Will SP3 open MS Office docs created on Windows XP?

[neo158]

Just don't get to frustrated while learning. I'm sure when you or your husband first start playing around with Windows 8 you'll start screaming "Why, WHY!!!! Did Microsoft do this to us???? XP was fine!" (I did, in the beginning, but now I really LIKE W8). Well, things change, and some things just be left behind (XP). Just literally poke around with your finger on the screen, play with swiping from the edges of the screen (left, right, top, bottom), two finger pinch, expand, etc.

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft gave us a "Help + Tips" app. I HIGHLY recommend going through and read the tips and watch the little videos for first time users.

Exactly, Windows XP to Windows 8 is a big step up. Like going from DOS to Windows 98.

 

[negative1ne]

i have transitioned from XP on older tablets to a surface pro with windows 8.

compatibility
=============================
you can run most applications by going through -> properties
and setting it to XP (service pack 2,3)

you should also make them adminstrator to work correctly

=============================================
i am running Office 2007, but yes you can run office 2003

i am running older applications:
======================
sound forge 6. 0 for editting
mixmeister 3.0 for mixing

paint shop pro 5 for graphics, picture

winamp 2.0 for playing back music

all my original programs still work.

photoshop and premiere CS - video and pictures

i have no issues with older files.



newer upgrades
============================
you probably need to update

- adobe flash, acrobat (older versions aren't secure)

- browser, i use chrome

- media player like VLC, i don't use the windows media
player, because it doesn't support newer formats

- anything that uses video or audio, or audio ripping
(although i use an older version of Nero)


everything else that i usually use, is fine:
---------------------------------------------------
notepad
calculator


THE MAIN THING IS, I USE BOOT TO DESKTOP.
that way i never have to see metro, or any modern apps, because i don't use any of those,
except 1 music application.

good luck.

later
-1

 

[a5cent]

@NMCynthia
Your two threads have been merged.

Disregard the recommendation to install a VM so as to run Windows XP on the Surface. That solves a problem you don't have and introduces complexity you don't need.

Realize that the OS (operating system = Windows XP or Windows 8) isn't directly responsible for what types of document files you can work with. What does matter are the programs you have installed. Assuming we are talking only about Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc), then what you want is software that can work with those files. The typical choices for such files are:

• Microsoft Office
• OpenOffice

These are your options:

• You can download OpenOffice from the internet for free. With it you can work with Word, Excel and PowerPoint files created with any version of the MS Office Suite.
• Since you already own a copy of Microsoft Office, you could also choose to install that older version of the Office Suite on your new Surface. That won't cost you anything either and IMHO even older versions of Microsoft's Office are better than OpenOffice. If you don't want to spend money on software, this is what I'd recommend.
• However, if you use Outlook on the Desktop, I would recommend upgrading to the current version of the Office Suite, Microsoft Office 2013. The newest Office Suite can work with any Microsoft Office document, no matter what version of the Suite it was originally created with.

Just remember you are making a jump from XP to Windows 8. That represents 14 years of OS advancement. That is a HUGE amount of time in the software business, so seek out some tutorial videos to get up to speed, or better yet, ask here and we'll help out ;-)

 

[TechFreak1]

The operating system and office are two separate things, I am guessing you are confusing the issue between .doc and .docx, the latter being the newer format used by the new versions of Word. The same applies to excel and powerpoint, what you need to do is install the "Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats", If you have issues opening old office (office xp / office 2003) files in the new versions of office (office 2007+)
Download Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats from Official Microsoft Download Center

Also like some have suggested you can install office 2003 on the Surface Pro 3, however it is best to get used to the new versions of office as that what is most companies will be using. Trust me when I tell you the new versions will make you feel like like a novice but you will get the hang of it.

Furthermore you may want to take a look at office 365:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/products/compare-microsoft-office-products-FX104165233.aspx?WT.intid1=ODC_ENGB_FX010064710_XT104187042

 

[Jan Tomsic]

The surface pro 3 runs on Windows 8.1 which will happily pair with windows xp for the purposes of file sharing etc.

And if you REALLY can't open a file, you can always install windows XP in a virtual machine.

 

[colinkiama]

The answer is yes. But I think you will need to get office on your surface pro 3 first

 

[Nerdy Woman]

Welcome to geekland, NMCynthia!

About your Office XP docs... Are you still running a PC that has XP installed? If so, then it is time to replace it. There will be no more security updates for the dinosaur so it leaves you vulnerable.

Having said that, when you get a new PC - Surface Pro 3 or otherwise - a trial version of Office 365 comes installed, but after 30 days, you'll only be able to view files, not create or edit them. Microsoft has moved to an SaaS (software as a service) business model. That's a good/bad thing. Good because they keep your software up-to-date. You'll never have to wonder whether bug fixes and security updates are installed. They're installed automatically as they become available. It's a good thing because the perpetual license versions are spendy. No one want to spend $300+ for software that will be obsolete in 2-3 years (and with the perpetual license, you have to do the major updates yourself). It's a bad thing because, like a magazine, it's a subscription service that you pay for on an annual basis.

The Office 365 SaaS does allow you to install it on multiple machines. They recently introduced Office 365 Personal which allows you to install on 2 machines that a single user logs on to, but the Home Premium version allows everyone in the house to have the latest and greatest - 5 installations are allowed. If you're a student with an .edu e-mail address, you can snag Office 365 University - 2 machine installs for one user - 4 years for $80 total.

Now about all those .doc files... Office 365 can open them just fine. Moreover, once they've been updated to .docx files (the extension for 2007 and newer), you can save them on OneDrive (built in to Windows 8 and works just like a local folder) and access them from any internet-connected computer.

I used to be a Microsoft applications instructor and am fairly good with step-by-step instructions. If I can help, click on my name to view my profile, then look in the left column for the private message link.

 

[onlysublime]

Yes, the Surface Pro 3 will open any Microsoft Office docs from any version of Microsoft Office that originally came from Windows XP.

Any newer version of Microsoft Office will support any Office documents created by an older version of Microsoft Office. However, because of some changes over the years, a document formatted in Word 2003, for example, may not look the same in Word 2013. For instance, if you create a 2003 document that completely maximizes the page and fits on a single page, when you load that document in Word 2013, it may not fit properly.


If your real question is whether you can install your old Office 2003 on your Surface Pro 3, then that's a "yes" as well. However, a lot has changed since Office 2003. You might want to consider a newer version that makes some things a lot easier to do. Plus, Office 2013 is very touch friendly (when set to touch mode). I use Office 2013 extensively on my Surface Pro 2 with just touch and keyboard (no mouse involved). The same with my Surface RT. They did away with a lot of older habits so you can just tap, tap, tap to do things (no long holds which I absolutely hate and is a remnant of trying to emulate the right mouse click). Plus you can easily pinch to zoom in or out. And 2013 has much better pen support (though i believe 2003 had rudimentary support but don't hold me to that; it might have come with Office 2007).

If you don't want to spend the high price for a single version of Office that you have to hold on forever (like still using Office 2003 11 years later), you can always "lease" Office like Office 365. At my house, we have 5 PC installations of Office for $99/year. So with the subscription, you're always entitled to the latest version and upgrades to Office as they come out. You're not stuck to a single version indefinitely. So right now, I have the full suite of Office 2013. But when Office 2014 comes out or Office 2015 comes out, I have those versions as well.

Plus, you get all the online templates included so if you need a template for a cover letter or a fax letter, just browse them and get all of them.

But there's a personal option which is one installation for $69/year so that's cheaper. $5.75/month is not bad. I spend more at Starbucks a week than that. But the greater value is the $99/year because it's 5 machines. And those 5 machines don't have to be in the same house. If you have kids away at college, you can give each of them a license. Heck, if you want to share a subscription with friends, you can do that as well (though legally, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do that). At 5 license, that breaks down to $1.67/month per license.

 

[dkediger]

I was going to suggest the Office 365 route as well. You do *not* want to reinstall Outlook 2003. It's email protections are way too easily defeated - and its out of support now like XP.