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MSOffice 2007 Facts and WebCT 6MSOffice 2007 - What's new? Microsoft has recently released MSOffice 2007 to the public for purchase. The new MSOffice provides a variety of new features and uses a new default file format that is completely different from previous versions of Microsoft Office. The new four character file extension is used every time you save a file. The new file extensions are:
How does this new format affect me? As new computers and software are purchased, students will begin to submit assignments in the new MSOffice 2007 file format. You should be aware that MSOffice 2007 can open files from previous versions of MSOffice; however, previous versions of MSOffice cannot open files created in MSOffice 2007. Unless, they have been specifically saved in an Office 97-2003 file format, using the ‘save-as’ file type feature. Microsoft knew current users of MSOffice 2003 would encounter problems trying to open MSOffice 2007 files. So, they released a free add-in “The Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack”. This software add-in allows MSOffice 2003 owners to open, modify, and resave MSOffice 2007 files. You can save files back as Office 2007 or any of Office 97 – 2003 formats. You can download the Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack from the link below. What about Office 2007 files and WebCT? The best practice for uploading any type Office 2007 file to WebCT is to make sure the file is saved in Office 97 – 2003 format, preferably “filename.rtf”. RTF files are universal and can be opened with almost any word processing software application version and are completely compatible with WebCT 6. You should be aware that MSOffice 2007 files can be uploaded to WebCT 6; however, the new file format creates a download problem for you and your students. When a student or faculty member tries to download an assignment or attachment - WebCT will replace the new four character extension with a ZIP file extension. Unfortunately, students and faculty will believe WebCT has created a WinZip file for download. Please Note! WebCT has not converted the file into a WinZip file. Click on the link below for a short visual example on how to properly download an MSOffice 2007 file from WebCT. How to download an MSOffice 2007 file from WebCT If you forgot to rename the file during download the download process. Do not unzip the file just rename the extension as shown in the example. Rename Example: Assignment1.zip to Assignment1.docx Then you will be able to open the file in MSOffice 2007 or MSOffice 2003 with the compatibility pack installed. |