Windows 10: How do I make old MS Works files compatible w/Win 10?

Just open the unzipped or original .wps file in LibreOffice and resave as desired, it works with many formats. Could try in OpenOffice but the latest version may not support it. Can also open the .doc file in the programs I mentioned and resave.

 

The current Libre Office Portable 5.3.0 has no trouble opening it. OOo3 doesn't support Works formats, apparently.
File formats - Apache OpenOffice Wiki

 

Maybe I'm not making myself clear. The file will not open in LibreOffice, already tried several times. I do get a dialogue page that opens suggesting different ways to open the file, but haven't found anything that works yet. If .doc is on the list I'll try that.

 

I downloaded Libre Office Portable 5.3.0 and tested it on your document. It works. Open it as I described and it should work for you too.

 

I did as you suggested and it worked. The file opened as an OpenOffice file, not Libre.

 

And now OpenOffice will not open, but I can open the docs. in Libre and they open as .odt files. I guess that will work.

 

Yes. ODT is the default for LibreOffice but you can use File, Save As and change to one of many formats supported.

A little personal history, I have LibreOffice on all my computers [several years now] not only because it's Open Source [Free] but it is Cross-platform, runs on Windows, macOS [former Mac OS X] and included with many of the various distributions of free Linux Operating Systems.

 

.I thought .odt was the default for O.O. Is that correct? Oh BTW, OpenOffice is loading now (don't know why it wouldn't load yesterday), so I can create new docs. in O.O. and convert my old files (on my external HD). Thanks so much for your kind assistance.

 

It's the same for both programs, they have their roots from the same developers.

 

That's great. Everything seems to be working very well. I did exactly as you recommended (load O.L., click open, etc,) and then I end up with the old .wps file (which I simply delete) and a new .odt file which is opened by O.O. At first almost every word of the new files were underlined with red "squiggley" lines, but I performed an operation that I learned on the O.O. Forum and now all is well. Thanks so much for hanging in there with me through this little saga and excuse me if I sounded aggravated, but this is a brand new Lenovo desktop w/8gb ram and 1tb hard drive. It's a great and very fast pc and I want it to run perfectly. Thanks again.

 

Good to hear you can convert your Works files now.

You may find this interesting, the How-To Geek explains the common ancestry of Libre Office and Open Office.

OpenOffice vs. LibreOffice: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Use?

 

Very good...now I have both and both are working.