Having trouble reading Word and Excel documents?

We have been contacted recently by a number of people who run Windows XP and Office 2003 - THE standard business configuration for many years - complaining that they can't read some of the newer documents posted on this site or emailed to them.

The spread of new computers is causing people with older [>2!] PC's to have problems reading some of the documents now being created. Computers less than 2 years old create Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents in a new version of these programmes, and the files need 'converting' if they are to be read on an older PC.

The new file format will display an extra 'x' on the end of the file name, like 'Draw.xlsx' rather than 'Draw.xls'. If this type of 'extra x' document arrives on an older computer it can still read them but first you need to install an update from Microsoft's secure download site, link below. Once this is installed and you have re-booted your PC it should recognise documents in the new format and automatically convert them for you, allowing you to read them on an older PC.

 For a time this problem may get worse as newer computers gradually outweigh older computers, so hopefully this download will help in everything you do:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=941B3470-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en

Not being a Mac user I can't help with that software, but you should be able to Google the answer; try 'Converting Office 2003 files to 2007'