Read Word 2007 document in an Word 2003

Open a Word 2007 document in an earlier

version of Word

In Word 2010 you can use the new Backstage view to easily convert your documents to Word 2010 format.  Read an article or try Office 2010

To open Microsoft Office Word 2007 .docx or .docm files with Microsoft Office Word 2003, Word 2002, or Word 2000, you need to install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats and any necessary Office updates. By using the Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office system, you can open, edit some items, and save Office Word 2007 documents in previous versions of Word.

In this article

• Install the Compatibility Pack
• Document element differences in previous versions

Install the Compatibility Pack

You can download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for 2007 Office system from Microsoft Office Online.
With the Compatibility Pack, you can use some previous versions of Word to open Office Word 2007 documents that were saved in .docx and .docm formats. You cannot open Office Word 2007 template files that were saved in .dotx or .dotm format.
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Document element differences in previous versions

Although you can open Office Word 2007 files in previous versions of Word, you may not be able to change some items that were created by using the new or enhanced features in Office Word 2007. For example, equations will become images that cannot be changed. The following is a list of document elements that are changed when they are opened in a previous version of Word.

OFFICE WORD 2007 ELEMENT	CHANGE WHEN OPENED IN A PREVIOUS VERSION
Equations	Become graphics and cannot be changed.
Themes	Permanently converted to styles. If the file is later opened in Office Word 2007, you cannot automatically change the style by using themes.
Theme colors	Permanently converted to styles. If the file is later opened in Office Word 2007, you cannot automatically change the style by using theme colors.
Theme fonts	Permanently converted to styles. If the file is later opened in Office Word 2007, you cannot automatically change the style by using theme fonts.
Theme effects	Permanently converted to styles. If the file is later opened in Office Word 2007, you cannot automatically change the style by using theme effects.
Content controls	Permanently converted to static text.
Tracked moves	Permanently converted to insertions and deletions.
Heading and body fonts	Permanently converted to static formatting. If the file is later opened in Office Word 2007, heading and body fonts won't automatically change if you use a different style.
Relative text boxes	Permanently converted to absolute positioning.
Margins	Permanently converted to absolute positioning. If the file is later opened in Office Word 2007, the margins won't automatically change if you use a different style.
Bibliography	Permanently converted to static text.
Citations	Permanently converted to static text.
Placeholder text in citations	Permanently converted to static text.
Placeholder text in content controls	Permanently converted to static text.
Office Art	Only a small subset of illustrations are available.
Charts and diagrams	Some charts and diagrams will be converted to images that cannot be changed.
Custom XML	Not supported.

 NOTE   In addition to the changes listed in the table, the following items behave differently when you open an Office Word 2007 .docx or .docm file in Word 2000:

• Macros and macro signatures will be removed.
• Mail merge data will be lost and you will not be able to connect to data sources.
• You will not be able to open password-protected files, even if you know the password.

Interested in the 2007 Office release? You can download a free 60-day trial or buy it now.