Solve : MS-DOS files to covert to Windows 7?

1.	Solve : MS-DOS files to covert to Windows 7?
Answer» I have a few floppies filled with files created in the early 1990s in MS-WORD for DOS 5.0. I still have the "style sheet" files used to create margins, etc., but the important thing is simply to be able to access the text in the DOS files Is there a way to convert them to Windows 7 files that I can access on my new computer?It sounds like you are asking two or three questions. Here eye two answers. 1. CURRENT versions of MS-Wed can READ the older files of Word. 2. Windows 7 can read any floppy disc the was used in earlier versions of Windows and MS-DOS. As for the templates, you may find they need to be updated. That question is not as easy to answer. Quote from: Geek-9pm on April 23, 2011, 03:26:13 PM 1. Current versions of MS-Wed can read the older files of Word. 2. Windows 7 can read any floppy disc the was used in earlier versions of Windows and MS-DOS. 1. Microsoft doesn't seem to provide conversion filters for Word 5 in later versions of Word ("MS-Wed" ). There are two approaches I can think of, however. See below. 2. As long as the floppy is still capable of being read. (a) You can download a file converter from Microsoft. If you search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, you won't find any information about doing conversions from Word 5. An older converter is still available, however, if you know where to look. The converter name is WDSUPCNV.EXE, and it is available at this Microsoft FTP site: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/wdsupcnv.exe This works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003. INSTRUCTIONS for use here: http://word.tips.net/T000791_Converting_Word_for_DOS_Documents.html I imagine some kind of bulk conversion would be most desirable, though. (b) You can legally download Word 5 for MS-DOS free from Microsoft and load the files and then save them as RTF or plain text. This requires a system that can run 16-bit MS-DOS PROGRAMS. In 1999 MS released a Year 2000 compliant version of Word 5 and just decided to give it away for free. Beware that the RTF standard has changed somwhat in 20 years so some less mainstream features may not export correctly. The installer is downloaded from here: http://download.microsoft.com/download/word97win/Wd55_be/97/WIN98/EN-US/Wd55_ben.exe Personally I would get those files off those 20 year old floppies straight away. If they are important to you, that is. Perhaps you could buy some archive quality CD-ROM blanks and burn them. I PRESUME you have checked that the floppies are still readable? Salmon Trout is amazing. His answer is much better than mine. (But he has such a fishy name.)

Answer»

I have a few floppies filled with files created in the early 1990s in MS-WORD for DOS 5.0. I still have the "style sheet" files used to create margins, etc., but the important thing is simply to be able to access the text in the DOS files Is there a way to convert them to Windows 7 files that I can access on my new computer?It sounds like you are asking two or three questions.
Here eye two answers.
1. CURRENT versions of MS-Wed can READ the older files of Word.
2. Windows 7 can read any floppy disc the was used in earlier versions of Windows and MS-DOS.

As for the templates, you may find they need to be updated. That question is not as easy to answer.
Quote from: Geek-9pm on April 23, 2011, 03:26:13 PM

1. Current versions of MS-Wed can read the older files of Word.
2. Windows 7 can read any floppy disc the was used in earlier versions of Windows and MS-DOS.

1. Microsoft doesn't seem to provide conversion filters for Word 5 in later versions of Word ("MS-Wed" ). There are two approaches I can think of, however. See below.
2. As long as the floppy is still capable of being read.

(a) You can download a file converter from Microsoft. If you search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, you won't find any information about doing conversions from Word 5. An older converter is still available, however, if you know where to look. The converter name is WDSUPCNV.EXE, and it is available at this Microsoft FTP site:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/wdsupcnv.exe

This works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003. INSTRUCTIONS for use here:

http://word.tips.net/T000791_Converting_Word_for_DOS_Documents.html

I imagine some kind of bulk conversion would be most desirable, though.

(b) You can legally download Word 5 for MS-DOS free from Microsoft and load the files and then save them as RTF or plain text. This requires a system that can run 16-bit MS-DOS PROGRAMS. In 1999 MS released a Year 2000 compliant version of Word 5 and just decided to give it away for free. Beware that the RTF standard has changed somwhat in 20 years so some less mainstream features may not export correctly. The installer is downloaded from here:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/word97win/Wd55_be/97/WIN98/EN-US/Wd55_ben.exe

Personally I would get those files off those 20 year old floppies straight away. If they are important to you, that is. Perhaps you could buy some archive quality CD-ROM blanks and burn them. I PRESUME you have checked that the floppies are still readable?

Salmon Trout is amazing.
His answer is much better than mine.
(But he has such a fishy name.)

Solve : MS-DOS files to covert to Windows 7?

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