Help opening a Works document

**TykeClone** · 04-12-2012, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

Sooo, if you've been following my hard drive crash episode, you'll know that I'm in the dog house a bit for my wife losing her files.

She had them backed up on Sugar Synch, but the one problem is a Works document that she had cataloged about 3500 CD's into.

It's there on Sugar Synch, but when we go to open it, it errors out. Had the same problem when my last computer died and she had to spend weeks reentering all her information.

Any tricks would be appreciated (I am buying the setup to trying to get everything off my old hard drive too). Thanks in advance

Is it a Works document, a Works spreadsheet or a Works Database?

**CycloneErik** · 04-12-2012, 10:15 AM

So, Works doesn't really work?

**Cyclonepride** · 04-12-2012, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by TykeClone

Is it a Works document, a Works spreadsheet or a Works Database?

I believe it would be a spreadsheet (maybe?). She prefers it over excel or other programs because she enters them individually, and then they all show up in a big list. I may have to ask her more questions to figure out exactly how she uses the Works program, but what comes up when I open it looks like an excel spreadsheet.

**TykeClone** · 04-12-2012, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

I believe it would be a spreadsheet (maybe?). She prefers it over excel or other programs because she enters them individually, and then they all show up in a big list. I may have to ask her more questions to figure out exactly how she uses the Works program, but what comes up when I open it looks like an excel spreadsheet.

The database can look the same.

What was the file extension?

**3TrueFans** · 04-12-2012, 10:35 AM

When people at work cling to programs of years past we just tell them we don't support them any longer and they're on their own. You could try that.

**CtownCyclone** · 04-12-2012, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by 3TrueFans

When people at work cling to programs of years past we just tell them we don't support them any longer and they're on their own. You could try that.

That's the inverse mentality of my company. We only use the oldest supported version of a program. It was just last year that we upgraded to IE8 from IE5. We also just got upgraded a year or 2 ago to XP for the OS. Good times, good times...

**longtimeclone** · 04-12-2012, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by CtownCyclone

That's the inverse mentality of my company. We only use the oldest supported version of a program. It was just last year that we upgraded to IE8 from IE5. We also just got upgraded a year or 2 ago to XP for the OS. Good times, good times...

We have the same problem. We are still running IE 7 but just upgraded from IE5 last summer. It must be a nightmare for support because we have computers with XP, Windows 7, and I have even seen something before XP. Not sure if it is 95 or 98.

**Cyclonepride** · 04-12-2012, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by TykeClone

The database can look the same.

What was the file extension?

.wdb (works database I assume)

**klamath632** · 04-12-2012, 01:58 PM

"Microsoft Works." I always thought that software title was a deliciously ironic misrepresentation of the facts.

**jbhtexas** · 04-12-2012, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

.wdb (works database I assume)

If need be, you can pick up a copy of MS Works on ebay for pretty cheap. I had to do that some years ago to access a few critical documents from my parents' estate. For whatever reason, Word/Excel choked on them, but they opened up just fine in Works.

**TykeClone** · 04-12-2012, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

.wdb (works database I assume)

Something that might be worth a try:

Convert Microsoft Works Database (.wdb) to CSV or Excel Without Works Installed « My Digital Life

It would export the database into a CSV file, but at least the data is accessible (and able to be re-imported into Works if she would like.