PLEASE HELP with a nightmare of managing transition from WORD to Pages, IF you're knowledgeable on it THX

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PLEASE HELP with a nightmare of managing transition from WORD to Pages, IF you're knowledgeable on it THX

OK. I'm old and have had nothing but Apple computers since the tiny box that came out first. I've also used Word for Mac (well, Office Suite for Mac) for years and never made the transition to PAGES. However, MS's having moved to the paid online 365, and the fact that it has severely limited support and even USE OF my MS Office 2016 stand-alone app, I've made the decision to do so. Here's the issue though. I just transitioned to a new MBP (M1 w/Monterey) and at first my WORD files wouldn't even open until I reinstalled MS Word or Mac 2016 (I have 3 computer licenses within the install program so it was not recognizing my new computer as one of those.) OK. So that now allows me to edit my Word docs in Word. I can also open them in PAGES only if I open the app, choose the Word doc, and then it opens. I can then save it as a Pages doc and I also go to the Get-Info window for that doc (see attachment 1) and change from Word to Pages being the default app to open it from now on. HOWEVER, even though I do that, when I double click on the version that now ends in .pages - I get an error message from WORD (see attachment #2) and THEN, if I click on it again I get a different error message (see attachment #3.) I simply find NO WAY to click on files to open them in Pages. What is up? I cannot believe Microsoft has built in such invasive stuff when I bought and paid for WORD 2016 as a stand alone app! I hope someone REALLY KNOWS the most current answer(s) here in December 2021 using an M1 Mac with Monterey. Searches on the internet have done zilch to help. It's like Microsoft controls that too! HELP PLEASE! I can't get phone support from MS since I don't have 365 - and even if i could, I doubt they'd help me with this anyway.

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[Image Edited by Moderator to Remove Personal Information]

Posted on Dec 15, 2021 11:35 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Community+ 2024

Level 10

116,579 points

Dec 15, 2021 1:19 PM in response to dnta11

You open the Word document in Pages, where it is translated to Pages own internal document format (.pages). Pages will open a warnings panel if there are issues with that document translation, such as font references that are not physically installed on the Mac. Save the Pages document where you will find it later. The original Word document is not changed.

Pages remembers the last save location for subsequent document saves, and you can simply double-click on these Pages document icons to open them in Pages.

Apple has a general Pages support destination where you can find documentation on Pages for Mac/iOS/iPadOS/iCloud. Not all of the features found on Pages for Mac are available on the other versions due to the specific user interface.

Just understand that the only application in the world that can open Pages documents is Pages itself.

Your Excel documents can be opened by Apple's Numbers application with the same caveats as Pages.

Numbers general support site.

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Answer 2

Dec 15, 2021 12:14 PM in response to dnta11

It will cost you less in aggravation to just go for the personal subscription to Microsoft 365 or the single-purchase of Office 2021 for Mac for that Monterey-based M1 Mac. You have years of MS Office habits and you should capitalize on that. You will be able to open your existing Word documents in their native document format using MS Office.

You should be aware of Microsoft's support site for Office for Mac users.

Pages was never designed as a Word clone, so much of what you are accustomed to in Word, just isn't found in the Pages application. That bodes ill when opening Word documents that contain features that Pages cannot translate to its internal document format. Your frustrations will increase exponentially after just so many, Where is that ____ functionality that is in Word encounters? Frustration and low productivity have a price, and I am betting that after all these years of using Office for Mac, the free Pages application will begin to rapidly cost more than the first paragraph.

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Answer 3

dnta11 Author

Level 1

15 points

Dec 15, 2021 12:58 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you so much or such a detailed reply. And for going another round with me, if you do. It still leaves me stressed as I cannot afford 365 and solely having to use email for support is not an option for me anymore either (arthritic hands.) And even if I bought Office for Mac 2021 at ($250!) it wouldn't 1) allow me to view Word docs on my iPhone or iPad, which I really want to be able to do; and 2) it would limit me to 1 computer (which means if I survive beyond the computer I just got, I'd have to pay big bucks again - and maybe even again - with even more limited money than I have today.) Because I no longer work, the documents I will want to work with will not be complicated. I was able to open with PAGES the most complicated I feel I get these days (2 different documents with Tables inserted) and they were both fine and I was able to edit them. So I DO have to weigh financial over potential hardship of not being able to get Pages to do what I want in an old doc. I would keep the MS 2016 - which may keep working if a rare doc comes up that is more complicated. AND I could email my sister or a friend any rare doc that Pages couldn't handle and I could edit it on their computer, with their stand-alone MS app, if mine no longer worked. Again, I may have lots of docs, yet I believe the most complicated will be WORD with a table or two. And I have VERY FEW Excel docs - and the ones I have are SIMPLE (no formulas etc)

Do you still feel this would be majorly problematic?

I would love to simply know how to convert/save a WORD doc as a Pages doc that would then open with a double click IF YOU are willing to tell me that. I might explore for a bit, using both, and if I find your concerns to be true for me then I DO have a 'sister friend' who has 365 Family and has sent me an invitation to use hers free. Yet I know that could create big problems down the road as the older I get the harder it would be to transition to Pages, and if she were to stop paying for 365 or pass away, then all my docs created in there will be held hostage by Microsoft unless I take over paying etc.

I'm sorry to take so much time and to be so wordy, yet this is such a big issue for me right now.

I again thank you, regardless of whether you follow up again or not. Perhaps someone else will if I'm asking too much of you.

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Answer 4

dnta11 Author

Level 1

15 points

Dec 15, 2021 1:19 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you very, very much Viking OS. I have bookmarked the two links you gave me and will explore and determine what to finally do a little down the road. I WILL mark this as solved and if I need help later I will start a new question.

Be well.

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