[hurst]

Just purchased a Compaq notebook Presario A900 with Vista.
Attachments with Word 97 files cannot be opened. What's the solution please? Help, help, help!

[slurpee55]

Do you have Office installed? Word is not part of Vista.

[DoubleHelix]

Are you sure the files were created with Word 97 and not any other more recent version?
Did the senders tell you that they cannot be opened with any other version?

I would not recommend trying to install an 11 year-old Office suite on a brand new Vista computer. It's not likely to work. Do you need to just view the documents? Or do you have a need to edit them as well? The answer to the question will help direct a solution.

[ahad917]

If you could let some one open it for you and then save it as 97-2003

or the word 2007 extension

[slurpee55]

The OP hasn't even replied that they have Word - would not be the first time I saw someone who thought Word came as part of the OS.
If the OP has Word it would presumably be a newer version, and they are all able to open '97 docs.

[Hal356]

Word documents should be able to open with Word Pad if Word is not installed. By the way, I have been there and done that. I did install Word 97 on my Vista machine for kicks, well I learned the hard way to DON'T DO IT. It will install and work, but it will become impossible to remove.

[Larry Johnson]

Office 2003 and later will install and work in vista w/ no issues