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Re: [LUG] Feel my pain

 

Top posting, excuse me - a bit unavoidable as this thread is out-of-order already.

Firstly, don't use Outlook for anything, ever - unless you're inside a MS enterprise shop with Exchange servers. It's not a mail program for consumers. Thunderbird will hook into everything so use that for your mail transfer needs, or hook into a locally setup IMAP server with a temporary account for migrating emails over.

Nothing wrong with Windows 8 apart from the usual "what's wrong with anything from Microsoft" arguments (I'll make no comment as to their validity). Don't use that Pokki crap, it's total shit-ware, I've just cleaned it off a couple of machines. If you must sort out the Metro interface thing, download and install Classic Shell from Sourceforge.

Just ran into exactly the same problem - ended up installing Works. Office 2010/2007, even with the Microsoft-recommended compatibility/conversion packs do indeed fail to open Works documents... *rolls eyes* Libreoffice and I believe Openoffice will indeed open and convert them however, sometimes not as successfully as you might like though.

It sounds like someone is conflating Google Drive and Google Office, although I don't have a lot of experience with either of them - Google Drive is a sync tool like Dropbox or Skydrive, of course it doesn't "convert" anything, it's not supposed to.

Run "PC Decrapifier" (http://pcdecrapifier.com/download) on shit-riddled OEM installs out of the box, that will save a lot of pain. Otherwise, it's really not difficult to migrate users between different windows systems, including win8: I do it all the time. I'm doing several right now actually, so if anyone needs more pointers, just ask. Note I'm not saying it's much fun, but it's not difficult.

Regards



On 01/05/13 18:42, Grant Phillips-Sewell wrote:
Not the quickest or easiest solution, but adding Gmail IMAP to the existing
Outlook 2000 and then copy/move the messages/folders over. It does work,
but might have to be done little-by-little.

Windows 8. Blergh. If your Dad's friend is missing his Start menu, then he
could try (not Free Software) www.pokki.com.

MS Works... does *anything* read them anymore? I'm pretty sure I've used
OpenOffice (as was) to convert them to something else, which could then be
uploaded/converted by Google Drive (if necessary).

Your pain... I feel it.

Grant.


On 1 May 2013 18:21, Kai Hendry <hendry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Was expecting to help my Dad's friend migrate to Gmail today, but as
you know the road to hell is paved with good intentions.


Firstly Outlook 2000 is unsupported by Google Outlook exporter.

Then he whips out a new purchase he's made. An Acer laptop with
Windows 8. Nightmare.

Yes, I experience first hand the disaster that is Windows 8.
Registration was a pain. Metro interface was boggling to a Windows
user, let alone me. Incredibly slow setup and then welcome to
Acer/McAffee nagware. I can't believe they still do that crap.

Then he wanted to move his old documents across. I suggested Google
drive. Turns out Google drive can't read Microsoft Works documents.
Er, neither can Office365 after we bothered to "Try it".

Now he wants to try install WindowsXP (old OEM version from his
previous computer) and Office 2000 on the new laptop. And that point I
made my excuses and left.

Really sad how Microsoft treats users like that, with no sane upgrade
path. PC manufacturers like Acer have left UX at the door.

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