Word 2007 documents have a new file extension, .DOCX instead of .DOC. Office 2007 documents are based on a technology called the Office Open XML (Extensible Markup Language) Format. Office 2007 (including Word) creates files that are smaller and easier to recover if they happen to become corrupted.

Use Original Or Convert

Open an older Word document by clicking the Office button in the upper-left corner of the Word 2007 window and choosing Open. Browse to the Word file you want to work on and click Open. By default, the document is not converted to Word 2007 format.

Word 2007 operates in Compatibility Mode when a Word 97-2003 document is opened. Compatibility Mode ensures that any changes you make will be readable by the older version of Word the document was created in. Word 2007’s new features aren’t available in Compatibility Mode. You can work on the old document and, when you’re done, click the Office button, Save, and Close. Any changes you have made will be acceptable to the older version of Word when the document is reopened.

You can open Word 2007 documents directly in earlier versions of Word if you install the Office Compatibility Pack.

You can also convert the old document to Word 2007’s DOCX format. With the document open, click the Office button and Convert. A dialog box will open with a short description of what will happen. Click OK and the document is converted, and all of Word 2007’s functions become available.

Click the Office button and Save to replace the original document with the new 2007 version. Click Save As and Word Document to create a copy of the document in the converted 2007 format while leaving a copy in the DOC format.

Work In An Earlier Version

You may need to save a Word 2007 document in a form that previous versions of Word can handle. There are two ways to do this. You can save them in a Word 97-2003 format or install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack with your earlier version of Word (and other Office applications).

The first method is simple. Click the Office button, Save As, and Word 97-2003 Document. Of course, the earlier version of Word won’t be able to handle new Word 2007 features if you used them in the document. Check the Word 2007 Help system for a list of the features that don’t translate to older versions.

Automatic Compatibility

The Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack lets you open DOCX files in the older application. The pack works with Microsoft Office 2000/XP. First, make sure your version of Office, including Word, is up-to-date. All of the High-Priority updates must be installed. Click Start and Windows Update to find out if you need something.

Click the Office button to save a file in the Word 2007 or Word 97-2003 format.

Go to www.microsoft.com and search for “Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack.” Click the Download button to obtain the 27.5MB file. Double-click the downloaded file to begin installation. You can now open DOCX files directly in an earlier version of Word.

While in the earlier version of Word, it’s best to only make changes to text or other simple areas. Because, for example, Word 2007 uses Themes - groups of styles used to create a cohesive look. Changing styles in a document in an earlier version of Word will change the theme. When you’re done working with the file, save it as you would other documents. Later, you can reopen the document in Word 2007 and continue where you left off.