2

I'm looking for a method to verify that a .doc or .docx file that has been created in Microsoft Word, and then modified in Ubuntu (in my case, with LibreOffice) will look the same when I give it to people using Microsoft Word.

Unfortunately, they need the ability to edit it afterward, or I would just export the files as pdfs.

I can see that the files remain more or less the same, but what I'd like is to be able to check it every time before I send the file back. A 100% accurate viewer could solve this, or an on-line method.

Any (preferably easy-to-implement) ideas?

Eyal
  • 5,005
  • Google Docs, Office 365 or Microsoft Office itself are your options. – Uri Herrera Feb 21 '13 at 09:28
  • @UriHerrera As I wrote in my answer, I think using SkyDrive is preferable since it's a Microsoft product (hopefully totally accurate) but also free (unlike Office 365/Office) – Eyal Feb 26 '13 at 08:58

2 Answers2

3

If you really want 100% accuracy, then buy Microsoft Office and install it through wine.

Another possibility is to install the free Microsoft Word viewer.

To Do
  • 15,502
  • I installed the Microsoft Word Viewer and the compatibility pack. But the very first .docx file I tried to open generated a warning about it being from "a newer version" and that the layout might be wrong. Is there no up-to-date Word Viewer available? – Eyal Feb 24 '13 at 18:23
  • If you downloaded the file from the link provided, you do have the latest version of Word Viewer. Was the .docx created by Libreoffice? If yes, that is one possible reason why it is complaining. I would ignore the warnings and check if it is rendered correctly. – To Do Feb 24 '13 at 18:51
  • I did download the viewer from the link. As for the .docx file- I didn't create it, so I don't know if it came from LibreOffice. But when I viewed it using SkyDrive, it rendered properly. – Eyal Feb 24 '13 at 21:50
1

I think the simplest solution is to create a Microsoft SkyDrive account. Unlike Office 365 SkyDrive appears to be free. Once you've made an account, you can upload a Word document and view it using the SkyDrive web Word viewer.

This is easier than installing Wine and the desktop Microsoft Word Viewer; also, the first file I tried viewing appeared garbled on the desktop Word Viewer, and correctly on the web Word Viewer through SkyDrive (for the record, installing the desktop Word Viewer and Wine wasn't particularly difficult).

The disadvantage of this is that you need web access to view a file, and you need to upload it to SkyDrive.

Eyal
  • 5,005