Docx Format

[sunny-dave]

I use Open Office on my iMac - it's free, works well and does everything I need.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a (lazy) trend amongst big companies to use the proprietary .docx format when sending out Word Documents, rather than the more widely used .doc format.

I know it's the default, but it's a pain in the bum if you don't have Word and they use formatting that doesn't render properly when converted by Open Office to a .doc format.

They're not going to change (however much I rant at them), so I need a free and simple format converter that renders .docx into .doc whilst preserving all (or at least most) of the fonts and formatting.

Any ideas, please?

[Buenchico]

.docx became the 'norm' when Microsoft Office 2007 was introduced to the market a decade and a half ago. So I can't see how .doc could now be regarded as being 'more widely used'. (Only Microsoft use .docx as its default format though. Almost everyone else uses .odt).

Your problem isn't really with the file format(s) being used by people who send you files. It's more to do with the fact that you're using out-of-date software. While OpenOffice can read .docx files, it can't write them. However LibreOffice, which has been developed from OpenOffice and is compatible with macOS, provides a more up-to-date solution.

So switch to LibreOffice (which, as it's basically OpenOffice anyway, will look reassuringly familiar to you) and your problems will be over:
https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/install-howto/macos/

Just like OpenOfficer Writer, LibreOffice Writer uses the .odt format as its default setting when you click on 'Save'. You can easily change it to .docx though:
https://www.howtogeek.com/281166/how-to-change-the-default-file-format-in-libreoffice/

[sunny-dave]

Thanks Chris - will have a look