WD: Word 6.0 Converter for MacWord 5.x Limitations

Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
Article ID: Q114798


The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.1, 5.1a, 6.0, 6.0.1
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
  • Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SUMMARY

The information in this article is taken from the Word 6.0 Conversion Information document that is included with the Word 6.0 Converter Kit.

Word 6.0 reads Microsoft Word 4.x-5.x for Macintosh file format directly. This article discusses problems or limitations that may arise when converting Word 6.0 for Windows, Macintosh, or NT documents into Word 5.x format by reading the Word 6.0 document into Word 5.x for Macintosh using the converter supplied with the Word 6.0 Converter Kit (for Word 5.x for the Macintosh users).

Features that are converted completely are not listed. Only features that are not converted, are not supported in one product or the other, or require some comment are included. "Yes" means the feature or property is converted to Word for the Macintosh. "No" means the feature or property is not converted to Word for the Macintosh. "N/S" means the feature or property is not supported in Word for the Macintosh but may be emulated if possible.

NOTE: In order for Word for the Macintosh to correctly convert graphics, you must have the Windows Metafile Converter installed on your machine. This file shipped with Word 5.x for Macintosh and is installed by default in your Word Commands folder. If this file is not present, please reinstall it from your original Word disks.

                          Word 6.0
                          to
Feature                   Word 5.x      Comments

Character Formatting:

  Expand/Condense         Yes           Word 6.0 supports finer control
                                        over this. The value is rounded to
                                        the closest value Word 5.x
                                        supports.

  Superscript/Subscript   N/S           Word 6.0 uses a new method for
                                        super/subscript. This is converted
                                        to raised/lowered characters, which
                                        is equivalent to Word 5.x
                                        super/subscript.

  Kerning                 N/S

Paragraph Formatting:

  Borders, shading        See comment   Word 6.0 has more borders and
                                        shading options than Word 5.x. Word
                                        6.0 borders are mapped to the
                                        closest approximation in Word 5.x.

Columns:

  Line Between Columns    N/S

  Variable-width          N/S           Variable-width columns are mapped
  Columns                               to equal-width columns in Word 5.x.

Section Formatting:

  Line numbering          N/S
  (Start At #)

  Vertical alignment      N/S
  (top, centered,
  justified)

Other Features:

  Annotations             See comment   Text annotations are retained when
                                        converting to Word version 5.1 for
                                        the Macintosh; otherwise,
                                        annotations are not supported.
                                        Voice annotations are never
                                        converted.

  Bookmarks &             N/S
  References

  Bullets/Numbering       Yes           Automatic bullets and numbers are
                                        converted to normal text.

  Cell borders, shading   See comment   Word 6.0 has more borders and
                                        shading options than Word 5.x. Word
                                        6.0 borders are mapped to the
                                        closest approximation in Word 5.x.

  Character Styles        No            Character style definitions are
                                        lost. All style formatting is
                                        retained as direct formatting.

  Drawing Layer           No            All drawn objects are lost.

  Endnotes                Yes           All footnotes and endnotes are
                                        retained, but they are merged into
                                        one sequentially numbered set of
                                        notes. The resulting location is
                                        dependent on the type of notes
                                        found.

  Extended Characters     See comment   Some ANSI extended characters have
                                        no Macintosh character set
                                        equivalent, and vice versa. If the
                                        equivalent character is not
                                        available, it is replaced by the
                                        underscore (_) character.
                                        Equivalent characters available in
                                        fonts such as Symbol or Wingdings
                                        can be used to replace lost
                                        characters following conversion.
                                        Characters available in the unique
                                        symbol sets of Microsoft TrueType
                                        fonts are retained, provided that
                                        the same font is available on both
                                        platforms.

  Fields                  N/S           Word 5.x does not support fields.
                                        Field results are retained, and
                                        where possible, fields are
                                        converted to equivalent Word 5.x
                                        glossary entries.

  Form Fields             See comment   Results of text fields are
                                        displayed. Other form fields and
                                        bar code fields have no result to
                                        display.

  Language                N/S

  Mail Merge              See comment   When opening Word 6.0 documents in
                                        Word 5.x, mail merge documents
                                        (main documents, header sources,
                                        and data sources) lose their
                                        association with each other. This
                                        association can be restored by
                                        running Print Merge again.

  Master Documents        No            Master documents lose the contents
                                        and association with the
                                        subdocuments. Subdocuments are
                                        automatically converted into
                                        separate files if you save as Word
                                        5.x. from Word 6.0.  Reading in
                                        Word 6.0 files will only convert
                                        the master document; subdocuments
                                        must be read in separately.

  Object Linking and      No            The last result of an object or
  Embedding                             link is retained as either a
                                        picture or text, but the object or
                                        link itself is lost.

  Orientation             See comment   Portrait orientation is retained,
                                        but Landscape orientation reverts
                                        to portrait.

  Page Numbering          See comment   Word 6.0 has more page numbering
                                        options than Word 5.x. These are
                                        mapped to the closest alternative
                                        in Word 5.x

  Revision marks          N/S           Word 5.x does not support revision
                                        marks.  Character formatting
                                        indicating revised text is
                                        retained.

  Styles                  See comment   Word for the Macintosh allows only
                                        255 defined styles. Style
                                        definitions numbered greater than
                                        that are omitted, along with any
                                        references to them. All formatting
                                        is preserved, however.


Additional query words: textconv conversion convert converted converts
transfer transferred transfers translation translated translate translates
problem
Keywords : macword winword word6 ntword word7 word95 wordnt kbinterop
Version : MACINTOSH: 5.0, 5.1, 6.0.1; WINDOWS: 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c, 7.0, 7.0a
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbreadme kbinfo


THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.