How do I convert all Word (Office 2011) documents to Pages ahead of Catalina OSX as I do not want to upgrade Microsoft Office?

Apple did not create clones of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint when they created Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Just as there are features that exist in Apple's applications that do not export to Microsoft formats, the same is true with opening Microsoft documents that Apple's applications do not know how to translate. If you used fonts unique to those Microsoft documents that are not physically installed in Catalina, then they will not be used and a font replacement scheme will be used.

The best compatibility with your existing Office documents is in the free LibreOffice Suite that is already 64-bit and will work on Catalina. LibreOffice is a superset clone of MS Office. No need to change your Word, Excel, or Powerpoint document formats.

Because LIbreOffice originates outside of the Mac App Store, there is a one-time ritual to verify it on macOS:

1. Install it
2. Right-click on the application icon and choose Open on the secondary menu
   1. A brief validation progress bar appears.
3. A new dialog box appears telling you that LibreOffice has been downloaded from the Internet. Click Open.
4. Exit LibreOffice

Hi ahall,

I would expect Pages to continue to be able to import Word files for the foreseeable future.

Know that the import is not perfect and besides some formatting changes there can be other things that don't translate. I know that pics and perhpas other objects will not survive. You are wise to check this out now and identify any problematic files.

quinn

LibreOffice Vanilla may be in the Mac App Store, but is neither an Apple application, nor from the real developers behind LibreOffice — the Document Foundation. The people doing LIbreOffice Vanilla may contribute some of their efforts to the Document Foundation, but I always get my free LibreOffice and updates directly from the Document Foundation website. There is also documentation there such as the copious LibreOffice Writer User Guide. The release notes for new updates are on that site as well, and it is interesting to see the new features that are continuously added or improved (e.g. document redaction).

Even though you have a preference for LibreOffice Vanilla, do get the LibreOffice User Guides as you need them from above.