How can I view Microsoft Works WPS files in the Preview pane

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pschroeter
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How can I view Microsoft Works WPS files in the Preview pane

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Does any one know a way to view Microsoft Works WPS files in the Preview pane? I haven't found an iFilter for them. The Draft preview shows Hex(?), stuff that looks like this:

00 00 00 00  ....  004fc
01 00 43 00  ..C.  00500
6F 00 6D 00  o.m.  00504
70 00 4F 00  p.O.  00508
62 00 6A 00  b.j.  0050c
00 00 00 00  ....  00510
00 00 00 00  ....  00514

and I can't make out any of the embedded text. Other common word processing formats I use are completely legible in Draft preview. Microsoft Works 7.0 is installed on this computer. Sometime in the future I might want to view WPS files (old word processing documents) without Works installed.

Also, is it easy to get MS Word DOC files to display in the Normal view of the Preview pane? Word is not installed on this computer. Eventually a second computer will either be fixed or replaced and Word will be on it (at least if Microsoft lets me reactivate it a fifth time).

I'm rather bewildered on how to install and use iFilters.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
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Post by nikos »

i don't know off the top of my head but google for "WPS IFilter" and see what you come up with. Many listed in channel9 are free

you can't have "normal" previews without the program like word being installed. But i believe m$ have "reader" versions of their office products that are available free of charge, so you can have just them installed
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pschroeter
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Microsoft Works WPS files preview best when the Encoding is

Post by pschroeter »

After further experimentation with x2 I have found that the best way to preview a Microsoft Works WPS files in the Draft Preview pane is to set the Encoding to Unicode. I just wish that the Unicode setting followed through to the next WPS file. Having to chose the encoding each time I click on the file kind negates some of the usefulness of the Preview pane. Maybe a future versions of x2 could have a way to associate the encoding with a particular extension, or maybe there is a way to do it now?

Sorry to bother you, I probably would have figured this out quicker if I had read page 280 of the x2 manual where it says: "For example, if some file appears in hex and you know it is text, it is probably Unicode without a BOM. In such a case, you should be able to view it properly by forcing Unicode encoding."  I just didn't realize it was an encoding situation.

I wish all my docs where in RTF, they actually Draft preview showing most of their formatting. I've tried, using all my Google search skills and tricks, to find a WPS ifilter, import filter, and I am pretty  there isn't one. I think MS Works documents must be MS Word's poorer oddball cousins.

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Post by nikos »

i'll probably add a checkmark for "always use this encoding" if technically feasible

ps try the following trick: before starting your previewing, do a ctrl+G (search in files) for something trivial e.g. "A" or "1" where you force the encoding to unicode. Then QV will automatically switch to unicode to display the "matches". Tell me if this works or not (you have to make sure the text you search for appears in all the WPS files)
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I tried using search in files as you asked

Post by pschroeter »

I tried using "search in files" as you asked and it mostly works. Most of the files display as Unicode in the quick preview pane, but not all. The few that don't still show as hex and I have verified that they are WPS files. I also think I've noticed a interesting tendency for the first file at the top of the list to show as hex, with very few exceptions. I tried to notice any characteristics such as date created or size that distinguishes these files that show as hex, but so far haven't noticed any.

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I wanted to experiment for a little bit.
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Post by nikos »

the first file gets hexed because its preview is obtained and cached before you search for text
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