Why Won't a Word 97 Document Work in Hotmail?

Try a Compatibility Pack

• You can install a Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats on Microsoft's website. This allows newer versions of files to be opened with older versions of Microsoft Word. You might be able to edit some parts of the document and try re-attaching it to your Hotmail account.
  
  

Try the Microsoft Word Viewer

• You can install the Microsoft Word Viewer on Microsoft's website. The viewer allows you to view, copy and print documents even if you do not have Microsoft Word. Even if Word 97 is not working on your computer, you should be able to open and view the document if you have Microsoft Word Viewer.
  
  

Consider Upgrading Microsoft Word

• Even with the compatibility pack and the viewer, there are many features of newer versions of Microsoft Word you will not be able to utilize. If someone has used some of these features in their document, your document may appear different or distorted. There is a free trial of Word 2010 on Microsoft's website. You can use this trial to introduce yourself to Word 2010 and decide whether you would like to purchase the product.