[NTLUG:Discuss] open a .wps file

[Leroy Tennison]

jm wrote:
>> >From the Google search for "open wps open office".
>> One way to do it:
>> "Re: How to open a .wps (Microsoft Works Document) in OpenOffice.org 2.0."
>> <<http://www.mail-archive.com/dev@documentation.openoffice.org/msg01154.html>>
>>
>>     How to open a .wps (Microsoft Works Document) in
>>     OpenOffice.org 2.0.
>>
>>     After hours of tinkering, here is a free workaround to
>>     get .wps files into OpenOffice.org 2.0
>>     This has been tested and is working on Windows XP and
>>     2000 with OpenOffice.org 2.0.
>>     Please verify and report here any success or problems
>>     with other windows versions.
>>
>>     Step 1. Download and install the free as of 7/15/06
>>     "Word Viewer 2003" from Microsoft
>>     at the following link:
>>
>>
>>     http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=B9E11E83-
>> F51B-4977-B572-8C042DF802C1&displaylang=EN
>>
>>     Step 2. Download and install the free as of 7/15/06
>>     "Works 6.0 Converter for Works and Word Users"
>>     from Microsoft at the following link:
>>
>>     http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=B9E11E83-
>> F51B-4977-B572-8C042DF802C1&displaylang=EN
>>
>>     After Installing both, Launch Word Viewer 2003, Start
>>     -> programs ->
>>     Microsoft Office Word Viewer 2003. An open dialog
>>     appears.
>>     At the bottom of this dialog make sure the "Files of
>>     type" is set to "All Files(*.*)".
>> Now browse to your .wps file, select it and click open.
>> A warning dialog will appear, if you trust this file etc.,
>> click yes and like magic your .wps is now open!.
>>     Select all -> edit copy ->. Now open OpenOffice.org
>>     2.0 writer and do edit paste.
>>     You should now be looking at your doc in
>>     OpenOffice.org 2.0.
>>     Choose Save as from the file menu and save your
>>     document to your preferred format.
>>     You are now good to go!
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>     
>
> i'll try to answer al the subsequent responses at once...
>
> unfortunately, the article referred to here appears to be specific to
> the windows environment.  additionally, the two links are actually
> identical, referring to the same software download, which i've already
> tried w/o success.
>
> for the person who was able to successfully load a .wps file into ooo
> - i tried that with the most recent version i have available (2.2 in
> ubuntu 7.04 - a Very nice environment, btw) but all i got was a small
> box similar to a placeholder for a non-printable ascii character, so
> no joy there, either.
>
> as for those who haven't (or have) seen .wps out in the real world,
> they sadly do exist since works appears to be the poor man's Word
> option.  as mentioned earlier, these are due to the clients my wife
> deals with - she's a flute teacher and everyone she deals with are
> individuals, not businesses.  she currently is administering a summer
> camp for flute students and the associated .wps files being sent to us
> is quite numerous, hence the need for something better than asking
> those who send the files to send in a different format - sometimes
> akin to asking a neanderthal to build a particle accelerator.
>
> hopefully a different option is available that hasn't been mentioned
> yet, but thanks to all for the suggestions so far.
>
> joe
>
>
>   
Have you searched the Web for 'wps convert'?  A quick look surfaced a 
wps fix program (maybe your wps files need repair) and a reasonably 
cheap commercial converter.  Otherwise saving to text may be your best 
bet (if copy/paste doesn't work then install the Generic/text print 
driver and print to file - this is ugly but how desperately do you need 
these file's content).

Another idea which I realize is totally contrary to Microsoft's 
value-subtracted methodology (but, if it's available then use it): Can 
Works save in any other format?

Finally, make a bunch of friends, tell these people about Open Office!  
Maybe you will stop getting wps files...