PUB97: Unable to Convert Word 97 Format (174011)

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to open a Microsoft Word 97 document with Microsoft Publisher 97, you receive the following message:

Publisher cannot translate the file.

Publisher's file converters cannot translate this file. Make sure the file you're importing is in a format Publisher can recognize. For information on file formats, Press F1 now.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs if you are attempting to open a Word 97 document in Publisher 97. Because Publisher was released prior to Word 97 it does not include a Word 97 converter.

Publisher 97 includes the following Word converters that you can use to open Word documents:

Word 2.x for Windows
Word 6.0 for Windows&Macintosh

WORKAROUND

Use one of the following methods to work around this problem:

Method 1: Save the Document in Word versions 2.x, 6.x, 7.0 or RTF Format

Open the document in Word 97.
On the File menu, click Save As.
In the Save As type list, click one of the following file formats:
- Rich Text Format (*.rtf)
- Word 6.0/95 (*.doc)
- Word 2.x for Windows (*.doc)

You should now be able to open the document in Publisher 97.

Method 2: Use the Word 97 Converter for Word 95

Use the Word 97 converter to convert Word 97 document to Word 95 format. After you install the converter, Publisher can use the converter to import Word 97 documents.

For additional information about obtaining the Word 97 converter, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

162214 WD: How to Obtain the Word 97 Converter