Word Perfect For Mac

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WordPerfect for the Mac under OS X/macOS

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Aug 26, 2016  WordPerfect Office X8 is a worthy upgrade to a venerable office suite, with new abilities and conveniences slotted into a familiar framework. And writes extensively on Windows and Mac. This page provides an 'emulated'. PowerPC Macintosh system that runs the 'classic' Mac OS and WordPerfect for the Mac in a window in the OS X/macOS desktop. This system is called the WPMacApp (or WPMac Appliance), and it runs in the form of a window that contains the full desktop of a 1990s-era Macintosh computer. Browse all our Mac-compatible products. Corel provides several software solutions for digital art, 3D design, file compression, photo management and more. I just converted to Mac, after 6 disastrous months with Windows 10 on HP spectre. Is CrossOver still the best approach? I downloaded/purchased WordPerfect Viewer for Mac from the lawbox before checking this blog. Really cheap, $6, problem is that once a document is converted from word perfect to word it can’t be converted back. For work, I need to be able to use WordPerfect. Since there is no version that works with OS 10.6, what are my options? Can I install the Windows software from my old PC on the new iMac and use that with Parallels or Bootcamp? Or do I have to purchase a copy of Windows 7 or XP? And can I use my current Wordperfect CD to load onto the Mac?

WPMacApp for Intel-based Macs The WPMacApp desktop The files in the download FAQ Copying and pasting to and from OS X Open WPMac files in other programs Links and useful information Automatically set zoom level and window size Automatic font replacement macro Non-Roman scripts Home page

Read this first:

This page describes the WPMacApp, a system that runs WordPerfect for the Macintosh 3.5 Enhanced in a window on any current Macintosh computer. The system uses the SheepShaver emulator software to run the 'classic' Mac OS, and runs WordPerfect inside a copy of the 'classic' Mac OS. The WPMacApp runs under OS X 10.10 Yosemite, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, macOS 10.12 Sierra, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, macOS 10.14 Mojave, and macOS 10.15 Catalina.

Under macOS 10.5 Catalina and later versions, this is a paid application; please get in touch with me via the feedback page for details.

The WPMacApp is updated frequently. This page describes the version released in October 2019. This version uses a 64-bit version of SheepShaver.

The WPMacApp for Windows: A version of the WPMacApp that runs under Windows is also available; its features and similar to the OS X/macOS version. You may download and install it from this link, and I will document it if anyone has any interest in it.

Note: If you want to run WordPerfect for DOS on modern Macintosh hardware, see a separate page. If you have WordPerfect for DOS or WordPerfect for Windows documents that you want to open in Microsoft Word for the Mac, you should visit another page on this site.

A brief explanation (not required reading):

  • This page provides an 'emulated' PowerPC Macintosh system that runs the 'classic' Mac OS and WordPerfect for the Mac in a window in the OS X/macOS desktop.This system is called the WPMacApp (or WPMac Appliance), and it runs in the form of a window that contains the full desktop of a 1990s-era Macintosh computer. (An 'appliance' is an emulated computer system used for one specific purpose.)
  • Like all applications written for older (pre-OS X) versions of the Macintosh operating system, WordPerfect for the Mac cannot run within OS X itself. It will only run inside an 'emulated' Macintosh - a 'virtual' computer created entirely by software, and running in a window on the OS X/macOS desktop. This 'emulated' Macintosh is the software equivalent of a 1990s-era Macintosh that can run System 7 or OS 8 or 9, which are the operating systems in which WordPerfect for the Mac were designed to run.
  • Two programs exist that can create an 'emulated' Macintosh, one called SheepShaver, which imitates a PowerPC-based Macintosh capable of running System 7.5.3 through Mac OS 9.0.4. This is the program that is at the heart of the WPMacApp. (An alternate, older, less technically-advanced system, based on Basilisk II, is available on another page.)

To use WordPerfect for the Mac under OS X 10.10 or later, perform the following steps:

  • Download the disk image file(warning: around 650 MB). If OS X does not mount it automatically, double-click on the disk image file to mount it in the OS X/macOS Finder.
  • Read the 'Read Me First.pdf' file - or at least the first page.
  • Drag the WPMacApp icon to the Applications folder icon, and wait while the application is copied to your hard disk.
  • Eject the installer disk image by dragging it to the Trash (or click in the installer disk image and type Cmd-E).
  • In your Applications folder, double-click the WPMacApp application to launch it. OS X/macOS may warn you that you are running a program downloaded from the Internet and will ask if you want to continue.
  • When the WPMacApp opens to the 'classic' Mac OS desktop, WordPerfect will open automatically. You may create a document in WordPerfect or open a document from the 'Unix' folder on the WPMacApp desktop (which corresponds to your OS X/macOS Documents folder).
  • You may shut down the WPMacApp by choosing 'Shut Down' from its top-line menu, or by closing its window on the OS X/macOS desktop.

If macOS warns you that the 'WPMacApp is damaged and can't be opened' and tells you to move it to the Trash, do this instead, because that message is false: Right-click on the WPMacApp; click on Open in the pop-up menu; and follow the prompts. You may have to do this twice before the message box shows an Open button. The next time you launch WPMacApp, it will open normally.

If macOS Mojave, Catalina, or later versions asks permission to perform certain actions, grant those permissions; you will only need to do so once.The program will perform exactly as it did under earlier versions of macOS. Mojave introduces prompts for permission that did not appear in earlier versions. If you don't trust my software, don't use my software.

After you run the WPMacApp for the first time, if you want to explore its options, hold down the Option key while launching the application. (Do not try this the first time you launch it!) You can set the following options (and, depending on your OS X/macOS version, possibly others) from the menu that appears:

  • Specify whether the default WPMacApp printing system will (1) print the current document in WPMac to the default OS X/macOS printer or (2) ask whether you want to print the current document to the default OS X printer or create a PDF file.
  • Change the default screen size for the WPMacApp.
  • Select the OS X/macOS folder to use as the 'Unix' folder in the WPMacApp. (By default this is your Documents folder; it can be any other folder you choose.)
  • Delete the Preferences file in order to restore the WPMacApp default settings
  • Make a backup copy of the WPMacApp disk image file (stored in the app itself) on your OS X/macOS Desktop.
  • Prevent WPMac itself from starting up automatically when the WPMacApp starts.

Very serious warning: SheepShaver is an extremely complicated program, and it can be unstable. It may crash without warning, especially when printing. You may see an 'AppleEvent timed out' message when it starts up, and you will need to shut it down and restart it. You should always save your documents to the 'Unix' folder (which, by default, is actually the Documents folder in your OS X/macOS system), because you can lose them if SheepShaver crashes and cannot recover. This warning is serious!

To open WordPerfect documents automatically in the WPMacApp, select a WPMac document in your OS X/macOS system, press Cmd-I for the Get Info dialog, select Open With, and specify WPMacApp (if it is not already selected). You may now open a file in the WPMacApp by double-clicking a WPMac document file, or by dropping a document file on the WPMacApp application itself or any shortcut to it. (Drop a document only on an icon on the desktop or in a Finder window; do not try to drop a file on the dock icon that shows a Mac with a document in its window.) If the WPMacApp is already open, the document file will open in WPMac. The WPMac document file must be in the Documents folder of your OS X/macOS home folder, and the application will warn you if it is not.

To print from WordPerfect, simply press Cmd-P or choose Print from the File menu. Use the default desktop printer, 'Print or Make PDF in OS X.' After an interval of thirty seconds or a minute or more, the document will print from the default OS X/macOS printer. (Search 'PDF' on this page to set an option that will prompt you either to print the document or create a PDF from it that will open in OS X/macOS Preview.)

If you want to select an OS X/macOS printer when you print, instead of printing to the default OS X/macOS printer, then use the desktop printer named 'Select Printer in OS X.'

You may open the WPMacApp application in the OS X/macOS Script Editor to explore additional options and features in this system. If you change any options in the script, the Applescript Editor will take a very long time to close and save the file; be patient.

The WPMacApp automatically installs Gero Herrmann's WordPerfect plug-ins for QuickLook and Spotlight so that WP files can be searched in Spotlight and previewed with QuickLook (hint: use the spacebar when a a file is selected, or use the QuickLook keyboard shortcut Cmd-Y).

If you want to build your own self-contained SheepShaver system for running Mac OS, you can do so easily with my SheepShaver Wrapper application, available elsewhere. You will need a Mac OS installation CD (or disk image of such a CD) and a Mac OS ROM file (easily found on the internet). The SheepShaver Wrapper is a reduced version of the WPMacApp available on the page you are reading now.

Acknowledgments: This system is based on work by John Rethorst, who first devised a SheepShaver/WPMac system and a system for opening files automatically in WPMac after selecting them in OS X, and by Smokey Ardisson, who devised the system for opening WPMac files with an OS X application bundle.

The WPMacApp desktop and how to use it

When the WPMacApp opens, it displays a WordPerfect window that fills much of the screen. If you close or minimize the WordPerfect window, you can see the full WPMacApp desktop, looking more or less like the picture below (the current version may look slightly different). The desktop contains the following icons. (Remember, the WPMacApp normally appears in a window on your OS X desktop.)

The desktop shortcut 'WordPerfect' opens the final version of WordPerfect for the Macintosh. Use it exactly as you would use WordPerfect for the Mac on a real 1980s or 1990s Mac.

The 'Virtual Printers' folder contains the desktop printers used by this system. By default, the application prints to a 'virtual' printer named 'Print or Make PDF in OS X'. Other desktop printers in this folder have self-explanatory names.

The 'Open WP Files in WPMac' folder contains 'droplets' that you can use to open WordPerfect files ((for files created in non-WP formats, such as Microsoft Word, see the paragraph below this onee) in WPMac when you can't (or don't want to) open those files from the WPMac File/Open menu. Drag the files to appropriate droplet to open it in WPMac. The droplet named 'Drop Mac file..' should be used only for WPMac files and Mac-based text files.

The 'Convert to/from WPMac' folder contains droplets that can convert many file formats into other file formats. If you want to edit a Microsoft Word or other non-WP file in WPMac, drop the file on the 'to Corel WordPerfect 3.5e doc' droplet and drag the resulting file to the desktop or some other folder. To convert a file into WPDOS, Microsoft Word, or any other supported format, drop the file onto the appropriately-named droplet and drag the resulting file to the desktop or your 'Unix' folder. Use these droplets before transferring files to your OS X/macOS system.

The 'Shortcut to OS X/macOS folder' and the 'Unix' icon both open a window that shows the files in your OS X/macOS 'Documents' folder. In other words, if your OS X/macOS username is 'Roscoe', the Unix icon in the Appliance is the same as the 'Documents' folder inside your 'Roscoe' folder in OS X/macOS. Drag documents to and from the Unix window to move them between OS X/macOS and the Appliance. The 'Shortcut to OS X/macOS folder' shortcut is on the desktop only in case you forget what the 'Unix' icon does! (You can change the location in OS X/macOS of your 'Unix' folder by holding down the Option key when launching the WPMacApp.)

The 'File Transfer' folder is merely a convenience. It reminds you that you should not try to copy a file from the 'Unix' folder (i.e., by default, your OS X/macOS Documents folder) directly to the WPMacApp desktop, because the file will not be moved to the WPMacApp emulated disk. Instead, copy the file from the 'Unix' folder to the File Transfer folder, and move it from there to anywhere on the WPMacApp disk.

A shortcut opens the 'Read Me First.pdf' file, and you must read at least the first page of this file!

Seagate hard drive. The 'WP Documents' folder opens a convenient folder for storing your documents.

Printing options:The default desktop printer 'Print or Make PDF in OS X' normally prints to the default OS X/macOS printer. You can change this behavior so that you will be prompted (every time you print) to choose whether to print the file or create a PDF from it in OS X/macOS. To change this option, hold down the Option key when launching the WPMacApp, and when the Options menu appears, choose the prompting option and follow the prompts.

Other desktop printers in this system include 'Select Printer in OS X' (if you use this desktop printer, you will be prompted to choose an OS X/macOS printer every time you print) and 'Write PDF to OS X Desktop' (which creates a PDF on the OS X/macOS desktop with an arbitrary name based on the current date and time). If you want to create a PDF from WordPerfect, use one of the PDF macros on the WPMac Tools menu; these macros will create a PDF with the same name as the WP document. The 'PDFWriter' desktop printer is an Adobe printer driver that creates a PDF in the WPMacApp itself.

How the WPMacApp differs from a real Mac:The SheepShaver emulator works more or less like any real PowerPC Mac running an ancient version of the Mac OS. The only significant differences between this system and your old PowerPC Mac are these:

  • Don't even try to use the Chooser to select a printer. Switch printers from the Print dialog in WordPerfect, or from the Desktop Printer utility in the Virtual Printers folder.
  • Network or internet access from SheepShaver is very unreliable. I don't recommend that you use it.

How to get files into and out of the WPMacApp. You may open a WP document file in the WPMacApp by double-clicking it in OS X/macOS or by dragging it to the WPMacApp icon. Alternatively, you can copy or move a file from your OS X/macOS system to the WPMacApp disk by performing the following steps:

  • First, in OS X/macOS, drag the file into the Documents folder in your home (user) folder. Remember, if your user name is 'Roscoe', then the folder you should use is the folder named 'Documents' inside your 'Roscoe' folder.
  • Next, in the WPMacApp, double-click on the 'Unix' icon (or the equivalent 'Shortcut to OS X/macOS' icon) on the WPMacApp desktop to open the 'Unix' folder; remember, the 'Unix' folder is the name used in the WPMacApp for the Documents folder in your OS X/macOS home (user) folder. (The Documents folder is the default location of the 'Unix' folder; you can use a different folder instead, by holding down the Option key when launching the WPMacApp.)
  • In the window that displays the contents of the 'Unix' folder on the WPMacApp desktop, find the file that you want to open in the WPMacApp.
  • Drag that file into a folder on the WPMacApp disk! Do not simply drag it to the WPMacApp Desktop! (The easiest way to do this is to drag the file into the folder named 'File Transfer' on the WPMacApp desktop; when you drag files from the 'Unix' folder to the 'File Transfer' folder, you are copying them to the WPMacApp disk.
  • When you are finished with the file and want to move the file back to your OS X/macOS system (or when you want to move any other file from the WPMacApp to your OS X/macOS system), drag the file from the WPMacApp disk into the open 'Unix' window on the WPMacApp desktop.
  • The file can now be found in the Documents folder in your home (user) folder in OS X/macOS.

Warning: Be safe by saving new and modified files to the WPMacApp Desktop (or to the 'File Transfer' folder), not directly to the 'Unix' folder. WordPerfect for the Mac can save files directly to the 'Unix' folder (which, as you remember, is actually a folder on your OS X/macOS system). However, not all programs included on the WPMacApp are able to save directly to the 'Unix' folder; for example, any file that you try to save from Apple's SimpleText (included in the WPMacApp) to the 'Unix' folder is immediately and irretrievably deleted, not saved. To avoid this problem, save new and modified files to the WPMacApp desktop (or the 'File Transfer' folder), and then drag the files from the WPMacApp desktop to the 'Unix' folder in order to transfer them to your OS X/macOS system.

A warning on 'Save As..' from WordPerfect for the Mac: Be certain to test any files that you create by using the File Save As.. option in WordPerfect. If your document is complex, the WordPerfect export filter may produce an empty file. The export filters that seem most reliable are 'Microsoft Word 6.0' and 'WP for PC 6,7,8.' (Avoid using any export option that looks like 'RTF - Rich Text Format' or 'WP for PC 5.1,5.2', both of which often create empty files.)

A warning about the Microsoft Word 6 format: If you convert your WPMac files to the Microsoft Word 6 format, the resulting files may not be usable in Microsoft Word for Windows. Recent versions of Word for Windows refuse to open such files because their file format is inherently insecure. If you save a file in Word 6 format from WPMac, open in it Word for the Mac or some other OS X/macOS program, and then save it again in the format of Word 97 or later, so that it can be read on current Windows systems.

If you need more disk space: If you run out of disk space on the WPMacApp disk image, use the SheepShaver Preferences dialog (accessible from the SheepShaver item in the OS X/macOS top-line menu) to create an additional disk for this system. Use the suggested folder, and select a suitable size. Completely close down SheepShaver, and restart it; you will be prompted to format the new disk. After it is created and formatted, use it to store files and programs that do not fit on the main disk, while you continue to use the main disk for the programs installed on it. Do not try to copy the existing Mac OS system to the new disk unless you are deeply familiar with the WPMacApp and its operations, because the copied system will require many subtle adjustments before it works correctly.

Troubleshooting:

  • After performing some operations with the WPMacApp you may find that your OS X/macOS Documents folder includes an empty folder named 'Desktop Folder.' This folder does no harm to your system, and it takes up almost no space because it is almost certainly empty, but you may want to reduce clutter by removing it. To do so, merely open the folder to be sure that it is empty, and, if it is in fact empty, feel free to delete it.
  • If the WPMacApp disk gets corrupted or otherwise unusable, delete the application file and empty the Trash. Then, double-click the ZIP file on the original disk image to extract the original version of the system.

Technical note: An HTML-formatted version of an older version of the Applescript at the heart of this application is available on a separate page.

The files included in this download (and their copyright status)

This download includes a variety of different software, with different copyright status, as follows:

  • SheepShaver: free, open-source PowerPC emulation software originally written by Christian Bauer, later maintained by Gwenolé Beauchesne (who is no longer involved in its development), and included here in a modified version created for this site.
  • The 'classic' Mac OS. This system was built by starting with System 7.5.5, the last version of the Macintosh operating system freely downloadable from Apple's web site, and was upgraded to a later version for the current version of this application.
  • Corel WordPerfect 3.5e: this version was released as a free download by Corel.
  • Earlier versions of WordPerfect: these earlier versions were never released for download by Corel, but the fact that Corel released the last and most powerful version suggests that Corel has no special interest in protecting earlier versions from free distribution.
  • Mac OS ROM: a ROM 'image file' from an early PowerPC Macintosh; all Macintosh ROM files are copyrighted, but Apple posted later and more powerful versions of its ROM files on its freely-accessible download pages, so I assume that Apple has no special interest in protecting earlier and even more obsolete versions from distribution.
  • Adobe Type Manager LE and Adobe Acrobat Reader: both were released as free downloads by Adobe.
  • Miscellaneous control panels, printer drivers, utilities, and other software, all released by their authors for free use, or for free use by individual users, or apparently abandoned by their original authors and widely circulating on the Internet.

If either Apple or Corel wants me to remove any software from this site, they know where to find me. Steven Jobs quoted me by name in his keynote address to the World Wide Developers' Conference in 2008, and I am in constant communication with Apple's corporate communications department. I have been in continuous contact with Corel ever since that company acquired WordPerfect. Both companies know how to reach me, and both know that I will immediately agree to any request they may make in reference to their intellectual property.

Frequently-asked questions

Q. Why can't this system connect to the Internet, or to the rest of my network?
A. In fact this system can connect to the Internet, but SheepShaver cannot easily connect to any other machine on your network.

Q. I'm far too intelligent and independent-minded to do what other people tell me, and I resent your implication that I have to do exactly what you say. When I tried to print from WordPerfect, I chose a different folder from the one that appeared in the dialog box because I know what I want to do, and I don't want you to tell me. Of course, nothing printed, but this is entirely your fault for being so inflexible and controlling. Please fix your software so that it works the way I want it to work.
A. Please follow the instructions.

Q. What happened to the Chooser? It isn't there!
A. In this system, I have removed the Chooser from the Apple Menu because there is nothing you can choose from the Chooser. The 'Virtual Printers' are all variations on the Apple LaserWriter printer driver, which is the only driver that lets you print to your OS X printers or create PDF files through OS X. So the Chooser would be useless. If you insist on having the Chooser, you can find it in the System Folder, in the Apple Menu Items (Disabled) folder.

Q. I have an old Mac program called MacCheese that I use for making Stilton and Cheddar in my garage. Please tell me as soon as possible whether your system will run this program, and what I might have to do in order to make it work smoothly. I will be glad to send you a copy of MacCheese so that you can test it for me and tell me whether it will work, so that I don't have to waste my extremely valuable time by installing it, only to find that it doesn't work.
A. I have never heard of MacCheese, and I have no plans to test it. I understand, of course, that your time is far more valuable than mine is, and I understand why it makes to sense to you that I should waste my time testing a program that you want to use. However, you might want to consider the bold, revolutionary step of trying it for yourself.

Q. Sorry, but I just don't understand any of this. I see that you went to a lot of trouble to explain it extremely clearly, but I'm too lazy, impatient, and incompetent to read everything that you've written. Please send me an e-mail that tells me all the things that you're saying on this page, but a lot more clearly, and addressed to me personally, not just written for anyone. Meanwhile, I'll also send you a long list of questions, because I'm too impatient to find the answers that are already on this page.
A. Please read this page slowly and carefully.

Copy-and-paste or cut-and-paste between OS X/macOS and the WPMacApp

You can copy and paste plain text between OS X/macOS and the WPMacApp. If you are copying from the WPMacApp to OS X/macOS, follow these steps:

  • Select text in the program that you are running in WPMacApp, and copy it to the clipboard by pressing Command-C or use Edit Copy.
  • Click on the desktop of the WPMacApp - in other words, click on the desktop of the 'virtual' 1990s-era Macintosh. Do not omit this step!
  • Move the cursor to your OS X/macOS application, and paste the copied text into your application by pressing Command-V or Edit Paste.

Follow a similar procedure to cut-and-paste instead of copy-and-paste from the WPMacApp to OS X/macOS. Use similar procedures to copy- or cut-and paste from OS X to the WPMacApp.

Technical note: When copying from OS X/macOS to the WPMacApp, it is not necessary to click on the WPMac Appliance desktop before pasting, but you should do so anyway, so that you will be less likely to forget that essential step when pasting to OS X/macOS.

Frequently-asked question:

Q. I tried this method and it didn't work at all! Why are you wasting my valuable time with a method that you obviously didn't bother to test? How can you repay me for the time and effort that I've wasted trying to follow your incompetent and ignorant instructions?
A. Please try the procedure again. This time, please remember to click on the desktop of the WPMacApp, exactly as it says in the instructions above. Again, please do not forget to click on the desktop of the WPMacApp after copying and before pasting.

How to open or convert WPMac files in other programs or formats

If you have WPMac files that you wish to open in other applications, the following list tells you which applications may be able to open your files. See also the list of standalone conversion programs at the end of this list. For information on specially-created applications for converting WPMac and WPDOS files into other formats, under OS X/macOS, see a separate page.

An automated WP-to-DOC conversion fearture: A feature on this system makes it possible to convert a WPMac file automatically to Microsoft Word's .DOC format. To use this system, you must first install in your OS X/macOS system the WPLO Converter for OS X, found on another page of this site. Then, in the WPMacApp, find the OSA Menu, which is a small script icon in the SheepShaver menubar at the top of the window. You will find on this menu 'Convert File in OS X'. Click on this menu item, choose a WP document from your WPMacApp disk, and then wait while the file is copied to your OS X/macOS Documents folder and then converted to .DOC format by the WPLO Converter. The resulting .DOC file will be in the Documents folder together with the original WP document.

Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 3.5e (3.5 Enhanced):

  • If you want to exchange WPMac 3.5e files with WordPerfect for Windows or DOS, you are more likely to have success if you save the files from WPMac 3.5e in a 'WP for PC' format.
  • Files in WPMac 3.5e format can be opened in WordPerfect for the Mac 3.5e (3.5 Enhanced) but not any earlier version, and not in WordPerfect for the Mac 3.5.0 through 3.5.4.
  • Files in WPMac 3.5e format that have only simple formatting will probably open in WordPerfect for Windows or in WordPerfect for DOS 6.x (but not 5.x).
  • Files in WPMac 3.5e format with complex formatting will not open in any version of WordPerfect for Windows or WordPerfect for DOS; these programs may crash when attempting to import the files, or they may report 'Unknown file format.' There is no easy way to predict whether any individual file will or will not open in these programs.
  • Files in WPMac 3.5e format may be opened in LibreOffice and programs that use the same import filters (OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice, AbiWord, etc.), but files with complex formatting will probably open with serious errors in formatting; graphics features may be ignored.
  • Password-protected WPMac 3.5e (3.5 Enhanced) files can be opened only in WordPerfect for the Mac 3.5 Enhanced, not in any other program.

Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 3.0 through 3.5.4 (but not 3.5e), including files saved in 'WPMac 3 Compressed' format, which seems to be identical to the WPMac 2.x compressed format:

  • These files can be opened in WordPerfect for the Mac 3.x or 3.5e (3.5 Enhanced).
  • Simple files created by WPMac 3.0 through 3.5.4, that is, files without complex formatting, may be opened in WordPerfect for Windows or in WordPerfect for DOS 6.x (but not 5.x). They may also be opened in LibreOffice and programs that use the same import filters (OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice, AbiWord, etc.).
  • Complex files created by WPMac 3.0 through 3.5.4 (files with tables, graphics, etc.) probably will not open in WordPerfect for Windows or DOS; these programs may crash when attempting to open the files.
  • Complex files created by WPMac 3.0 through 3.5.4 may also be opened in LibreOffice and programs that use the same import filters (OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice, AbiWord, etc.), but probably with serious errors in formatting; graphics features may be ignored.
  • Password-protected WPMac 3.0 through 3.5.4 files can be opened only in WordPerfect for the Mac 2.x, 3.x, and 3.5 Enhanced, not in any other program. When attempting to open such files, WordPerfect for DOS 6.x will prompt for the password, but will not accept even the correct password when entered.

Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 2.x, including files saved in 'WPMac 2.x Compressed' format:

  • These files can be opened in all versions of WordPerfect for the Mac starting with 2.0 (although some features of WPMac 2.1.x files may not be available in 2.0).
  • Simple files created by WPMac 2.x, that is, files without complex formatting, may be opened in WordPerfect for Windows or in WordPerfect for DOS 6.x (but not 5.x). They may also be opened in LibreOffice and programs that use the same import filters (OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice, AbiWord, etc.).
  • Complex files created by WPMac 2.x (files with tables, graphics, etc.) probably will not open in WordPerfect for Windows or DOS; these programs may crash when attempting to open the files.
  • Complex files created by WPMac 2.x (files with tables, graphics, etc.) may also be opened in LibreOffice and programs that use the same import filters (OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice, AbiWord, etc.), but probably with serious errors in formatting; graphics features may be ignored.
  • Files saved in the WPMac 2.x 'compressed' format will not open in WordPerfect for Windows, but may open in WordPerfect for DOS 6.x.
  • Password-protected WPMac 2.x files can be opened only in WordPerfect for the Mac 2.x, 3.x, and 3.5 Enhanced, not in any other program. When attempting to open such files, WordPerfect for DOS 6.x will prompt for the password, but will not accept even the correct password when entered.

Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 1.x:

  • These files can be opened in all versions of WordPerfect for the Mac.
  • Simple files created by WPMac 1.x, that is, files without complex formatting, may be opened in WordPerfect for Windows or in WordPerfect for DOS 6.x (both of which will recognize the files as WordPerfect 4.2 files). Such files may also be opened in OpenOffice.org and programs that use the same import filters (NeoOffice, AbiWord, etc.).
  • Complex files created by WPMac 1.x (files with tables, graphics, etc.) will not open in WordPerfect for Windows or WordPerfect for DOS, and probably not in LibreOffice or programs that use the same import filters (OpenOffice.org, NeoOffice, AbiWord, etc.).
  • Password-protected WPMac 1.0 files can be opened only in WordPerfect for the Mac 1.0, not in any other program.
  • These files may be converted using the WPLO Converter for OS X, as described on another page.
  • Files created by WPMac using the Japanese, Korean, etc. fonts installed by the Mac OS 'Language Kits' designed for System 7.1 through OS 8.6: The method described immediately below may also work but I cannot be certain.
  • Files created by WPMac using the Japanese, Korean, etc. fonts installed by the Mac OS 'Language Kits' designed for OS 9.0.4 or 9.2.2: The best option is to use the WPLO Converter for OS X. Another method that may be promising to open these files in a PowerPC-based Mac running OS 10.3 or 10.4 with Classic installed, using WPMac running in Classic. Before you begin, find an OS 9 installation CD and install the appropriate Language Kit from it into Classic. Then open your files in WPMac. If all the characters are visible, select the contents of the file, copy the contents to the Clipboard, and then, under OS X (not Classic), open Microsoft Word 2001 for the Mac (or TextEdit) and paste the copied file into it. If your characters are visible, then save the Word file in standard Word 97-2003 .DOC format. The resulting file can be edited in any recent version of Word, Pages, LibreOffice, etc.

Commercial conversion software:

For the Macintosh:

  • MacLinkPlus Deluxe (commercial program, no longer available from its vendor Dataviz, and not usable under OS X 10.7 'Lion' or later) converts files from WPMac 2.0 through 3.5e formats to all standard word-processing formats. The results are reasonably good, although features such as line numbering are not supported; conversions to other Mac formats tend to be superior to conversions to Windows formats. Password-protected files cannot be opened. Older versions of MacLinkPlus (through version 11 at least) can open WPMac 1.x files. The last version of MacLinkPlus Deluxe was version 16. You may be able to find a copy on eBay.

Under Windows:

  • Conversions Plus (the Windows version of MacLinkPlus Deluxe, described above; no longer available from its vendor Dataviz) converts files from WPMac 2.0 through 3.5e to all standard word-processing formats. The results are more or less acceptable, although features such as line numbering are not supported and embedded graphics either fail to convert or cause the program to crash. Password-protected files cannot be opened.
  • Quick View Plus displays the main text of files in WPMac 1.02 through 3.5.4 (but not 3.5e), so that the text can be copied into other applications. No footnotes or graphics are supported. Password-protected files cannot be opened.

Links, documentation, and other useful material

GroupsIO hosts a WordPerfectMac user group, founded and moderated by John Rethorst. Anyone may join easily, and your e-mail address can be hidden from other members. The group's resources include around a thousand digests of the now-defunct WP-L mailing list; this index may be found in the group's Databases section. The group's Files section contain access to virtually every downloadable or web-based WPMac resource except for the large downloaders for WP itself.

Many additional files for WPMac may be found at the Info-Mac HyperArchive; read the file '00wp-abstracts.txt' for descriptions. See also the page of WPMac links at WPUniverse (but be warned that most of these links are defunct).

The only book about WordPerfect for the Macintosh that has been updated to cover version 3.5e (the one included in the WPMacApp) is John Rethorst's thorough and indispensable Teach Yourself WordPerfect Mac. The updated text is available as a PDF in the Files section of the Yahoo WPMac user group message board, which you can access by starting here (Yahoo login required).

Users who already know the basics of the program should study John Rethorst's unique guide to WordPerfect macros and related AppleScript scripting, available as 'Scripting Guide' in the Files section of the WordPerfectMac user group.

An Envoy document viewer for the Envoy-format files distributed with some WordPerfect, Corel, and Novell products may be found at a third-party download site.

Automatically set the zoom level and window size for WPMac

WordPerfect for the Macintosh was written for different screen sizes than those on today's computers, so many users prefer to change the zoom level for comfort. In WPMac, use the Set Default Zoom macro to change the zoom level.

If you also want to change the default window size, see the instructions on another page for suggestions about how to go about modifying the supplied OnDocumentOpen macro.

An automatic font replacement macro

If you created WordPerfect documents under older versions of the Macintosh operating system, you may have chosen obsolete Mac fonts like Geneva or New York as your default document fonts. These fonts can produce unattractively-formatted documents when printed under OS X, and you may want to replace them with more modern fonts.

A macro that automatically replaces fonts when a document is opened was written by John Rethorst and Kevin McCoy. Download this Stuffit archive containing a WPMac document; extract the document and open it in WordPerfect. Follow the instructions in the document to install the macro.

Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other Non-Roman Scripts

Wordperfect For Apple Computers

If you have one or more of the 'Apple Language Kits,' you may use WordPerfect for the Mac to edit text with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or other non-Roman scripts. Use the 2.x versions of the Language Kits together with the version of the Mac OS supplied with the WPMacApp.

Other sites include further information on Chinese on older Macs and Japanese on older Macs, and a web search will lead to further information.

To convert WPMac files with non-Roman scripts into modern word-processor formats, use the WPLO Converter, as described on another page.

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