File extension.... .wps, .txt, .doc and .pdf....what's up with all those?  

Thanks so much for verifing that a copy/paste in notepad works effectivly. I have C&P'd the resume and cover letter to notepad and did do the upload to send it, but never knew if it actually got to where it was going.

I will look into that program. Thanks so much. I am really dreading copying things over! Do you have a suggestion as to what I should start using now when I do documents, instead of the Works program that I have been using so I don't have to convert constantly? Other than buying Word for like $400 as I have seen it for.

Hey topffer - I just did a conversion.. and it says it will email me when the conversion is done and where to "download" it from...

Can you explain in a "conversion for dummies" manner (so I can understand!) as to where my document currently is and how I download it from some place else? I mean I guess I kind of know that procedure, maybe I should just wait and see...

Once they do this, I assume it will have a mydocument.doc file address to it and that I would save on my hard drive? So I should start a new file in the C: drive and as I convert things to .doc or pdf...save them in this new file and not the existing one? Or am I getting ahead of myself?

You can use free softwares : AbiWord, if you need only a word processor ; OpenOffice may be better for a Works user like you, and can save files in Word .doc format.
I forgot to say that Microsoft Word Viewer is free and reads Works documents without Works in your computer.

You are right : they give you a link to download your documents from their server. If you convert a lot of documents you can choose to download all of them in a .zip file or individually in their new format.

Now see... this is my problem.. now I have to learn .zip file? I don't have OpenOffice. I have Office soemthing or another 2003 but I didn't knw what it was and didn't register or whatever and year or so ago, tried and it wouldn't take it.

All I want is to have a back up of these .wps documents so if I have a crash, or since I save them to a flash drive, take that drive to another PC to print the docs out. But if another PC doesn't have Works, it won't print.

You seem to knw alot, what easy way do you recommend I start? Some of these documents are quite long like journals and stories and things like that so I know they are probably over 100mb. I can't afford to buy any new programs.

Would just starting typing new pages in .txt be a way to go? My problem with that, is that there is no "enhancements" in notepad like there is in Works..bold, bullets, underline, color text etc. I was thinking, at a stopping place for each document, start a new file under .txt now. OR shoud I learn Adobe PDF since that is a common free program.

100Mb = 104 857 600 characters = more than 41900 pages ! Are you sure that your journals and stories are longer ;) ?

If you don't want to use an online converter (.zip is a common archive format) to convert your Works documents, you can try this :
1) download wp2krtf.exe : it's a free Microsoft filter for Works. Install it in the same computer where Works is installed, and convert your .wps to .rtf
2) in the other computer (Microsoft Works not present), install a free word processor (AbiWord or OpenOffice) : you will be able to read all your .rtf converted docs with both of them, and without loosing any enhancements.

I wish this help to solve your problem.

Sorry, just a complement : Microsoft Wordpad can also read your .rtf docs saved in a flash drive, but you'll lose a few enhancements, like notes. It's why it is better to install a free word processor in an other computer to read and print your converted Works docs.

That's my life. Always complicated over the smallest things! Any idea how much 100 is? I am at the moment trying to work with a resume and cover letter. And is that 100MB per document converted or total conversion? New word and procedure for me.. this "conversion". If I can get this one right, I'll move on to the other documents that I have that I need to "preserve". And start using that program from now on. And computers are supposed to make life easier!!!!! Maybe in the next life, but not in my current one!

Do you really mean that Works is a cheaper version than Word? I thought it was the probably the other way around. Works came with my PC but I never hear a word about it, and all anyone ever talks about it Word! If Works is the better of the two, why doesn't anyone every ask for it or .wps extension?

I am so dreading what I think I am going to have to do!!! But would like to at least have the most popular program so I don't have to wonder if in the future all my stuff will still be with me and not totally lost cause a new PC doesn't have Works!

OpenOffice can save your presentation, word, spreadsheet document into PDF. It was in the File menus.

I hope it's help.

I believe that came on the PC, but I didn't know exactly what it was, and didn't (at that time) need it so I never installed it. I know year or so ago (I got this PC 2005) and I did try to install it but for whatever reason, couldn't. Didn't have the reg key I think and now can't find the disk! I just want something that I can save my work on and have it acessible in later years... and with programs and things changing all the time...I might be swallowed up!