Translating older word processing files

Many, though not all AppleWorks files, and only WP, spreadsheets, and presentation files (not database or drawing) can be opened with Apple iWork, so long as they were not created before about 2006. If, as I do, you have older files that were originally ClarisWorks files, you can only open them with AppleWorks.

If you're desperate, MSWord can sometimes make a stab at opening old AppleWorks files although the formatting will be messed up.

As for WordPerfect I don't know - I've never used it.

And as you say, MacLink won't run in Lion because Apple discontinued its agreement with IBM to include Rosetta in Snow Leopard. So once you leave Snow Leopard behind, you're also likely to have to leave behind a large chunk of your past life.

That's one of many reasons why I dumped Lion and went back to Snow Leopard, for the forseeable future.

I believe OpenOffice or NeoOffice can open WordPerfect files. Both are free. The latter (NeoOffice) is more Mac-like.

As Tom has said, iWork can open some AppleWorks files. The latest iWork apps can be bought and downloaded directly from the App Store, and are called Pages, Numbers and Keynote. If you're only dealing with word processing files, as your title indicates, you would only need Pages.

There's also LibreOffice, which is also very Mac-like.

Open Office and it's clones LibreOffice and NeoOffice do not read WP files, but they can read StarOffice files.

Open Office and it's clones LibreOffice and NeoOffice do not read WP files

On what do you base this? I don't have recent personal experience with WP files - haven't used it since sometime in the 90s - but I could easily cite dozens of posts/sites claiming that OpenOffice and its clones can open WordPerfect files. Has this changed recently?

annefromemmett wrote:

I have files that were created in Apple Works and Word Perfect for Mac that need to be translated. Mac Link does not make a version for Lion. What else can I use to translate these files?

Of course your other choice is to run Snow Leopard on a seperate, smaller partition where you can boot into and gain access to your old files and perhaps save them in a different format to transfer across to the Lion partition and make a gradual change over with them. See this link

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20081187-263/how-to-keep-snow-leopard-when- upgrading-to-lion/

Pete

Thomas, I have WP files, and I do use OpenOffice, NeoOffice and LibreOffice on different systems.

BTW I personally think that they are much better than MSOffice of which I have 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 versions (Mac and Windows).

EDIT: by WP files I mean the old WordPerfect files.

Pages will open AppleWorks 6 wp files.

Numbers will open AW6 spreadsheet files.

Unfortunately, neither will open AW5 or earlier versions. If you have AW6 on your laptop, it would be a good idea to resave older file versions as AW6 type files.

annefromemmett wrote:

I have files that were created in Apple Works and Word Perfect for Mac that need to be translated. Mac Link does not make a version for Lion. What else can I use to translate these files?

I don't know about AppleWorks but take a look at SheepShaver http://www.emaculation.com/doku.php/sheepshaver which will let you run Classic Mac software such as WordPerfect. I have WP 3.5 Enhanced running in OS 9.04 right now inside of Snow Leopard. Setting it up can be a bit tricky but it's nice to see friendly faces again. 🙂

annefromemmett wrote:

Thanks. Will try these options and will leave Snow Leopard on my laptop until I know for sure what works. The last Word Perfect for Mac was 97 but it worked until System 10. Have some Apple Works files that are Claris and some the later Apple version. Had a lot of text files from the pre-System 10 years and only intermittently translated since I could do it as needed or a few at a time. Now it looks like it should be a priority. Really do want MacLink back because it works for everything.

I'm in much the same position myself.

The only way to update all your old Claris Works files is to (a) open them in AppleWorks 6 and save them as AppleWorks files. (b) then open them in iWork (but only WP files, in "Pages" and spreadsheets, in "Numbers") and save them again. They will now open in Lion.

Also bear in mind that if you're using a recent version of iWork in Lion, your files will automatically save themselves even if you don't want to save them - so be careful. But if you're running iWork in Snow Leopard, I guess that won't happen. My own version of iWork is a very early one that doesn't have that drawback feature.

For old Painting or Drawing files that were created in AppleWorks or ClarisWorks the only option I've found is to do a screen shot of each one and save it as a jpeg.

Updating all of one's old files in this way is a chore that cannot be done other than a little bit at a time, if like me you have thousands of files and need to keep them all.

It may take me years to do this. It's another good reason for not upgrading downgrading to Lion.

As for old AppleWorks database files, I'm really stuck. I have several very large client databases, containing detailed information about 100s of companies I've worked with or that I might work with. Creating these databases cost me thousands of man-hours of work. They can only be accessed in AppleWorks so I'm going to be needing AppleWorks probably forever. In other words, Snow Leopard forever - unless someone has a suggestion?

LexSchellings wrote:

Open Office and it's clones LibreOffice and NeoOffice do not read WP files, but they can read StarOffice files.

You are incorrect Lex

This is from Open Office 3.3 (current release)

Hmmm, it is not in the 3 version of Neooffice (mac), Libreoffice and Openoffice (both in mac and windows) in my computers: I looked in Settings/Load&save.

Anyway, when trying to open my ooooold Wordperfect files I do not succeed in reading them.

Add: these WordPerfect files are from Windows WordPerfect.

This is from Open Office 3.3, file save as, Mac version.