Accessing older Appleworks files on a MacBook Pro

Question

Accessing older Appleworks files on a MacBook Pro

When I try to open older (ie: Appleworks) files from my previous MacBook to my more recent MacBook Pro I receive the following message:"You can't open the application Appleworks 6 because PowerPC applications are no longer supported." How can I access these files - there are many as I used Appleworks and its precursors for years? Up til now, I have to return to my old computer and get the files from there but as it is old and will soon die I need to know how to transfer all of the older files so that I can read them. Is this a common problem for old-time Mac users?

Posted on Mar 26, 2013 9:54 AM

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Answer 1

dwb

Level 7

32,920 points

Mar 26, 2013 11:04 AM in response to Michele Ashley

iWork can open the word processing and spreadsheet files. If you had databases in AW you can export them as ASCII Text and then import them into Bento or other database program that imports tab delimited files. Drawings and presentations are pretty much a redo proposition I think.

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Answer 2

MlchaelLAX

Level 4

2,286 points

Mar 26, 2013 11:33 AM in response to Michele Ashley

1) Study Roger Wilmut's excellent series of articles: "Abandoning Appleworks"

http://www.wilmut.webspace.virginmedia.com/notes/aw/page1.html

2) Install Snow Leopard Server into Parallels 8 on your new MBP and have continuing access to Appleworks in Mt. Lion:

[click on image to enlarge]

Snow Leopard Server is now available at the Apple Store for a 95% discount: $19.99 + sales tax & shipping - 1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A (telephone orders only).

Parallels 8 has a free 14 day trial download:

http://www.parallels.com/download/desktop/

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Answer 3

Peggy

Level 8

41,601 points

Mar 26, 2013 6:13 PM in response to dwb

Draw documents can be transfered to Pages, but you do need to have access to AppleWorks. If you still have access to AppleWorks you can copy the contents of draw documents, paste them into an AppleWorks word processing document in object mode (click the arrow in the tool panel), save the WP document & then open it in Pages. You can copy & paste from AppleWorks to Pages but you would have to do it object by object or it will be one big uneditable object. Paint documents can probably be done using the same method.

AppleWorks presentations can be opened in Keynote. Presentation was a new module in AppleWorks 6 so there is no need to make sure the files have been saved by AppleWorks 6 as is necessary for Pages & Numbers to open word processing & spreadsheet documents.

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