Can I open a word doc without using word program?

[redclover79]

I've been sent an attachment in an email but it's in word. Is there some way of accessing it as I don't have office on my pc.
TIA!

Save it to your computer.

Right click and then selected "open with" and slect wordpad or notepad.

It will loose its formattng (I can't remember which is better wordpad or notepad - if it stretches it all the way to the side try the other one) - BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ THE TEXT.

Alternatively you could download the free OpenOffice suite which is a very goo Microsoft Office substitute and will open it with most of the formatting.

yes - I can open word docs using staroffice - which is free -= hence me having it!

No.

But you can download 'Word' for free from OpenOffice - just google it.

( It is a freeware version of Word by SunMicrosystems to get at Microsoft) Works perfectly well and completely free.

Thanks for the answers, I will look at freeware recommendations!

You can also try using Google Docs which will support various filetypes, including various versions of Microsoft Word .DOC files.
There is a 500KB limit on the filesize you can upload for Word docs.

like Peas I use the sun open source stuff - we've even started using it in work..

I use Omnio office - tis free and very good. But Google docs is also good.

Google Docs does not support docx format, as yet anyway. Microsoft do Word Viewer 2007 which supports docx and docm formats (you need to download the compatibility pack as well as the viewer). Note: You can't edit using Word Viewer.

If you have FireFox as your browser and the file is docx, then you can use OpenXML Viewer (I'm installing it now, will confirm if it can open older Word formats, or if it's only Word 2007 docx)

Update: Can't get OpenXML to install. It's in Beta testing. With luck they will release a new verion soon, with an installer for us not-so-technical users.

Oh thanks for telling us about open office. I don't have word now and having trouble opening documents for UNI.

If I send a document created in open office can itbe opened in word? I am thinking if I email in more assignments. ATM I am doing them on lap top in word then loading on to PC to email.

Skrimbo - yes in open office you can actually save it as a Word formatted file (or a PDF whcih can be universally opened but not edited).

Thanks, that will help me manage until I find someone willing to lend me a disk so I can reinstall word after wrecking it.