Q: .cwk files

AppleWorks 6.2.9 has been unsupported on OS X since Lion (10.7) was released in 2011.

Pages '09 v4.3, and Numbers'09 v2.3 can open pure AppleWorks word processing and spreadsheet documents respectively, but nothing else from Apple will do so now. The free LibreOffice can open many AppleWorks v5 and v6 documents, where you can then export them to Word format. AppleWork databases are now pretty much orphaned, though LibreOffice may open them as a spreadsheet without formulas, or cell formatting.

nSince you indicated you "upgraded" to El Capitan, you can partition your hard drive, or add an external one and install Snow Leopard there and use the "dual-boot" system to run Appleworks when needed; or

You can install Snow Leopard Server ($20 from Apple Store [(1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A (telephone orders only)] into Parallels and run Appleworks there while in El Capitan:

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Installing Snow Leopard Server into Parallels for DUMMIES:

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/installing-snow-leopard-and-rosetta-into-par allels-7-in-lion.1365439/page-23#post-17285039

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Best is to use a separate external hard drive to run your alternate OSX and start up with the one you want by holding down the Option key when you start up and choosing the appropriate drive.

Peter

PeterBreis0807 wrote:

 

Best is to use a separate external hard drive to run your alternate OSX and start up with the one you want by holding down the Option key when you start up and choosing the appropriate drive.

 

Peter

Why is it "best" to use a separate external hard drive, if your internal one has enough room to open a new partition and then Option-Restart as suggested?

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Because you can much more easily set it up and then wipe it if/when needed.

Multiple partitions on the same drive is just multiplying the chances of problems and if the drive goes you are two sytems down, not one.

Commonsense.

Peter

Funny, but I do not agree with your statements which is why "common sense" led me to the opposite conclusion (partitioning my internal hard drive); as shown in my screenshot of my desktop above; but I think the choice is a personal one.

Be sure to read Roger Wilmut's excellent series of articles, Abandoning Appleworks:

http://rfwilmut.net/notes/aw/page1.html

Commonsense really is a misnomer and is not that common at all.

One OS per drive, one to lose or to cause problems.

Two or more OSes per drive, multiple chances of failure.

Partitioning in itself can fail, so add that to the chances of problems.

Plus you are shrinking the size of your hard drive when OSX demands 20% space for paging.

Potential problem on top of potential problem, on top of potential problem.

Plugging in or removing an external drive is so simple and isolates any possible problem. But then I only have about 40 drives and been using Macs and computers for well over 30 years.

As a practical example I just went through both a failed El Capitan and an upgrade. After a protracted multiple VirusScan revealed problems with javascripts, I cleaned those up and some other files. The restart shutdown lead to a "forever" grey screen. A forced restart lead to the same grey screen.

Since I keep El Capitan on an external drive, I was able to restart from another drive using the stable Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and start cleaning up the El Capitan drive with various tools. The first two clean ups didn't take but the third did and I finally got El Capitan back up.

The upgrade to El Capitan 10.11.3 was also not uneventful but after a quick switch back to SL I was able to finally get it up and running.

Partitioning on the same drive is potentially a problem occurring that leaves you nowhere to turn to, to resolve hardware/software issues.

We face the naïve faith in everything "Just working!" everyday here.

It is misplaced.

Peter

VikingOSX wrote:

 

AppleWorks 6.2.9 has been unsupported on OS X since Lion (10.7) was released in 2011.

 

Pages '09 v4.3, and Numbers'09 v2.3 can open pure AppleWorks word processing and spreadsheet documents respectively, but nothing else from Apple will do so now. The free LibreOffice can open many AppleWorks v5 and v6 documents, where you can then export them to Word format. AppleWork databases are now pretty much orphaned, though LibreOffice may open them as a spreadsheet without formulas, or cell formatting.

I did recover paint and database by firing up my power mac and exporting the documents to I think CSV -- and on the Intel was able to convert the paint items to photo-shop and the database to spread sheet (2 databases not worth buying software for).

This is a failing in both Apple and windows that the developers have not grasped the concept of users wanting to open older items - that may have been saved to DVD or CD just in case you need them down the road.  

MlchaelLAX wrote:

 

Since you indicated you "upgraded" to El Capitan, you can partition your hard drive, or add an external one and install Snow Leopard there and use the "dual-boot" system to run Appleworks when needed; or

 

You can install Snow Leopard Server ($20 from Apple Store [(1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A (telephone orders only)] into Parallels and run Appleworks there while in El Capitan:

 

 

                                                            [click on image to enlarge]

 

Installing Snow Leopard Server into Parallels for DUMMIES:

 

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/installing-snow-leopard-and-rosetta-into-par allels-7-in-lion.1365439/page-23#post-17285039

 

 

 

<Image Edited by Host to Remove Serial Number>

Image Reinstated with El Capitan Serial Number Blocked Out:

PeterBreis0807 wrote:

 

Because you can much more easily set it up and then wipe it if/when needed.

 

Multiple partitions on the same drive is just multiplying the chances of problems and if the drive goes you are two sytems down, not one.

 

Commonsense.

 

Peter

Looks like Apple Support does not agree with your "commonsense" anecdotal fear of maintaining multiple partitions on the same internal hard drive, as shown by this post which received a "Recommended" status by them::

https://discussions.apple.com/message/29795659#29795659

PeterBreis0807 wrote:

 

Multiple partitions on the same drive is just multiplying the chances of problems and if the drive goes you are two sytems down, not one.

Solutions for accessing Appleworks .cwk files in El Capitan:

You insist upon making a recommendation that is neither supported by user experience and is contrary to the opinions of various "experts" who, like you, reside  here on the Apple Support Communities.  While the bulk of the evidence is against your position, you insist on clouding the issue with all sorts of ancillary arguments.

The fact of the matter is that, other than you, there is no groundswell of opinion on the Apple Support Communities that partitioning the internal drive of a Mac will lead to its ultimate failure.  I have given you various cites to other known "experts" here on the Apple Support Communities (which, according to your profile, you joined on July 6, 2008) that comfortably advise others to either partition their internal hard drives, or optionally, use an external hard drive.  You have chosen to ignore these well known members of these Communities.

Your advice is also that a bootable external drive is always valuable to have in case of internal hard drive failure, and most everyone would agree that is good backup strategy for any Mac user, irrespective of whether they partition their internal hard drive or not.

I am sure you are the "expert" of all things Pages.

In certain circumstances, Pages, will provide a solution for Mac users who need to access their Appleworks files once they have upgraded to El Capitan.  However there are two additional available "solutions" for people who need to access their Appleworks files in El Capitan:

1)     In those situations, where the user upgraded to El Capitan from a Mac that can boot Snow Leopard, either create a new partition or use an external drive and install Snow Leopard there and use the "dual-boot" method to access Appleworks in Snow Leopard as needed; and

2)     To the extent that the user cannot run Snow Leopard on his Mac or needs access to Appleworks concurrently with running El Capitan, install Snow Leopard Server into a virtualization program, such as Parallels and run Appleworks concurrently in El Capitan:

                                                            [click on image to enlarge]

Anything else just clouds the issue for the end users to choose which is the best solution for their needs.

And, of course, LibreOffice will also open certain Appleworks files in El Capitan.