Vista - MS Works Programs Compatible with Word & Excel?

I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel. Is there a way to do
this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?

Thanks.

Ginnie wrote:
> I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
> system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
> I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel.


Correct.


> Is there a way to do
> this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?
>


You could purchase Microsoft Office, if you like, but it's not
necessary, just to view the files. There are Viewers available here:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/do...wers&av=DCT000

For the budget-minded (who also don't need all of Office's specific
features), there's the free, open source OpenOffice:

http://www.openoffice.org/


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

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On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 17:17:00 -0700, Ginnie
<Ginnie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
>system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
>I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel.


Of course not. You also can't open files sent to you in hundreds of
other programs. In general you need the correct program to open *any*
file


> Is there a way to do
>this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?


If all you want to do is view the files sent to you, you can download
free Word and Excel viewers from Microsoft. However if you want to
modify those files, or create your own, you need to either buy Word
and Excel or get a compatible program such as WordPerfect Office,
OpenOffice, or StarOffice.

Also note that both Word and Excel files can carry macro viruses.
Opening such files, even if they came from your best friend, is a very
risky thing to do. I recommend against doing so.

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:17:00 -0700, Ginnie wrote:

> I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
> system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
> I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel. Is there a way to do
> this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?
>
> Thanks.

You do NOT have to purchase word or excel. IMHO simplest solution is to
install OpenOffice.org - I believe MS also has viewers available, although
as the name implies, all you can do is view.

How do you do business if, as you say, you ca't open Word or Excel files due
to macro viruses?
We can scan for viruses you know!

"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

> On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 17:17:00 -0700, Ginnie
> <Ginnie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
> >system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
> >I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel.
>
>
> Of course not. You also can't open files sent to you in hundreds of
> other programs. In general you need the correct program to open *any*
> file
>
>
> > Is there a way to do
> >this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?
>
>
> If all you want to do is view the files sent to you, you can download
> free Word and Excel viewers from Microsoft. However if you want to
> modify those files, or create your own, you need to either buy Word
> and Excel or get a compatible program such as WordPerfect Office,
> OpenOffice, or StarOffice.
>
> Also note that both Word and Excel files can carry macro viruses.
> Opening such files, even if they came from your best friend, is a very
> risky thing to do. I recommend against doing so.
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>

On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 02:45:01 -0700, Mick
<Mick@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>How do you do business if, as you say, you ca't open Word or Excel files due
>to macro viruses?


There are certainly some people who are in business situations where
they have no choice but to open such attachments. Those people need to
run the risk. But *many* people do *not* have to do so, and every time
they do, they run a needless risk.


>We can scan for viruses you know!


This is a very common attitude--"I run a virus checker and I keep it
up-to-date; therefore I am safe from viruses."

Common as that attitude is, it is wrong! Running an anti-virus program
is good to do. It substantially decreases the risk of your getting a
virus. It does not, and *can* not eliminate that risk.

First, note that every anti-virus program on the market protects
against a slightly different set of viruses. All of those sets overlap
to a large degree, but nowhere is there complete overlap. None is
perfect and none protects you against everything. If you run antivirus
A, you are not protected against virus xyx. If you run antivirus B,
you are protected against xyz, but you not protected against zyx. And
so on.

Second, even if every antivirus program provided complete protection
against every virus out there, and even if you upgraded your
anti-virus definitions every day, as soon as the new ones came out,
you could still never be completely protected. That's because all
antivirus companies need to have time to respond to a new virus when
it comes out. Whenever a new virus comes out, one or more people have
to get infected by it, it has to get reported to the antivirus
company, and they need time to research and develop countermeasures
against it. Best case, it takes a few days. During that few days, we
are *all* at risk to getting infected by that virus.

So using an antivirus is good, but relying on it as absolute
protection is foolhardy. Caution and prudence in everything you do
(call it "safe hex," if you like) are still appropriate. Avoiding
opening E-mail attachments is one of the ways to that--at least for
those not required by their jobs to open them.



>"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 17:17:00 -0700, Ginnie
>> <Ginnie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> >I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
>> >system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
>> >I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel.
>>
>>
>> Of course not. You also can't open files sent to you in hundreds of
>> other programs. In general you need the correct program to open *any*
>> file
>>
>>
>> > Is there a way to do
>> >this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?
>>
>>
>> If all you want to do is view the files sent to you, you can download
>> free Word and Excel viewers from Microsoft. However if you want to
>> modify those files, or create your own, you need to either buy Word
>> and Excel or get a compatible program such as WordPerfect Office,
>> OpenOffice, or StarOffice.
>>
>> Also note that both Word and Excel files can carry macro viruses.
>> Opening such files, even if they came from your best friend, is a very
>> risky thing to do. I recommend against doing so.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>>

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

You might consider buying MS Works Suite which now contains a full
version of MS WORD in place of the Works word processor together with
the remainder of WORKS -- spreadsheets database and so on -- and comes
with about 5 other CDs including Street & Trips etc. Very good value:

http://www.microsoft.com/products/wo...s.aspx?pid=001

Ken, I am a Tech who builds and repairs computers in my own business.. I am
aware of the pifalls of the Net, and have been for many years.
I appreciate what you are saying, but it does not fit into my circumstances.
As you say, MOST people assume that an anti-virus solves everything; most
people don't even know that their subscription has run out!
And the much touted anti-viruses(SYMANTEC, etc), unfortunately, claim to be
everything to everyone: firewall, anti-vurus, spyware cleaner, spam filter,
etc.
Vigilance is the key to how one protects one's computer; and most people
don't know how to.

Regards
Mick


"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

> On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 02:45:01 -0700, Mick
> <Mick@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >How do you do business if, as you say, you ca't open Word or Excel files due
> >to macro viruses?
>
>
> There are certainly some people who are in business situations where
> they have no choice but to open such attachments. Those people need to
> run the risk. But *many* people do *not* have to do so, and every time
> they do, they run a needless risk.
>
>
> >We can scan for viruses you know!
>
>
> This is a very common attitude--"I run a virus checker and I keep it
> up-to-date; therefore I am safe from viruses."
>
> Common as that attitude is, it is wrong! Running an anti-virus program
> is good to do. It substantially decreases the risk of your getting a
> virus. It does not, and *can* not eliminate that risk.
>
> First, note that every anti-virus program on the market protects
> against a slightly different set of viruses. All of those sets overlap
> to a large degree, but nowhere is there complete overlap. None is
> perfect and none protects you against everything. If you run antivirus
> A, you are not protected against virus xyx. If you run antivirus B,
> you are protected against xyz, but you not protected against zyx. And
> so on.
>
> Second, even if every antivirus program provided complete protection
> against every virus out there, and even if you upgraded your
> anti-virus definitions every day, as soon as the new ones came out,
> you could still never be completely protected. That's because all
> antivirus companies need to have time to respond to a new virus when
> it comes out. Whenever a new virus comes out, one or more people have
> to get infected by it, it has to get reported to the antivirus
> company, and they need time to research and develop countermeasures
> against it. Best case, it takes a few days. During that few days, we
> are *all* at risk to getting infected by that virus.
>
> So using an antivirus is good, but relying on it as absolute
> protection is foolhardy. Caution and prudence in everything you do
> (call it "safe hex," if you like) are still appropriate. Avoiding
> opening E-mail attachments is one of the ways to that--at least for
> those not required by their jobs to open them.
>
>
>
> >"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
> >
> >> On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 17:17:00 -0700, Ginnie
> >> <Ginnie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> >I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
> >> >system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
> >> >I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel.
> >>
> >>
> >> Of course not. You also can't open files sent to you in hundreds of
> >> other programs. In general you need the correct program to open *any*
> >> file
> >>
> >>
> >> > Is there a way to do
> >> >this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?
> >>
> >>
> >> If all you want to do is view the files sent to you, you can download
> >> free Word and Excel viewers from Microsoft. However if you want to
> >> modify those files, or create your own, you need to either buy Word
> >> and Excel or get a compatible program such as WordPerfect Office,
> >> OpenOffice, or StarOffice.
> >>
> >> Also note that both Word and Excel files can carry macro viruses.
> >> Opening such files, even if they came from your best friend, is a very
> >> risky thing to do. I recommend against doing so.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> >>
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>

On Sun, 3 Jun 2007 03:41:01 -0700, Mick
<Mick@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Ken, I am a Tech who builds and repairs computers in my own business.. I am
>aware of the pifalls of the Net, and have been for many years.
>I appreciate what you are saying, but it does not fit into my circumstances.



That's fine, Mick. My original comments weren't directed at you (not
that I would known your background anyway), but at Ginnie, who I
assumed to be the average person. Most comments that I, or others,
make here are directed at the average person, and there are always
those to whom they don't apply.


>As you say, MOST people assume that an anti-virus solves everything; most
>people don't even know that their subscription has run out!
>And the much touted anti-viruses(SYMANTEC, etc), unfortunately, claim to be
>everything to everyone: firewall, anti-vurus, spyware cleaner, spam filter,
>etc.
>Vigilance is the key to how one protects one's computer; and most people
>don't know how to.
>
>Regards
>Mick
>
>
>"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 02:45:01 -0700, Mick
>> <Mick@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> >How do you do business if, as you say, you ca't open Word or Excel files due
>> >to macro viruses?
>>
>>
>> There are certainly some people who are in business situations where
>> they have no choice but to open such attachments. Those people need to
>> run the risk. But *many* people do *not* have to do so, and every time
>> they do, they run a needless risk.
>>
>>
>> >We can scan for viruses you know!
>>
>>
>> This is a very common attitude--"I run a virus checker and I keep it
>> up-to-date; therefore I am safe from viruses."
>>
>> Common as that attitude is, it is wrong! Running an anti-virus program
>> is good to do. It substantially decreases the risk of your getting a
>> virus. It does not, and *can* not eliminate that risk.
>>
>> First, note that every anti-virus program on the market protects
>> against a slightly different set of viruses. All of those sets overlap
>> to a large degree, but nowhere is there complete overlap. None is
>> perfect and none protects you against everything. If you run antivirus
>> A, you are not protected against virus xyx. If you run antivirus B,
>> you are protected against xyz, but you not protected against zyx. And
>> so on.
>>
>> Second, even if every antivirus program provided complete protection
>> against every virus out there, and even if you upgraded your
>> anti-virus definitions every day, as soon as the new ones came out,
>> you could still never be completely protected. That's because all
>> antivirus companies need to have time to respond to a new virus when
>> it comes out. Whenever a new virus comes out, one or more people have
>> to get infected by it, it has to get reported to the antivirus
>> company, and they need time to research and develop countermeasures
>> against it. Best case, it takes a few days. During that few days, we
>> are *all* at risk to getting infected by that virus.
>>
>> So using an antivirus is good, but relying on it as absolute
>> protection is foolhardy. Caution and prudence in everything you do
>> (call it "safe hex," if you like) are still appropriate. Avoiding
>> opening E-mail attachments is one of the ways to that--at least for
>> those not required by their jobs to open them.
>>
>>
>>
>> >"Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 17:17:00 -0700, Ginnie
>> >> <Ginnie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
>> >> >system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
>> >> >I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Of course not. You also can't open files sent to you in hundreds of
>> >> other programs. In general you need the correct program to open *any*
>> >> file
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> > Is there a way to do
>> >> >this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> If all you want to do is view the files sent to you, you can download
>> >> free Word and Excel viewers from Microsoft. However if you want to
>> >> modify those files, or create your own, you need to either buy Word
>> >> and Excel or get a compatible program such as WordPerfect Office,
>> >> OpenOffice, or StarOffice.
>> >>
>> >> Also note that both Word and Excel files can carry macro viruses.
>> >> Opening such files, even if they came from your best friend, is a very
>> >> risky thing to do. I recommend against doing so.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
>> >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>> >>
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>>

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

"Ginnie" wrote:

> I recently purchased a new computer with Vista Premium Home Version. The
> system came with MS Works Word Processor and MS Works Spreadsheet programs.
> I cannot open documents sent to me in Word or Excel. Is there a way to do
> this or must I purchase MS Word and Excel?
>
> Thanks.