Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Dates Updating when Converting.

Dates Updating when Converting

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 10, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


Amorette wrote concerning a problem she had when converting her WordPerfect documents to Word. When opening them in Word, the conversion goes just fine, except that dates typed within the original document are automatically replaced by the date on which the conversion is done. Amorette wondered how this could be prevented.

It would appear that the dates in the WordPerfect files are not dates at all, but the equivalent of the various DATE fields in Word. When these are converted to Word, of course, the DATE fields are updated to the current date.

Since the WordPerfect file contains the equivalent of a Word DATE field, it is probable that the date would update even if the file were opened in WordPerfect. It is possible, however, that the field uses some switch to stop updating, and therefore would not update when opened in WordPerfect. The switch may not be recognized by Word during the conversion, so it is ignored.

The only way to test this hypothesis, of course, is to open the files in WordPerfect. Once they are opened, you could then replace the DATE-equivalent fields with actual dates and resave the documents. These could then be opened in Word with no problems.

If you don't have a copy of WordPerfect available, either on another office computer or on a friend's machine, then you may need to make some assumptions about the dates in the original files and simply replace them with the desired dates. For instance, you may decide to use the file creation dates for the original WordPerfect files.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10357) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Dates Updating when Converting.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Selecting Fonts for a Chart

Microsoft Chart uses text to label items in a chart. Here's how to change the font used for that text.

Discover More

Problem with Add-on Macros

Add-ons can extend the capabilities of Word, sometimes significantly. These extensions are due to macros contained in the ...

Discover More

Concatenating Ranges of Cells

Putting the contents of two cells together is easy. Putting together the contents of lots of cells is more involved, as ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Finding Fields

Fields allow you to add simple dynamic content to your document. Here's how you can find the fields when you need to know ...

Discover More

Date Last Edited

You can insert several dynamic dates into your document. One you may want is to add the date when the last edit was ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Fields Inserted by Third-Party Programs

Third-party programs can be used to affect a document and change what is contained therein. Of course, getting rid of ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is nine more than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.