how to convert old windows 98 files to pages

Question

Level 1

6 points

how to convert old windows 98 files to pages

This might be a very far out question that has no answer. I just found some ancient (windows 98) files on a memory stick that I would love to convert to pages. Is there a way to do that? Or a website where I can convert them (I'm probably thinking along the lines of youtube converters) or is it just tough luck - ancient hyroglyphs lost in the sands of time.... 😐

Any help how to do it (step to step instructions required, I'm afraid) or tips of where and how to do it are much appreciated! 😀

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Nov 18, 2012 12:19 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Peggy

Level 8

41,601 points

Nov 18, 2012 2:41 PM in response to ravenowl

What program in made the documents in Windows 98? If they are Word/.doc files, Pages should be able to open them directly. Just use File > Open or drag the icon of the document to the Pages icon in the Dock.

Reply

Answer 2

Nov 18, 2012 3:56 PM in response to ravenowl

It may just be ever so slightly useful if you said what exactly these "windows 98" files were.

Non-specific questions usually get non-specific answers, rather than the step to step instructions you are hoping for.

Peter

Reply

Answer 3

fruhulda

Level 6

15,161 points

Nov 18, 2012 9:55 PM in response to ravenowl

Do you have Pages and have you tried to open it in Pages?

Reply

Answer 4

ravenowl Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 19, 2012 6:38 AM in response to fruhulda

Sorry if I wasn't clear. Somehow I thought that me wanting to convert files into pages makes them text files, ie Word docs, but I guess that doesn't go without saying. So yes, they are Word files with a .doc at the end and no, pages tells me that the file format is not recognised.

Reply

Answer 5

Nov 19, 2012 7:05 AM in response to ravenowl

I just opened a 1997 Word .doc file in LibreOffice 3.6.2 with all formatting preserved. Pages gave an import error as unsupported version of Word. Also, OpenOffice may work just as well, due to its inclusion of original StarOffice code. Both applications are free.

Connected a 1999 external USB floppy disk reader to Mountain Lion, and without drivers, it just worked.

Reply

Answer 6

Nov 19, 2012 7:34 PM in response to ravenowl

As a addendum to my previous post, once you have that old Word .doc file opened within latest LibreOffice or OpenOffice, you can then save it in many different formats in another folder, whether as text or newer, Pages compatible Word .doc formats.

Reply

Answer 7

ravenowl Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 20, 2012 2:00 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for that Viking OSX, it never occured to me that an old floppy reader would work! That will hopefully crack it - even if I don't have one myself I know who can do that for me. I had sort of convertet some old files into something that is actually unreadable but I DO have the orginals on floppy still. So happy days! - I hope.

I also managed to covert files through OpenOffice, good tip. On top of that I found a couple of websites myself that can give some of the more commen conversions, Word doc into Rich Text Format for example.

As they say, every little helps! Thanks again 🙂

Reply

Answer 8

Nov 20, 2012 4:44 AM in response to ravenowl

Glad to help and thank you.

Reply

Answer 9

Nov 20, 2012 6:23 PM in response to VikingOSX

now if there was only something that would import old WRITENOW files with format intact (other than Word's recover any text option).

Reply

Answer 10

Nov 20, 2012 7:25 PM in response to powerbook1701

Open the WriteNow documents with AbiWord (free) and resave to .doc or something more compatible.

Peter

Reply

Answer 11

fosnola

Level 1

126 points

Nov 21, 2012 3:28 AM in response to powerbook1701

Hello powerbook1701,

powerbook1701 wrote:

now if there was only something that would import old WRITENOW files with format intact (other than Word's recover any text option).

for WriteNow, ( as I try to write some filters for some old MacOS formats ), you can also

try to download mwawFileOSX.zip ( at http://sourceforge.net/projects/libmwaw/files/ ) ;

normally, it can convert a WriteNow file in a odt file keeping most formattings intact...

osnola.

Reply

Answer 12

fosnola

Level 1

126 points

Nov 21, 2012 3:48 AM in response to fosnola

fosnola wrote:

.... mwawFileOSX.zip ( at http://sourceforge.net/projects/libmwaw/files/ ) ;

Oops, I mean mwawOSX.zip :-~

osnola.

Reply