Types of Word Document Extensions

word extensions define the file format and have great relevance with regard to reading and editing them. Compatibility of each type may vary, because they were created in different years and for different purposes, such as creating documents and templates. In addition, it defines which program to use to open and edit the document to avoid misreading information or losing incompatible data.

Likewise, some formats allow: macro storagean aspect that can be used maliciously by some people. For this reason, it is necessary to know what are the extensions that allow this, and those who don't, to take proper precautions and avoid downloading such files from untrustworthy sources. The main types of Word extensions are: .doc, .docx, .docm, .dot, .dotx, and .dotm.

Doc

These are files compatible with versions before Word 2007ie: Word 97, 2000 and 2003. It is possible to open them also with the latest versions of this Microsoft Office program, but may cause problems with other programs† This type of file was the standard for a long time until the advent of OPEN XML and its main features are as follows:

• It is able to contain macrosHence are considered risky and running it without antivirus is not recommended.
• Does not support XMLthat won't open most programs, only Microsoft Office Word.
• Doesn't allow reading data with Word's new features† This makes it inconvenient to convert files from Docx to Doc as important information may be lost.

Some pages or programs (that work with older interfaces) may ask for this type of file. To convert a document to this format, just open it and click on “FILE > Save As" and choose "Word 97-2003 Document†

docx

Documents with this extension are the format standard from Word 2007† Therefore, these are the ones that should be opened and edited, as older versions of Office would convert it to .doc and information could be lost. The .docx extension refers to the old format from Word, in combination with XML schema† The main advantages of these files are:

• They can't save macros, therefore they are safer formats when downloading. However, this feature is not useful for users who want to create and use it.
• They are XML compatiblethis means that documents with this extension can be opened with most reading programs such as Open Office or Libre Office, among others.
• They use compression technologyso they are usually much lighter than the .doc format.
• To be Compatible with Word's modern features†

As mentioned earlier, this has been the default extension of Microsoft Office Word since version 2007. Follow the path”FILE > Save As”, you can find this document type pre-selected and its name is “become document†

docm

The Docm extension is the one that: retains the features of the Docxthan is compatible with Word 2007 and later† The main difference between these two formats is that the “m” in its name indicates that the use of macros is enabled† In summary, this format is characterized by the following:

• It is OpenXML Compatiblefacilitating development tasks with other languages ​​such as HTML.
• To have ability to save macrostherefore, it is not recommended to open these types of files from external sources without first analyzing them with antivirus software.
• It is compatible with modern Word functions†
• They must be opened in Word to allow the use of macros, otherwise it can only be opened as a flat file.

Its implementation provides better restriction, security, and precaution when opening documents containing macros. These kinds of documents are kept along the well-known route”FILE > Save As" and select the option "Word macro enabled document†

Point

This is the designated extension for templates what are they compatible with versions before Word 2007† Like .doc files, it can be opened in other more up-to-date versions of Microsoft Office Word and simultaneously create documents in this type of format. To do this, just follow the path "FILE > Save As > Word 97-2003 Template” and changing the default destination is not recommended.

default location This type of file is "Computer > Local Disk > Users > User > Documents > Custom Office Templates". This one allows the user to locate the template easy in the "PERSONAL" section every time you want to create a new document in Word. If the file is stored in a different location, such as the desktop, you'll need to double-click it to open it when you want to use the template.

point x

Like the .dot extension, this it is a format for creating templateswith the difference that it is incorporated in the versions from Word 2007 and later† However, it has some important differences from the previous format, namely:

• Can't run macros†
• Supports advanced Word features†
• Uses OPEN XML schema†
• It is more compatible with other programs†

This and its predecessor can be stored and used similar in current versions of Word† It is recommended not to use applications that are not distributed by Microsoft as they are Word templates. However, this extension (.dotx) has a certain level of compatibility with other programs for Windows or Mac. To create this type of document, you have to save it as †Word Template”†

dotm

As with .dot and .dotx, the .dotm extension used to create word templates compatible with the latest versions of this program, ie: Word 2007, 2010, 2016 and 2019† It differs from previous versions because: can store macros† Thus, the features are summarized as follows:

• It is compatible with current Word functions†
• Use OPEN XML†

On the other hand, these types of files should: open in Word to run the macros and also to avoid compatibility issues as they are templates created especially for Word documents. To save it, just select the options "FILE > Save As > Word Template with Macros Enabled†

General features of the extensions

Below is a comparative table to summarize the Features of each extension type of Word documents.

Know the different extensions of Word It is important to protect equipment integrity in which it is run, as the macros that can store macros are often used to distribute malware. In addition, it will serve to know which version of Word it is compatible with the file and no data will be lost.