[Solved] Cannot open older .doc file on new system

[sqvision]

Hi All,

Ik could use some help. Recently purchased a desktop Mac and have problems opening my older .doc files that I do use as a format for my invoices (yeah I'm pretty oldskool on that). Getting the ASCII filter options popup and a blank document. However I can open them on my old MacBook Pro.

New system:
Open Office 4.1.15 Mac Mini M2 MacOS 14 Sonoma 14.6
(here I cannot open the file)

Old MacBook:
Open Office 4.1.1 MacBook Pro Late 2013 MacOS 11 Big Sur 11.7.10
(here I can actually open the file)

A zip file with the file is attached. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Gabor

[floris v]

It opens fine in AOO 4.1.11 on Ubuntu Linux. I don't know anything about versions of AOO for Mac, it's actually amazing that the ancient .doc format is still supported (it's like 30 years old by now, and was overtaken by .docx since 2003).

[RoryOF]

It also opened for me on Xubuntu 22.04.

I suggest the OP tries another application, such as AbiWord. If it opens in AbiWord, perhaps a Save from that might open in OpenOffice.

[RoryOF]

On the new computer, is the file exactly (to the byte) the same size as on the older computer? Usually the ASCII filter options message means that OpenOffice cannot understand the file format, which can happen if it has become corrupt in the transfer from old computer to new.

[sqvision]

@RoryOF Yes, actually I tried to open them both from the same dropbox. Even that doesn't work on the new Mac.

[RoryOF]

It may be a problem that the new Mac doesn't handle Dropbox correctly. Can the new Mac make and reopen a test file saved to Dropbox. Can the old Mac then reopen that?

[sqvision]

From new to old Mac works perfectly fine. But we're getting somewhere slowly.... Bypassed the dropbox by just mailing the .doc. It opens on the new MAC, however only as read-only file. It was definitely not saved that way.

[RoryOF]

An emailed file may be read-only when accessed directly in the email client. It needs to be downloaded to the local hard drive for proper editing access.

[sqvision]

@RoryOF

Finally! Yeah that made it work! Stupid me. Some people just have a lot more know-how on these matters than I do! Thanks for the help!