Opening SDW files

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oldfriend
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Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:48 pm

Opening SDW files

Post by oldfriend »

Over the years I have written many short stories. I am sure I had previously the StarOffice Writer from the old Microsystems company (now taken over). I have also used Microsoft Word and may well have used 'other' software programmes on previous PC's. I am now beginning to understand a little about how files are opened. Quite a few of my Texts in the Documents folder still inform me that specific text requires SDW attachments (or whatever they are). I cannot therefore open these, I am informed that the file may be corrupted and I have tried quite a few programmes within my system but they do not respond except with the usual message.

I can 'open with' Wordpad but receive just a jumble of meaningless words, letters and spaces. I have searched the Internet and have tried some helpful advice but without success. I have a few discs of past stories - ALL of which has SDW needs. Trying to open any of these just fails,

I do believe that some of my texts have automatically changed to Open Doc. A few important ones have not.

Is there any solution to this? I am one stage up from an IT 'Dummy', finding most explanations and instructions completely confusing. I would welcome any help. Thanks
Open Office 3.3 Installed on Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
RPG
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Location: Netherlands

Re: Opening SDW files

Post by RPG »

Hello

When you not can open it with OOo3.3 then download an old version of OOo 2.4.2

Maybe you have first to delete OOo3.3 and then install OOo2.4.2. But then you can again install OOo3.3 side by side with OOo2.4.2

http://www.filehippo.com/download_openoffice/

Romke
LibreOffice 7.1.4.2 on openSUSE Leap 15.2
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RoryOF
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Location: Ireland

Re: Opening SDW files

Post by RoryOF »

If you do as Romke suggests, transfer _all_ your old sdw files to ODT or (shudder) doc format, and be done with the need to transfer from old formats.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Opening SDW files

Post by Hagar Delest »

Can you upload one of your files so that we check (see: How to attach a document here)?
LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
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RoryOF
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Re: Opening SDW files

Post by RoryOF »

I'm running OOo 3.3 RC10 under Ubuntu 10.10 and it can save and open .sdw files from Versions 3 - 5 of Starwriter.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
oldfriend
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:48 pm

Re: Opening SDW files

Post by oldfriend »

Thank you so much. I deleted the latest version I had dowloaded and then installed the earlier version suggested. Apart from one or two files I can now open the SDW format... a couple are blank pages but thankful for this progress. The only challenge I have is to re-establish a shortcut to the word processing and other functions within the Open Office programme. Anyway great progress after a protracted time trying to solve the inaccessibility to SDW files. Thanks again.
Open Office 3.3 Installed on Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
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