Q: Can iWorks convert and import Appleworks databases?

I was able to open an AppleWorks 6 database with LibreOffice 4.3.4001 without problems. Of course, I did do it in El Capitan. I don't have a Mac running Mountain Lion, let alone Lion.

Peggy wrote:

 

I was able to open an AppleWorks 6 database with LibreOffice 4.3.4001 without problems. Of course, I did do it in El Capitan. I don't have a Mac running Mountain Lion, let alone Lion.

Yes, but you are suggesting that the OP download LibreOffice 4.3.0, which is an older version than that (version 4.3.4001) which you can open Appleworks databases as spreadsheets.

It appears that your version 4.3.4001 will not run in Lion, but that version 4.3.0 will run in El Capitan.

Shouldn't you download version 4.3.0 and even though you are running El Capitan, you can still test if that older Lion version will open Appleworks databases as spreadsheets.

OK:  I created a small Appleworks Database file, and it does open in LibreOffice 4.3.4.1 in Lion, which I had previously downloaded from the official LibreOffice website some time ago:

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Here is the original Database file in Appleworks in El Capitan:

Of course, I have had to redact much of the personal information.

[conclusion deleted - see WARNING below]

CAUTION:

I already had LibreOffice 4.3.4.1 in my Applications folder in Lion from a previous official download.  The latest version is 5.1.0.3, as of this writing.

So I attempted to download the earlier 4.3.0 suggested by the "Old Versions" website and received this WARNING:

                                                            [click on image to enlarge]

The OP should NOT attempt to download the Lion version of LibreOffice from this website!!!

So the OP's only two options are to obtain a copy of LibreOffice 4.3.4.1 from an "official" source or use the Snow Leopard Server in Parallels option to run Appleworks, in order to extract his original data from his Appleworks databases (or actually continue to run Appleworks in El Capitan, in the latter suggestion).

Hello,

just for note, the document foundation seems to have an archive site: https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/ :-)

Thanks, I've bookmarked the page. The other old software site only seems to link to SDK files, not the actual programs.

Do not dispare; your solution is at hand!

Go to the linked page by fosnola

Click on the link:

4.3.4.1

On the next page, click on the link:

mac/

On the next page, click on the link:

x86_64

On the next page, click on the link:

LibreOffice 4.3.4.1 MacOS x86-64.dmg

When this file completely downloads, double click on it and it will bring up this window:

                                                            [click on image to enlarge]

Now drag the LibreOffice.app to the Applications folder alias, as shown.  When the copy is complete, go to your Applications folder and double click LibreOffice.app, which will open in Lion.  Now individually open your Appleworks database files into LibreOffice.

This will result in your database data opening in a spreadsheet.  Now do a Save As... and select File Type: Text CSV and use the default selection and save the CSV file.  This Comma Separated Value file can be used to import your Appleworks database data into Filemaker Pro or the Database program of your choice!

Appleworks Database data successfully imported into Filemaker Pro database in OS X Lion:

                                                            [click on image to enlarge]

Which version of AW6 are your databases in?

The reason I ask is that there is one other way to access (and then please export!!) them, providing you can get the right compatibility. Pretty much all recent versions of OS X can run a free program called SheepShaver. This is an 'envelope' piece of software which allows you to install and run within it, a version of the Mac OS from OS 8 to OS 9.0.4 - it is NOT an emulator, the actual OS is running like a separate app in OS X.

If you go to the Emaculation website there are good instructions on how to set it up, but you need a MAC OS ROM file (they tell you where to get it from) and a copy of the relevant Mac OS installer. Having done that, and assuming you are using 9.0.4 which does NOT support the version of AW6 which ran in OS X (you need an older version), then you are good to go. It sounds complicated but is no more so than running Snow Leopard within Parallels and a whole lot cheaper if you can find a copy of OS 9.0.4

I do not believe that any version of Appleworks 6 is a "Classic" application.  They are PPC applications that require Rosetta to run.

FWIW: SheepShaver (and its cousin, Chubby Bunny) are emulators that can run Classic versions of OS 8 & 9 and hence can run Classic applications.

AppleWorks 6 has always been a Classic Mac OS app. It was carbonized to run in OS X but was never made to take full advantage of OS X. If you right-click on the AppleWorks 6.app & show contents you will see folders for both MacOS (OS X) & MacOSClassic.

So Appleworks 6 CAN run in SheepShaver?

It crashes my copy of SheepShaver running OS 9.04 running in Lion!

I know nothing about SheepShaver. I keep a couple of older Macs to run PPC apps in Snow Leopard & Classic apps in Tiger.

Perhaps my old user tip, "Force" AppleWorks 6 to open in Classic, might help.

MlchaelLAX wrote:

 

So Appleworks 6 CAN run in SheepShaver?

 

It crashes my copy of SheepShaver running OS 9.04 running in Lion!

I think it depends which version of AW6 it is? I couldn't get it to run in SheepShaver, but I'm using OS 8.6, and when I tried to launch, it said "Can't find CarbonLib". I THEN discovered there's a version of CarbonLib which can be installed in 8.6, so I did that, but haven't as yet tried to repeat the AW6 thing (I suspect my copy - being the final version - is too new for 8.6 and I'd have to try an older version). In any case, I've got CW5 there, so no problem.

And in any case, all my AW documents have been exported as Office versions (Word 97 & Excel 97) in 10.6.8, and I've used FileMaker since Day One so don't have to worry about the AW database module. As for Drawing, if I'm desperate I can open them either in LibreOffice, or CW5 in SheepShaver.