros, but should be able to get it done.

and yes, they should give us MS Office. But most people have it anyway and there's also a free online version which I could use if I wanted to. Even if I would get it for free, I would prefer working with AOO. And the AOO language pack for Danish is excellent, at least on par with Microsoft's.