--- Forwarded Message from Francois Crompton-Roberts <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: Francois Crompton-Roberts <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: University of London
>To: LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 15:37:48 +0000
>Subject: Re: #5152 Mac Word 6-->Word 98 compatibility prob's (!)
>Reply-to: Francois C-R <[log in to unmask]>
>Priority: normal
>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>

> We are encountering compatibility problems in upgrading our Macs to
> Word 98.
> 
> Documents created in Word 6 (and Word 5) using either the Cyrillic
> or Central European character sets are not being rendered correctly
> in Word 98.
> 
> Has anyone else encountered and solved this problem?

I haven't (we're too poor to afford Word 98!) but I happened to 
mention your e-mail to a colleague and he said that he has read about 
the problem on ZD-NET's newsletter and downloaded a freeware 
conversion program. He sends me the following help-file that came 
with it. 

You can get the program from the supplier or, as we did, from the 
link in the ZD-NET  newsletter of some time ago.


CHARSET DECODING v1.04
WELCOME

  "Charset Decoding" is a set of add-ins for Microsoft (r)
Office (Microsoft (r) Excel, Microsoft (r) Word, Microsoft
(r) PowerPoint).

  If you speak several languages and you have Microsoft(r)
Office on your desktop this software was designed for you.

  Microsoft (r) Office tools usually can display text in the
language in which it was written.  However, some
texts of the documents can be unreadable.  Particularly
those are from your international respondents, which have
localized versions of Microsoft (r) Windows and/or
Microsoft (r) Office.

  When this happens, you can convert the document text to
the readable text with the "Charset Decoding".

  With Charset Decoding you can convert any Internet
messages, DOS texts and others to readable documents also.

  Now installation includes Native Language Support (NLS)
files of Macintosh character sets.  They enable support of
MAC encoding for your Internet tools (not only for "Charset
Decoding")!

  LICENSE AGREEMENT

  Charset Decoding ("the Software") is freeware.  Permission
is granted to make and distribute unaltered copies of the
Software.  License is further granted to use the software
free of charge.

  IN NO EVENT WILL AUTHOR BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES,
INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SALES, INJURY TO PERSON OR
PROPERTY OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE.

  Author does not warrant that the functions contained in
this Software will meet your requirements or that the
operation of the Software will be uninterrupted or
error-free.

  SUPPORT INFORMATION

  If you have questions about this product, feel free to
e-mail me at [log in to unmask]  Also, all suggestions
for enhancements are welcome and appreciated.

  SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

  Microsoft (r) Windows 95/98/NT
  Microsoft (r) Office 97/2000
  Disk space: ~ 1900 K

  INSTALLATION

  Simple run CSDECODE.EXE.  Follow screen instructions.

  Note: If you have reinstalled MSOffice (add or delete some
applications) you may have reinstall "Charset Decoding"
also.

  DEINSTALLATION

  Go to "Control Panel \ Add/Remove program"
  Select "Charset Decoding"
  Press "Add/Remove"

  FEATURES

  SYSTEM SUPPORT

  For convert charset encoding with "Charset Decoding" you
must already have support for that language on your Windows
system.  Another meaning, "Charset Decoding" supports all
types of charset encoding which were installed on your
computer.  Basically Window s (especially Windows 95\98)
does not support of Macintosh character sets.  For that
reason installation of "Charset Decoding" includes NLS files
(and setup procedures) witch enable support MAC encoding.

  CUSTOM CONVERSION

  On the "Tools" menu in the Office application, click
"Charset decoding", then "Custom".  On the Custom conversion
dialog box, choose values on the "Charset" and "Font"
dropdown list boxes.  You can preview the text in the
Preview area to check whether it makes sense in the encoding
standard and font you selected.  Click "OK" to run "Charset
Decoding".  Latest 3 cases of Charset will be stored on
"Tools \ Charset Decoding" menu.

  You can switch "Maintain existing format" to ON to keep
document structure or switch it to OFF for faster results.
Also, you can increase the speed of charset decoding by:

   - disable test for already converted characters (option
   "Keep wide characters");

   - disable display changes on the monitor (option "Update
   screen", with Microsoft (r) Word and Microsoft (r)
   Excel);

   - disable store changes to undo (option "Can undo", only
   with Microsoft (r) Excel).

  All these options will be stored to repeat the latest
conversion.

  REPEAT LATEST CONVERSION

  On the "Tools" menu in the Office application, click
"Charset decoding", and then choose type of charset encoding
you want.  To run "Charset Decoding" for whole document you
have to choose no selection or empty selection (without
text) of the document.

  NOTE

  Some text objects of your document cannot be converted
with "Charset Decoding".  There are "WordArt", "Chart" and
etc.

Charset Decoding. Readme
(c) 1998, Miron (Y.Miroshnikov)
[log in to unmask]

Francois C-R
[log in to unmask]