04-21-2010, 10:15 AM

I am using microsoft office 08 to email papers for college to the professor. I save the file as a docx. I have also saved as a .doc and sent it. When trying to open the file on a pc with xp. it goes like this:
A box will pop up asking to open or save file
Name:title of paper
Type: Compressed (zipped) folder, 30.0 kb
From:
So I click open, another box pops up asking if i want to save the file
Name: title of paper
Type: unknown file type, 30.0kb
From:
Only has option to save or cancel so i press save
A save as box opens so I save it to my documents on the pc
saving- title of document.docx
Next it states download complete and I click the open box to open the file.
Next window that pops up states:
Windows cannot open this file:

File: title of document.docx
then asks if I want the web to find the program
or select program from a list

I cannot figure out why this is happening. I really need to get this stuff turned in. I should mention that it does open on a pc if I send it as a pdf but thats not the way the prof wants it.
Thanks for the help and sorry for the huge post but I wanted to be descriptive.

04-21-2010, 11:09 AM

What version of Office is on the PC? To open a .docx file you need Office 2007 or a 2007 viewer. The best is to save it in 97-2003 format on the Mac side and then you shouldn't have an issue.

04-21-2010, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by KellyMac

Type: Compressed (zipped) folder, 30.0 kb

Try sending it uncompressed. I've never had good experiences with compressed files, and if you're only sending one document, it doesn't actually "shrink" the file size. Compressed files only shrink the file size if you have a folder with a LOT of large files in it.

if that doesn't work, and you're desperate to get your paper turned in on time, you can always send it as a PDF, and then copy&paste it to a word Doc on the PC. you'll have to do some re-formating, and it'll be a pain, but as a last-ditch effort it'll do in a pinch

04-21-2010, 01:48 PM

jdmccay - .docx is not a compressed file, but an Office 07 document - if the receiver is interpreting it as a compressed file, then chances are the professor doesn't have Office '07

04-21-2010, 02:01 PM

To KellyMac:

Do as advised by JohnCL, save the document using compatibility mode. In other words save it as a Word 97-2003 document. And as you were advised in another reply, do not compress the file. Just attach it to the email message in its saved format. Your Prof should be able to open it.

Regards.