View Full Version : OT: Format converter.
Anyone know how to convert .DOC files (MS word format) to Kindle or .PDF format? For free? Without needing to install MS word? Without registration?
I have several .DOC documents that I would like to read on my Kindle. Snoople only gives spyware results. Anyone know where I can get a straight converter from .DOC to .PDF?
Open Office reads MS docs and writes pdfs
http://www.openoffice.org/
Martin
I was trying to avoid installing anything. Just a straight conversion program. Thanks anyway. (I may end up having to use openoffice.)
Bugger. It seams openoffice needs Java to be installed first.
westaust55
03-11-2011, 08:15
Look here for possibilities:
http://www.google.com.au/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=convert+doc+to+pdf+online&pbx=1&oq=convert+DOC+to&aq=1&aqi=g4&aql=1&gs_sm=c&gs_upl=0l0l2l890l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=1023aaa2f0333fe7&biw=1519&bih=737
first one: http://www.pdfonline.com/convert-pdf/
seems to take your uploaded file and emails you a pdf
Thanks, but I don't want to 'upload' my documents.
Amazon provides a free conversion service, if you upload your documents. I'm aware of this and reject it as snoopware.
All I want is a plain format converter, without needing to 'install' anything or 'register' anything or 'upload' anything.
Does such a beast exist?
You don't want to install, upload or register. Fair enough.
OpenOffice and some Serif products will do it (to name a few), but you have to install them.
And, obviously, you'll want it for free.
Other than downloading a (poss dodgy) .exe or source-code, what options remain?
Anything web-based could mean your top secret documents could go world-wide.
What kind of thing do you have in mind?
Are you limted for space when you say you don't want to install free Java and OpenOffice?
You can also download CutePDF. Installs as a printer device, so with any document (from any source, and format) select print, select CutePDF 'printer'. You then get asked what name you want to give it, and where to save the PDF . Download from here (http://www.cutepdf.com/)
Very easy to use.
Yes it does mean downloading and installing something, but it will not show as a program!
I have used pdfFactory for years, installs as a printer, does a good job of converting .DOC and just about anything else into a PDF.
I would not put anything on my Kindle that I deemed to be security sensitive in the first place, so I have no objection to emailng a copy of a PIC data sheet or the PICAXE manuals to it.
westaust55
03-11-2011, 09:02
Amazon provides a free conversion service, if you upload your documents. I'm aware of this and reject it as snoopware.
All I want is a plain format converter, without needing to 'install' anything or 'register' anything or 'upload' anything.
Does such a beast exist?
Likely not.
Where does the .doc file come from, that you do not already have a word processor type program available ?
Can the source of the document not provide a pdf file for you?
EDIT:
If downloading were permitted:
1. I use pdfcreator - free to downlaod and no registration required. works like a printer driver.
2. Rev Ed have their PICAXE pdf printer driver (you have already downlaoded their PE to somewhere) http://www.picaxe.com/Software/Drivers/PICAXE-PDF-Printer-Driver/
Google is your friend - The first result that came up with for me was ...
http://www.avs4you.com/AVS-Document-Converter.aspx
The other solution may be to do the conversion in multiple steps, say DOC -> HTML -> PDF.
As mentioned, Rev Ed offers a pdf printer driver. I also use Cutepdf (mentioned above), and BullZip. The printer driver option is very flexible, and allows you to create all kinds of pdf documents--from jpg and xls and from graphics programs as well as from doc files.
I do not have a printer installed, and I do not have any MS word stuff installed.
Dippy: "And, obviously, you'll want it for free."
Of course. If YOU want to pay for a simple file format converter, then go ahead. Get the gold plated multi-site edition for a measly extra £200 if you like. More fool you.
Mpep: I already tried that. It does not work if you don't have MS Word installed. Thanks anyway.
srnet: Is PDFfactory free?
westaust55: "Where does the .doc file come from"
I have over 100 .DOC files. I have been collecting useful/interesting/entertaining, documents/ebooks/papers for many years in the hope that one day I could read them on an e-reader. And it's nobody else's business what documents they are.
Hippy: Did you try AVS Document Converter?
Thanks for all your help.
srnet: Is PDFfactory free?
Not relavent since I have just realised the restriction is;
All I want is a plain format converter, without needing to 'install' anything or 'register' anything or 'upload' anything."
All I can suggest is that you put the files to convert onto a floppy disk, CD, DVD or memory stick and get someone else to do the job for you.
But since its nobody elses business what the files are, I guess that option is closed to you also.
Steady the buffs Boriz old chap. Gosh, you're sensitive :confused:
Maybe if I'd added "like the rest of us" then that would have been better?
You've gone to extremes; you may be able to get something for a quid. Would that be 'gold plated'?
Lordy, I was only trying to get some info on what was and what was not acceptable in terms of programme type.
And it's still unclear.
If you don't want to install, upload, download,add-on , run .exe or whatever just clarify how you expect it to be done?
Hippy: Did you try AVS Document Converter?
No, just did a Google search and that's the first of 100,000,000 results which popped-up. I doubt they are all useful or but probably one is.
Microsoft have DocViewer which is free and lets you print .DOC and other files which with one of the PDF printer packages could work. There may be printer packages which can capture the output and convert to some other format. Windows has some "print to file" option which may prove useful but never tried that. Older/newer versions can probably be found on the web ...
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=4
Hippy: Did you try AVS Document Converter?
No, just did a Google search and that's the first of 100,000,000 results which popped-up. I doubt they are all useful or but probably one is.
Microsoft have DocViewer which is free and lets you print .DOC and other files which with one of the PDF printer packages could work. There may be printer packages which can capture the output and convert to some other format. Windows has some "print to file" option which may prove useful but never tried that. Older/newer versions can probably be found on the web ...
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=4
Hippy: Don't recommend it unless you have tried it. (I did a google search also, surprisingly enough.)
Dippy: Yes, I expect I will need to run a .exe
Everyone: Thanks for your help.
westaust55
03-11-2011, 10:28
Maybe we should also enquire what computer platform, operating system and software do you have so folks can narrow down the options.
Sorry.
Ok. I use a perfectly normal 4 core Xeon PC with XP SP2. (SP3 is balls. Big hairy smelly horrible old mans balls.)
fritz42_male
03-11-2011, 10:49
Not relevant for Boriz since you have to install it but I recommend the free Calibre Book Server. Document conversion and all the formats you could ask for. It supports e-readers of most types including Kindle, I-pads etc. I maintain a collection of about 12,000 books on mine and can access them anywhere in the world from almost any platform -it works as a web-server as well.
Amazing program.
Oh the latest version of free PrimoPDF has drag and drop which may work and you can get a free Word viewer/printer from Microsoft.
Did you pay full price for 12000 books?
fritz42_male
03-11-2011, 11:10
You can pick up 2000 public domain books from Project Gutenberg alone.
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/20-best-websites-to-download-free-e-books/
MartinM57
03-11-2011, 11:29
Got an iPad (or access to someone you trust with one?) I believe Pages can read .doc and write .pdf...
...but it's probably easier to find someone you trust with Word and a PDF printer driver I expect.
Obviously a knotty problem....
I have collected them over many years in anticipation of owning an e-reader.
Now I find myself with an e-reader and no way to transfer these documents to it
fritz42_male
03-11-2011, 12:00
Calibre. No problem. Transfer to e-reader via usb or wireless.
Had mine running for nearly a year. If you are worried, firewall your system. Then if you want remote access drill a hole in the firewall on a little used port.
If you are really paranoid, set up a Virtual Machine to run the server on an encrypted partition.
I have edited a couple of posts.
It is sufficient to know that someone has a DOC file that they are legally entitled to copy and want to copy that to some other format. We can deal with the technicalities and means of doing that without knowing the why or desire and clouding the issue on ownership and rights will not assist in that.
We do not condone nor encourage anything that is illegal or intended to infringe the legal rights of any party on this forum.
fritz42_male
03-11-2011, 12:52
Apologies Hippy. Consider me chastised.
I guess Big Brother is watching.
War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.
Anyway. I was hoping that someone on the forum could direct me to a simple converter program.
Thanks for all your help. I will give all your suggestions due consideration.
How complicated are these .doc file? Not all .doc files are created equally. If they are sufficiently "lo-fi" (meaning they are mainly text with some simple formatting as opposed to documents that contain lots of esoteric features of fulll-blown MS Word), then WordPad (included with Windows XP) can open them just fine. From there, you can print to PDF, etc.
If you're looking to do this as a sort of batch process, since it sounds like there are more documents than you would want to do by hand, you can probably write a VBscript that invokes WordPad and then uses the "SendKeys" method to do the print (as simple as sending "Ctrl-P").
mrburnette
03-11-2011, 23:24
A possible solution: http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_HowTo:_File_Conversion#Converting_files_wit h_Mobipocket_Creator
-Ray
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