word docs in 2010 saved 97-2003 format display as binary in browser 1

[1DMF]

Hi,

I seem unable to print any word docs direct to the browser if they have been saved in MS Office 2010.

Even though we are saving them as .doc 97-2003 format, they refuse to offer the open/save dialog box and just show that 'interpreted' binary rubbish.

If I open them in Office 2003 and resave them , then re-upload them , they work correctly and display in the browser correctly as word docs?

Also a 300KB .docx file, when resaved to 97-2003 in office 2003 turns into a 10MB file?

Any ideas how to fix these problems?

Thanks,
1DMF



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[1DMF]

Well I got round it by forcing the MIME type to application/msword , not required before as the browser used to correctly identify the file type.

It works if saved as Word 97-2003 & RTF , but not as word doc (the other .doc extention option).

Still doesn't explain why a 300k docx turns into a 10mb .doc file?

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[MasterRacker]

The "***x" formats for Office 2007 and 2010 are actually zip files. You're seeing the effects of compression.

Jeff
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[1DMF]

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate that the .docx is a compressed file, but 300k to 10mb, they aren't that big when saved as straight .doc , just when 97-2003/RTF format.

An it seems to get 97-2003, the only option you get is to include RTF.

OK, so the .docx is a zipped/compressed file, doesn't mean I want to save the darn thing to my PC or open it with WinZip etc., I want it to open in the browser with MS Word, like it always used to and how my users expect it to work!

MS's slogan used to be 'Where do you want to go today?', how about being able to go where I was yesterday?





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[MasterRacker]

The size bloat would be normal with RTF. I just converted a 2 page document with some screenshots from 2003 .doc to .rtf and it went from 596 KB to 28.9 MB. If I recall, RTF stores embedded embedded graphics in a hugely bloated metafile format whereas the native Word formats use a graphic file format.

I found a list of new MIME times for Office 2007, which makes sense since the file format is different. Try something from this list:

http://www.bram.us/2007/05/25/office-2007-mime-types-for-iis/

Jeff
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[1DMF]

Thanks Jeff, I'll have a play and see how I get on.

I appreciate the RTF issue, but in Office 2010, there isn't an option for 97-2003 file format, it's auto bundled with RTF, which it never used to be, you could save as 97-2003 without the RTF format attached in MSO2003/2007.

There is an option for just .doc, but it isn't clear what versions that is compatible with and it certainly doesn't work like the old 97-2003 doc type used to in a browser.

This sort of constant incompatability with themseves has made my sister go completely over to Macs, they now run a mac server, drobo drives, ipads , imacs, ipods, the lot.

Though one thing that I'm confused by her change to macs is they then purchased MS Office for Mac?

Kinda defeats the 'moving away' from MS doesn't it?

Hey ho, got a shed load of stuff to fix as my editor keeps crashing in Windows 7 and Outlook 2010 is driving me mad, it was a nice idea the boss getting me a new PC for 2011, but now instead of doing my job, I'm spending the next week fixing things which now seem to be broken!

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[strongm]

>made my sister go completely over to Macs

Presumably you are aware that, outside of marketing presentations, Macs also suffer from incompatibility problems?

>there isn't an option for 97-2003 file format
Are you quite, quite sure? There is in mine ...

So, is this binary display problem on all PCs that you try it on, or just the one you are running Office 2010 on?

 

[1DMF]

Yeah I know strongm, but my sisters new boyfriend is Mac mad!

they are so great and never break, and so rock solid and... and... and... , personally I don't get half the problems with my home PC everyone else seems to moan about, i built it in 2007 and it still kicks ass and hasn't fallen over once, OK Vista pre-SP1 was a nightmare, but windows 7 is running sweet!

I did have a play on the iPad and it seemed OK, nice enlarge features with your finger and thumb, and it seemed fairly fast.

Safari still sucks though, my hobby site works in IE,Opera,Chrome & Firefox, yet it was all over the place on their iPad in Safari!

I still don't understand why or how their exchange server fell over and couldn't be fixed anyhow...

I don't like to get involved, if she's happy with him moving them to Mac, it works for me, I can't give any support as i don't do Macs ;-)

back to my problem....I think it was my 2003 confusing me, that option which said 97-2003 included RTF , but in office 2010, it just says 97-2003.

Something changed somewhere between office 2003-2007 & 2010, as my getFile script stopped working, but I had been a bit naughty and relied on the browser to determine mime type, which had worked until office 2010?

It was only this new 2010 user when saving word docs that caused the problem, and even me resaving them from 2003 still didn't work, only if using the 97-2003+RTF format, which creates stupidly massive files.

Yet docs created in 2003 worked straight of the bat, only those created in 2010, and then saved as 97-2003 or opened and resaved in 2003 caused problems?

I've re-written my script to send the correct mime header to the browser dependant on file extension and now things work as before.

So I can't blame it all on MS, it was my script to blame also!

MS used to be good at correcting sloppyness, but it seems over the last few years as MS has become more and more standards compliant, I notice the fault tollerance in their apps is not as good as it used to be!

Can't grumble really!



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[traycee]

Both Office 2003, Office 2007, and Office 2010 can save files as .doc and .rtf files. If you're uploading them to a web browser for people to view, I'd save them as a .pdf file. The x at the end (such as .docx) does not mean they are zip files that you would need winzip or the like to open. They open naturally in Office 2007 and Office 2010 and all you would need to open them in Office 2003 would be to install the free compatibility software.

Now...if you mean that if you email a .docx or .xlsx file using an SBS server 2003 and someone is going to open that file using Outlook Web Access that can be different. It will show up in the attachment area with the correct extension but if you save it or try to open it, it looks like it is a zip file but it is not. You would just need to save the .docs or xlsx to your computer. Then rename it so it has the correct extension and it opens right up. Else...you'd just have to add those extensions to the server so it could open them.

 

[1DMF]

Thanks traycee, but that wasn't the issue, it's to do with mime types in the document header when printing binary objects to the browser.

PDF is not an option as they are templates to be filled in by those with ms word.

Also note that .rtf and .doc with RTF are not the same, .doc with RTF is what causes the file bloat.

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"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"

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