Overview

As part of the continuous development of IT services, the IT Center is discontinuing support for legacy Microsoft Office file formats from the 1990s. The affected formats are:

• Word: .doc
• Excel: .xls
• PowerPoint: .ppt

These formats will gradually be completely replaced by the modern XML-based Office formats:

• .docx
• .xlsx
• .pptx

The goal of this transition is to sustainably improve the security, stability, compatibility, and future viability of IT services.

Reasons for the transition The discontinuation of the old file formats is based on several factors:

• Security: Older formats only provide limited support for modern security mechanisms and pose an increased risk of malware.
• Compatibility: Newer Office versions and other applications only support legacy formats to a limited extent.
• Stability & Performance: Modern formats are more robust, less error-prone, and better suited for large or complex content.
• Long-term support: Microsoft and other vendors are only continuing development for current formats.

What does this mean for users?

• Documents in the legacy formats .doc, .xls, .ppt will no longer be supported in the future.
• New documents must be created and saved exclusively in the formats .docx, .xlsx, .pptx.
• Existing files in legacy formats should be gradually converted to the new formats.

Important note Conversion must not be performed by simply renaming the file extension (e.g., from .ppt to .pptx). Correct conversion is only possible via “Open” and “Save As” in Microsoft Office or by using the provided script.

To identify legacy Office 97 files, the Windows File Explorer can be used. Recommended procedure:

Open the desired folder in File Explorer.

Switch to “Sort”. Sort or group files by the “Type” column.

Legacy Office files will then be clearly displayed, for example as:

Microsoft Word 97–2003 Document (.doc) Microsoft Excel 97–2003 Worksheet (.xls) Microsoft PowerPoint 97–2003 Presentation (.ppt)

This allows reliable distinction from modern formats.

Procedure in Microsoft Word / Excel / PowerPoint

1. Open the file in the legacy format (.doc, .xls, .ppt).

2. Select File → Save As.

3. Select the file type:

• Word Document (*.docx)
• Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)
• PowerPoint Presentation (*.pptx)

4. Save the file.

5. Briefly check the document for correct display and functionality. If everything works correctly, the file in the old format can be deleted.

Recommended for: Individual or rarely used documents

General notes We generally recommend converting files individually to ensure a smooth and error-free transition to the new format. However, if a large number of legacy files are present and manual conversion is not practical, the following script can be used:

Convert-Office Skript

Prerequisites

• The device must be set up via SCCM
• LibreOffice must be installed
• Installation via the Company Portal
• LibreOffice must be started and closed once before using the script

→ required for initial setup (e.g., creation of user profile)

Procedure 1. Initialize LibreOffice

• Start LibreOffice
• Then close LibreOffice again

2. Prepare the script

• Download the script

(https://filegw.hs-regensburg.de/webdav/Software/AustauschSoftware/supportwiki/Umwandlung_alte_Office_Formate/Skript_Konvertierung/Convert-Office.zip/Convert-Office

* Extract and save it to a local folder (e.g., Documents\Scripts\Office97)

3. Start Windows PowerShell • Open Windows PowerShell via Windows Search

4. Navigate to the script folder Use PowerShell to navigate to the folder where the script is stored: cd “C:\Path\to\your\script folder” Example: cd “C:\Users\kac40082\Documents\Scripts\Office97”

5. Verify script file Check whether the script is present in the folder: dir

6. Run the script Start the conversion using the following command: .\Convert-Office97.ps1 -SourcePath “SOURCE PATH” -TargetPath “TARGET PATH” Example: .\Convert-Office97.ps1 -SourcePath “C:\Users\kac40082\Documents\Test 1,2,3” -TargetPath “C:\Users\kac40082\Documents\Test 1,2,3\Converted”

Output after conversion

View in file directory

7. Check results

• Verify that the converted files are located in the target folder (TargetPath)
• In case of issues, check the error log if available (it contains additional details on possible errors)

Notes

• Batch conversion is particularly suitable for large data volumes
• Individual files should still be converted manually where possible
• Results should always be checked on a sampling basis

Word (.doc → .docx)

• Check styles, headers/footers, and embedded objects.
• Macros are not automatically transferred (see below).

Excel (.xls → .xlsx)

• Check:
• Formulas
• Pivot tables
• Links to other files
• Files with macros must be saved as .xlsm.

PowerPoint (.ppt → .pptx)

• Check animations, transitions, and embedded media.

Files containing macros are automatically detected when saving – Office will indicate that the .docm / .xlsm / .pptm format is required. Use instead:

• .docm (Word with macros)
• .xlsm (Excel with macros)
• .pptm (PowerPoint with macros)

Please review macro-enabled files carefully and consult the IT Center if any uncertainties arise.

1. Create all new documents in the new formats immediately.

2. Prioritize the conversion of frequently used legacy documents.

3. Convert rarely used or archived files as needed.

4. After successful conversion, archive or delete old files where appropriate.

If a file in a legacy format (.doc, .xls, .ppt) cannot be opened locally, it can be converted using the respective Office Online application.

Procedure:

Upload the file to OneDrive or SharePoint. Open the file using Microsoft Office Online: https://www.office.com Confirm the notice regarding the “older file format”. File → Save a copy (online or locally).

The newly saved copy will automatically be in the current format (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx).

The IT Center supports you via Support of OTH Regensburg with:

• Questions regarding the transition
• Issues during conversion
• Handling of complex or macro-enabled files