Microsoft Works & IUN Computers

• My Microsoft Works file won't open here at IUN. Why?
• What's a text editor?
  

My Microsoft Works file won't open here at IUN. Why?

Here at The IT Help Desk, we hear this question on a regular basis. It is second only to questions concerning passwords but it is a source of decidedly-higher stress levels if you've brought your term paper to campus to print and the file won't open (and it's due that day).

Believe it or not, Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office are not necessarily compatible. Many computer companies (Gateway, Dell, etc.) have MS Works installed on their computers as part of the basic build. MS Works is an extremely stripped-down version of the MS Office Suite and this helps to keep the price of the computer down. Unfortunately, it also makes MS Works and the MS Office Suite almost completely incompatible. While both have popular applications such as Word, Excel, etc., the default method by which an MS Works program is saved makes it unreadable to the full-blown MS Office Suite (in spite of the fact that they both may be Word files, for example).

There are basically two ways to solve this problem:

1. Go to the IUN Bookstore, buy the MS Office Suite for $5 per CD, and install it on your home computer.
2. Save your MS Works Word files as Text Only, bring them to campus, and then format the file in the full-blown version of Word.

If the second solution sounds a bit inconvenient, you're right. After all, isn't that why you bought a computer to use at home? The first solution is much more practical and will nearly guarantee that any other computer that has the MS Office Suite (as does every computer at IUN) will be able to read your file. You will further benefit from the full functionality of the MS Office Suite programs. (Just be certain that if you don't uninstall MS Works, that you are actually using the MS Office Suite.)

If you are going to opt for the second option, you would actually be better off using a simple text editor such as NotePad or WordPad for the PC or SimpleText or BBEditLite for the Mac. A text editor is just that -- it edits only text, you cannot format the text to any great degree (paragraph indents and so forth). If you just save your work as Text Only and save it to a floppy or Zip disk, you can do any other formatting with MS Word on one of the computers in the open labs. If you still want to use the version of Word that is included with MS Works, then when you are ready to save your document, choose Save As and then use the drop-down list to choose either MS Word Document or Text Only. Again, the Text Only choice will remove any formatting that you have done. Saving it as an MS Word Document will give you a better chance of having that document function in the full MS Office Suite (although there can be no guarantee of this).

Please note: We cannot support installation issues with any software being installed on a non-IUN computer. This is due to the great variance within the standard builds of various computers; we urge you to contact your manufacturer's customer support staff. We do support functionality issues of all the software listed under our Tiered Support System on The IT Help Desk website.

What's a text editor?

A text editor is a very simple application that allows you to enter text and save it. It's pretty much a 'glorified typewriter' (an IBM Selectric though). On the other hand, a 'word processor' program, such as Microsoft Word, allows you not only to enter text and save it in a basic format, but also allows you to change the font, indent paragraphs, make tables, insert graphics, and much more.

The two most common text editors for the Windows platform are NotePad and WordPad (both are included in Microsoft Windows operating systems (W98, ME, W2000, XP). Both are accessed by going to START > PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES.

For the Mac, SimpleText is the most commonly-used text editor. If you do not find it listed under the APPLE > RECENT APPLICATIONS menu, then you'll need to open the hard drive icon, go to the APPLICATIONS folder, and you should find the icon here. (If not, use the Sherlock file search application to help you locate the SimpleText file.) As with text editors for Windows, SimpleText will only handle the most basic of functions concerning the text that is entered. You will still need to use a full-fledged word-processing application to complete the final formatting of your document.

While text editors may sound antiquated, they are still very useful applications, not only to overcome general compatibility issues but they are very useful tools if you are writing HTML or other scripting or coding languages.