How to convert old .doc, .xls and .ppt files to .docx, .xlsx and .pptx

How to convert .doc to .docx (and .xls to .xlsx, .ppt to .pptx)

Open the tool, click "Open converter", upload the .doc, .xls or .ppt file, wait and click "Baixar DOCX", "Baixar XLSX" or "Baixar PPTX" (the converter window is in Portuguese; "Baixar" means download): .docx for Word documents, .xlsx for Excel spreadsheets and .pptx for PowerPoint decks. OpenDocument files and .rtf are accepted too: .odt and .rtf become .docx, .ods becomes .xlsx and .odp becomes .pptx. One file at a time. Unlike most AtlasDocs tools, this conversion happens on our server, and the file is discarded right after.

1. Open the tool and click "Open converter". A window shows the message "Preparing the converter… it may take a few seconds. Please wait." The service wakes up in a few seconds.
2. Inside the converter window, upload the old file: .doc, .xls or .ppt (or .odt, .ods, .odp and .rtf). One file at a time, up to 200 MB.
3. Wait for the conversion, which is done on our server, and click "Baixar DOCX", "Baixar XLSX" or "Baixar PPTX", depending on the file type. The result keeps the original name with the new extension.
4. Open the downloaded file in your usual program and check that the content is in place before sharing it.

Why the old format causes so much trouble

The .doc, .xls and .ppt formats come from the Office generation before 2007. Current programs still try to open them, but drop into "compatibility mode," where features are locked and formatting can slip. On phones, in online editors and on many upload forms, these files are simply rejected. Today's standard is the open XML-based format, Office Open XML, documented by ECMA International, which every recent program understands.

• They open in "compatibility mode," with limited features and editing.
• Formatting can slip: swapped fonts, misaligned tables, slides out of place.
• Many online services and phone apps reject them or warn that the format is old.
• Co-editing or attaching them on modern platforms is harder, since those ask for the current format.

What the tool does (and what it doesn't)

• Accepts the old Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt), plus OpenDocument (.odt, .ods, .odp) and .rtf.
• Returns the same document in the matching modern format: .docx, .xlsx or .pptx, ready to edit in any current program.
• Runs on our server: the file is sent for the conversion and discarded afterwards. That is why there is an "Open converter" step and a wait of a few seconds.
• Is not for files already in .docx, .xlsx or .pptx: those need no conversion.
• Does not replace a check: open the result and verify tables, images and fonts before sending it to anyone.
• Limit of 200 MB per file; above that, the window shows "Arquivo muito grande! Máximo: 200MB" (file too large). If the conversion fails, it shows "Erro na conversão" (conversion error) with the reason. The converter window is in Portuguese.

Just want to open the old file, without converting?

If all you need is to read the document (a .doc that arrived by email, an old spreadsheet to look up a figure), there is no need to convert. The Office viewer opens Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OpenDocument files right in the browser, with the "Open viewer" button. It also runs on our server, with the same notice and the same discard policy. What the viewer shows and its limits are in how to open Word, Excel and PowerPoint online without Office.

Modernize, then make a PDF

A common path: the old file has to go to someone who only accepts PDF. Modernize it first, open the .docx, .xlsx or .pptx to check it, then use the Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF conversion, which also happens on our server. The PDF freezes the document's look and opens on any device. What that PDF looks like, and the tips for spreadsheets and decks, are in how to convert Word, Excel and PowerPoint to PDF.

When it's worth modernizing

• You received an old file and it opens with a warning or won't open on your device.
• You need to edit it on a phone, in an online editor or in a program that won't take the old format.
• You're archiving important documents and want them to keep opening in the future.
• You want to co-edit or attach them on platforms that only accept the current format.

Unlike most AtlasDocs tools, which run in your browser, this conversion happens on our server: the file is sent to generate the modern version and discarded afterwards. If the document is highly sensitive, consider whether you can send it before using the tool.

Modernizing an old file is the step that heads off the "I can't open this" headache: in a few seconds it comes back as a current document, ready to edit, share and archive without surprises. An old file also needs modernizing before it can get a password: see how to password-protect Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.