AppleWorks: Open With... ?

I have a bunch of old archived spreadsheets (.cwk) that I'd like to be able to open. Last night, I had an epiphany: Libre Office! Sadly, that didn't work. I tried several text options, but the best I could get was text in Column A, but no numbers, or anything, in the other columns. Although the dialog box indicated that Libre Office could open these files. Well, it did, but the formatting and data were not restored. Excel is greyed-out in the Open dialog. Word is not, but trying that gave me the error that the files are not of the right type (AppleWorks 5 &6), but they are AW6 files! The default app to open them is Keynote, but I don't have that either. I did have the 30-day trial for iWork for 30 days in 2007-08.

I do not have Apple's Numbers program.
I do not have the App Store.
I do have a nearby Apple Store.
I do not have Time Machine.
I'm running Leopard (10.5.8).
I cannot run Mountain Lion on my late 2007 Mini.
Is there a way to open those files with full visibility? I just want to see them, not edit them.

Back story: These AppleWorks files had been converted to .xls to open with Office for Mac 2004, which I still have. (Excel 11.6.6) I had put the now converted Excel files on a flash drive, then decided to transfer them to another flash drive via copying them back to my hard drive. When I did that, the files in several folders were corrupt, just the most recent ones were not. I didn't notice the corruption until after the first flash drive was erased. But, I still have the original AppleWorks files.

Maybe this MacWorld article can be of some help? LINK

Or you might be able to use this trial version of AppleWorks X? LINK

Thanks for the options.

chscag said:

Maybe this MacWorld article can be of some help? LINK

Or you might be able to use this trial version of AppleWorks X? LINK

Click to expand...

I might give it a try, but it does say it's for 10.1/10.2/10.3 so I suspect it hasn't been updated for awhile and might not work on Leopard.
Maybe I should just buy Numbers, but as I mentioned, I don't have the App Store. Can one still get iWork on a disc at an Apple Store?
Thanks again.

I'm not sure you can still find an iWork set at an Apple store. Apple sells the apps by digital download and pre-installs on new machines. I haven't seen it on sale for some time. It used to be sold at Best Buy stores and other places that sell Mac software. Your best bet might be to try finding a copy on eBay.

Ugh! I hate eBay!

Well don't use it and look elsewhere. Personally just l-o-v-e eBay.

iWork is available in the App Store.

He doesn't have access to the App Store Harry. He's still running Leopard.

I'm guessing this is a PowerPC machine. If so, the actual answer is to pat that old machine on the head, thank it for its decade of good service and go get yourself something newer.

chas_m said:

I'm guessing this is a PowerPC machine. If so, the actual answer is to pat that old machine on the head, thank it for its decade of good service and go get yourself something newer.

Click to expand...

Bad guess.

toMACsh said:

I cannot run Mountain Lion on my late 2007 Mini.

Click to expand...

But I wish I still had my beige desktop G3 (1998?) with OS 9.2.2 and AppleWorks 6 installed.

Well, that wasn't a trial version of AppleWorks X, it was an update. Since I don't have any version, it failed to find anything to update. I have ordered iWork 08 from Best Buy. I did find that it will run on Tiger, so I'm assuming it will on Leopard as well.

iWork 08 will definitely run on Leopard. I bought a copy in 2008 and used Pages for awhile when I bought my first MacBook which came with Leopard pre-installed.

Good to know. I figured I could return it to Best Buy if it wouldn't install. I wish I had purchased the previous version before my 30 day trial ran out in January 2008 for $30 because it's costing me almost $60 after a $10 RewardZone discount for the Family Pack, which seems to be all that is left of it, at least in my State.

iWork '08 arrived yesterday; I installed it this afternoon. Numbers opened those old AppleWorks .cwk files with no problem. I guess there's no hurry about converting them to .xls this time. Initially, I had to get it done before the 30-day trial period expired.

But I wonder if Numbers will always be able to open those old files. Does anyone know if the current version can?

It should since iWork 09 is backward compatible file-wise with 08. Apple hasn't really done much as far as updating their iWork apps except to make them compatible with Lion and Mountain Lion.

Cool. I just ran Software Update, and nothing was found that needed updating, so this iWork '08 disc has the last version on it. I was on the verge of going to the Store to get a new Mac at Christmas, but never did.

Now, will iWork '08 still run on ML? (I suppose I can research that on my own unless someone already knows.)

Now, will iWork '08 still run on ML? (I suppose I can research that on my own unless someone already knows.)

Click to expand...

That's a good question. iWork 08 is a universal app which at the time it came out would install on PPC and Intel machines. I guess I can always break out my copy and see if I can install it since I'm running ML on my iMac. Let me know if you can't find anything out and I'll give it a shot here.

All I found is 10.4.11 or 10.5.6 or later, which doesn't even make sense to me. Plus, although I searched for "iWork '08 system requirements" this page just says iWork.

Apple - iWork - System requirements for iWork on the Mac.

I have iWork 08 here somewhere. Let me later install it on my iMac with ML and will get back to you.

Right now I am using the latest version.

I have a funny feeling it will not work as with ML even 09 did not want to work till an Update was installed. Installing it now and will get back to you.

OK my report. It does what 09 did under ML. Opened Pages and chose a template and you can not see anything but a white screen unless you click and highlight stuff. That is what 09 did also till I put in all the updates for it. Unless there is an update for 08 like with 09 which I doubt, it will not display the text.

Thanks for checking it out Dennis. I suspected that's what would happen since I distinctly remember Apple updating Pages, Numbers, and Keynote so they would be compatible with Lion. That was when they first appeared in the App Store. You've confirmed it.