Error: "File Is Not a WordPerfect Document"

Q132266

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

You get the following error message when opening a WordPerfect 6.0 for DOS or a WordPerfect 6.0 or 6.1 for Windows document in Word 6.0 or 6.0a:

File is not a WordPerfect document.
This error can occur even if the document being opened is a WordPerfect 6.x document.


CAUSE

By default, Word recognizes the file as WordPerfect 5.x format instead of the WordPerfect 6.x format. Word determines the WordPerfect file format by examining the first 4 bytes of the file. Because the first 4 bytes of a WordPerfect 6.x file are the same as the first 4 bytes of a WordPerfect 5.x file, Word cannot differentiate between the two formats and cannot determine which converter to use when both the WordPerfect 5.x and 6.x text converters are installed in the <Windows>\MSAPPS\TEXTCONV subdirectory. Both converters are supplied in the Microsoft Supplemental WordPerfect Conversions Kit.

This problem occurs because the WordPerfect 6.x converter was built after Word 6.0 for Windows was designed and released.

WORKAROUNDS

Method 1: Use Confirm Conversions to select the correct text converter-- WordPerfect 6.0 or WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows. To do this:

  1. From the File menu, choose Open.


  2. Select the Confirm Conversions check box, select your document and choose OK.


  3. In the Convert File dialog box, select either WordPerfect 6.0 or WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows.


  4. Choose OK.


    5. NOTE: To make WordPerfect 6.x the default entry, see the MORE INFORMATION section at the end of this article.
Method 2: Remove the WordPerfect 5.x converter.

Note: If you remove this converter, Word 6.x will not be able to open or save files in the WordPerfect 5.x format.

To remove the WordPerfect 5.x converter, do the following:

  1. Insert the Supplemental WordPerfect Conversions Kit disk in your floppy disk drive.


  2. In the Windows Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.


  3. Type a:\setup. (Type b:\setup if you put the setup disk in drive B.)


  4. Choose OK.


  5. Choose the Add/Remove button.


  6. Select the Text Converters option.


  7. Choose the Change Option button.


  8. Clear the WordPerfect 5.0, 5.1, 5.2 Converter option.


  9. Choose OK.



MORE INFORMATION

If both the WordPerfect 5.x and 6.x converters are installed, the default WordPerfect converter can be changed to default to WordPerfect 6.0. To force Word to always default to the WordPerfect 6.x format, add the following entry under the [MSWORD TEXT CONVERTERS] section in the WINWORD6.INI above all other WordPerfect 5.x and 6.x entries: 


   WrdPrfctDos=WordPerfect 6.x for Windows,
   <windir>\MSAPPS\TEXTCONV\WPFT6.CNV, doc
NOTE: This entry should be typed on one line.

When you need to convert a WordPerfect 5.x file, turn on Confirm Conversions and manually select the appropriate WordPerfect 5.x entry from the list.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q126176 Word 6 WordPerfect Conversion Kit Available

Additional query words: word6 winword wordperfect inf translate transfer converting open wp wp5 wp6

Keywords : kbconversion
Issue type :
Technology :


Last Reviewed: November 4, 2000
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