The .docX Files

         Move over Mulder. Stand back Scully. It's time to reveal the greatest X file secret.

         Across the world, people's files are changing - becoming unrecognisable. And we know who's behind it. Not invaders from another world - just Microsoft.

         In their 2007 packages (Office 2007 and Windows Vista), MS changed their file formats. The new file has an X appended. What was once Chapter3.doc now becomes Chapter3.docx. A similar change also applies for Excel and Power Point documents.

         X?

         For those who speak geek, the x stands for xml (Extensible Mark-up Language). For the rest of us, it's just a change to the computer code that makes the files smaller and quicker to download over the web.

         In practical terms, the new software can read the old files but the old software can't read the new files without an upgrade.

         If the old Word tries to open a new document, you will get an error message saying it cannot recognise the document. At best, it will open into a page of indecipherable gibberish. Not quite the result you want when submitting to your editor.

         The new software can save documents as the old file type which most people can read. Under the File Menu, select Save As. At the bottom of the dialogue box, choose the option Save as Type and use the menu to select an older Word version - with a file extension .doc. If you want do this all the time, go to the Tools Menu, select Options then click on the Save tab. At the bottom of that box, you will see default save setting. Set that to Word *.doc.

         To enable your older version to read any new files you are sent, you'll have to buy the new software or download the Microsoft free conversion kit. To do this, go to the MS support site - http://support.microsoft.com

         Look for a link to 2007 Microsoft Office Suites. There is an option - "How to use earlier versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word to open and save files from Office 2007 programs". When you open this, there is a link to download the Compatibility Pack - and advice on how to do it.

         So - mystery solved. No aliens. Not even a bug. Just an "improvement".