For most of its long history, Microsoft Word used a proprietary format for its saved files, DOC. Starting in 2007 with updated versions of Word (and Microsoft Office), the default save format was changed to DOCX.
This isn't simply a belated version of the 1990s format – that extra X stands for the Office Open XML standard. So what is the difference and which one should you use?
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A brief history of the DOC . format
Microsoft Word started using the DOC format and this file extension more than 30 years ago in the first release of Word for MS-DOS. As an obvious extension to Microsoft's proprietary document processor, the format is also proprietary. Word was the only program that officially supported DOC files until Microsoft opened the specification in 2006.
During the late 90s and early 2000s, many other competing products were able to work with DOC files, although some of Word's more exotic formatting and options were not fully supported in the browsers. other word processing. Since Office and Word are the de-facto standard for Office suites and word processing tools, respectively, the self-contained nature of the file format has certainly helped Microsoft maintain its dominance over these products. products like Corel's WordPerfect.
Since 2008, Microsoft has released and updated the spec for the DOC format several times for use in other programs, although not all of Word's advanced functionality is supported by open documents.
After 2008, the DOC format was incorporated into many vendors' free and paid word processing programs. This makes working with older word processor formats significantly easier, and many users still prefer saving in the older DOC standard, as it is likely that friends or customers use old version of Microsoft Office needs to open it.
Introduction to Office Open XML (DOCX)
Under the pressure of increasing competition from the free and open source Open Office and Open Document Format (ODF), Microsoft pushed for the adoption of an even more expansive standard in the early 2000s. This led to the development of the DOCX file format, along with its companion formats such as XLSX for spreadsheets and PPTX for presentations.
The standards are presented under the name “Office Open XML” (not related to the Open Office program) because these formats are based on the Extensible Markup Language instead of the older and less efficient binary. The language offers a number of benefits, most notably smaller file sizes, less chance of corruption, and better compressed images.
The XML-based DOCX format became the default saving option for Word in the 2007 version of the software. At the time, many users believed that the new DOCX format and its contemporaries with Microsoft Office were merely a means for Microsoft to get rid of old versions of the software and sell new copies, because the original versions of Word and Office were not available. The old XML file cannot read the new XML file.
This is not entirely true. Word 2003 can read special Word XML file formats and compatibility updates have since been applied to other versions. But in any case, some users may manually save files in the old DOC standard instead of DOCX to ensure compatibility… But it's a bit ironic, since it's only more compatible with older versions of Word, not older versions of Word. not with other cross-platform tools like Open Office Writer. Modern word processors support both DOC and DOCX formats, among many others.
10 years later, DOCX has become the new de-facto standard, although it is not quite as popular as the old DOC file format due to competitors such as ODF and the decline in usage of traditional word processors.
How to open DOCX files?
DOCX is a smaller document file format than DOC, convenient for emailing and storing on hard drives. DOCX is a compressed file, which means it is shrunk to reduce the impact on storage space. DOCX files are opened with Microsoft Word or alternative third-party programs.
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This is one of the most popular document file types, very convenient to share with others. In fact, most users have Microsoft Word, so it is easy to open and edit this type of file. In a group setting, DOCX is the ideal choice due to its editing capabilities. Team members can quickly share and edit DOCX with each other, making it perfect for projects and campaigns.
In fact, you don't even need to open a DOCX file with Word because Microsoft has a free Word Viewer program that allows you to open Word documents as DOCX files without installing MS Office.
Furthermore, you don't even need any Microsoft Office related programs on your computer to open this type of file, as there are several completely free word processing programs that can open and edit the file. DOCX. WPS, OpenOffice Writer and ONLYOFFICE are a few tools that Quantrimang.com often recommended to readers.
The free Google Docs tool is an online word processor that can also open and edit DOCX files. As a web-based tool, Google Docs does not require any software download. Of course, this also means that any DOCX files you want to use with Google Docs must be uploaded to the tool before they can be viewed and edited.
Microsoft Word Online is another way to view and edit DOCX files online. That service is from Microsoft, so it looks a bit like the desktop version of Microsoft Word, but it's free.
Google also has a free Chrome extension that lets you view and edit DOCX files right in your browser, called Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides. The extension supports dragging local DOCX files into the Chrome browser as well as opening DOCX files directly from the Internet without having to download them first.
The now defunct Microsoft Works also opens DOCX files. Although not free, Corel WordPerfect Office is another option you can buy at Amazon.
When to use another file type instead of DOCX?
Articles, newsletters and advertisements are best created with DOCX. DOCX is used to create resumes and cover letters, although it is not ideal because DOCX files are prone to editing. In these cases, consider a different file format, especially for professional documents such as cover letters or resumes. In this case, a format such as a PDF document file is better because accidental editing or changes are less likely.
To convert DOCX files:
1. Open files in Microsoft Word.
2. Click File.
3. Click Save As.
4. From the drop-down menu, select the file type you want to save (PDF, etc.)
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Also, if you want to let a conversion program handle the process, there are plenty of options to consider. Zamzar's browser-based system has an easy-to-use interface and requires no program installation. Give it a try if you have a lot of files to convert, as it can save you time.
How to convert DOCX . files
Most people are interested in converting DOCX files to PDF or DOC, but the programs and services below also support a number of additional file formats.
The fastest, easiest and most efficient way to convert a DOCX file is to simply open the file with one of the word processing programs mentioned above, and then save the file to your computer in the desired format. Do this through the menu File > Save As or something similar.
If that doesn't seem to work for you, you can use a dedicated conversion tool from our list of free file conversion software programs and online services. Quantrimang.com, like Zamzar or FileZigZag. These are great examples of online DOCX converters that can save files not only into document formats like DOC, PDF, ODT and TXT, but also e-book formats and image formats like MOBI. , LIT, JPG and PNG.
To convert your DOCX file to Google Docs format to edit it there, all you have to do is upload the file to your account. This can be done from the menu New > File of Google Drive or directly from Google Docs via the file picker icon.
Caliber is a very popular free program that converts DOCX to e-book formats, like EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, PDB, PDF and several others. The article recommends that you read their guide on how to convert Word documents for help creating eBooks from DOCX files at:
What format should you use?
Documents in DOCX format are only half the size of the old DOC format. DOCX is the better choice for every situation. This format produces small, lightweight files that are easier to read and transfer. The open nature of the Office Open XML standard means it can be read by any full-featured word processor, including online tools like Google Docs.
The only reason to use the current old DOC file format is to recover some files older than 10 years or to work with an outdated word processor. In either case, it's best to save the file in DOCX or some other modern standard like ODF, for easy conversion.
Some frequently asked questions about DOCX . files
How to open DOCX files on Android?
If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, download the Microsoft Word app from Google Play. Select the DOCX file on the device and open it in the Word application. If you don't have the Word app, you can open and edit DOCX files in the Google Docs app on your smartphone by first uploading them to cloud storage by selecting the plus sign (+) > Upload.
How to open DOCX files on Mac?
One simple method is to use the Pages app, which is built into most Macs. If you don't already have it, you can download the Pages app for free from the App Store. Right-click the DOCX document and select Open With > Pages. To convert the original file to another format such as PDF or Word, select File > Export To > file format.
Is DOCX a compressed file?
Microsoft Office DOCX files are actually zip archives with a bunch of XML files and all the media attached. This format is super useful, everyone should know about it!
How to convert DOCX files to zip files?
- Upload the DOCX file to the converter: Click the button “Choose File” to select the docx file on the computer. DOCX file size can be up to 100MB.
- Convert DOCX to ZIP: Click the button "Convert" to start the conversion.
- Download the resulting ZIP file: When the conversion is complete, you can download the converted ZIP file.
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