They can put back the older windows for you, and keep data intact.

I'm not sure why you'd have a problem opening files after an 8.1 upgrade, but the only rollback option I'm aware of is to use the System Refresh tool. Settings > Change PC Settings > Update & Recovery > Recovery.

Refresh will set your computer back to its "clean" state, the way it was when you purchased the computer. Be aware that this will wipe out ALL of your files and programs though, so you'll need to back everything up first and reinstall all of your programs afterward. This option also isn't available if you upgraded your computer from Win 7 to Win 8. It only works on computers that started with a "clean" Windows 8 installation.

information for you to fix this problem and will edit this post as needed, provided no one else beats me to it. In the meantime, know that your files are most likely still there as updates usually leave your data files intact.

I'm not a computer expert but have been using them since the first PCs, lol. Please explain the Can't open anything I need" part. Can you see the file but it just won't open? Is your software that opens the files compatible with W8.1? Is there alternate software that is 8.1 compliant that you can use like Open Office, as a temporary/permanent fix?

My new employer sent me a bunch of docx files that only open in Notepad. The job is tech writing/editing, and I have to have the Track Changes tool. Notepad doesn't have Track Changes or the editing tools I need. I also can't open previous spreadsheet or .wps files from Windows 7.

products here: Windows 8.1 and MS Office Suite. Are you saying MS Office Suite is not opening the files you need?

I can't even find MS Office Suite now on the old PC, but it came with 8.1 when I put it on the laptop. ???

Get LibreOffice. It's free and works with Office files.

I'm trying to help the OP. Telling the OP to get a program that doesn't have the feature he or she needs isn't much help.

This is a work requirement for this person's new job. I'm trying to help that person fix the problem.

And if M$ wouldn't make newer versions incompatible with older version documents, there wouldn't be a problem to start with.
LibreOffice has no problem opening either .doc or .docx files and saving them in either format.

feature. Many companies use it for version control, and that's especially true with technical writing. You don't understand the issue, I think. Yes, other programs will open docx files. But if you modify them, the changes won't be tracked using office's versioning features, which is why companies standardize on Office. They use those features to keep track of all changes, so they can revert to previous edits at any time.

This is not some person just writing something. It's for a company. If they want to specify Office Track Changes for all edits, then only Office can comply with that.

You have to buy it separately. However, if you can get a copy of MS Office 7 or later, it will work. Or, you can put the latest version on both computers. If you have the current version on the 8.1 program and you paid for it, you can use it on both computers. You just have to download another copy of it. If it was on the laptop from the company you're working for, you won't be able to do that. But they can. Contact them. Tell them what's going on.

In the meantime, can you work on these documents on the laptop until you can get your own PC set up properly?

quick research to assist the OP. I want the OP to know that it's not the end of the world. I'm glad the files are still intact.

I would opt for the Open Office option I suggested in my first reply to the OP and since suggested by others.

see if that does what you need it to do. I use it exclusively and is open source directed by Oracle and it is VERY good office software.

Don't worry, there is a solution - and Open Office should be the first step.

That's what I was going to suggest. Open Office will open .doc, .docx documents.

If you're opening .docx files, you'll need one of the later versions of Microsoft Word. There is a viewing/conversion tool that works for all versions from Word 2000 on.

I'm not completely sure I'm understanding exactly what your situation is. You have a laptop and a desktop, right? And you can't open your .docx files on which one?

Tech support on a message board is very difficult if you don't share as much information that might be important. All of the information about both the laptop and your desktop are needed, including Windows versions for each and what version of Microsoft Office is installed on each. Also, can you see the docx files you're trying to open in the applications on both computers? Are they stored locally or somewhere in the cloud?

Windows 8.1 can be a little hard to transition to if you're used to an older Windows version.

Open Office Writer for free. It does track some changes. Here is some info on the tracker for changes:
https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOoAuthors_User_Manual/Writer_Guide/Tracking_changes_to_a_document

You can download it here:
http://www.openoffice.org/

It will open docx files.

This is a person working remotely with a company that uses Office and it's tools. Funky solutions aren't going to cut it.

... on a .docx file; you should get a context menu that offers "Open with..." as an option. If you select that option, do you see Word as a possible selection? If so, it means that you do actually have Word, but it's not associated by default with .docx files. That association can be corrected, but in the meantime you would still be able to work.

And Google Docs may be able to help you with that functionality.

When you install OpenOffice, make sure you install all of it to the hard drive (that should give you most of the filters you need).

to include docx

That's essential for this person's work, if I understand correctly.

In this case the place the person works uses Office and its Track Changes feature. Open Office would be useless to this person.

Any frills MS has, one can replicate with minimal knowledge.

on employer's files. Clearly the OP is not a techie. What you're talking about is silly. Office's Track Changes tools are complex and not two-way compatible with any other program. Especially not some free program. The OP needs a copy of Office. That's the only solution.

And with computers, there is always more than one solution.

I have Libre Office installed but very rarely run it, so haven't tested this myself, but a couple of sources seem to indicate that it does track changes that will work when saving as a Word document. Libre Office is a variant of Open Office.

http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/20761/how-do-i-track-changes-and-will-they-show-up-when-i-convert-to-docx/

For example, when I open an Excel file with conditional formatting in OO, it breaks the conditional formatting.

As much as I love open source software, problems like this keep me from switching over.

The biggest translation headaches in my experience are powerpoint files.

If the person is doing tech writing for a company that uses track changes, Open Office won't cut it.

bittorrent. And the first thing I would replace would be Windows 8. Win 7 would be a vast improvement. One could even download windows, office etc and pay the asking price. Depending on how knowledgeable the user is, the options are endless.

An unauthorized copy of anything would not be a solution and could get the person fired.

You're not answering this person's legitimate question with a legitimate answer.

And I would never advocate using unauthorized anything.

download the current Office version right now. That will let him or her get started on the work the client has sent. I wouldn't advise anything else at this point. Just do it and go to work. Simple.

It's hard to offer the best route not knowing all the details and customers resources.

that's my best suggestion in this case. I can do tech support for Windows and MS Office Suite at any level, but if there's no information, I can't help beyond what I've already suggested, which is a sure solution for this person's problem.

I just did that, and think I can get going now.

There's always a good solution.

I appreciate your help and concern so much. Have a super day.

my pleasure. One suggestion: Whenever you have a problem with MS Office, use its help system. The answers are in there. Sometimes you have to dig, or ask a question in different ways, but the help system can teach you everything about the applications. You can also ask questions in Google. The search results will find answers for you from people who have solved almost any problem.

And Save! If you're going to work on an existing document, the first thing you should do is use Save As to give it a different name. That way, if a change you make messes things up, you can always go back. Use a USB thumb drive to copy saved files as archives. You can also email things you want to archive to yourself as attachments for safety's sake.

It's easy to lose something, and so wonderful when you can get it back. I'm the voice of experience on that one. I create huge documents that are hundreds of pages long, so that saving and archiving has saved my butt many times.

misunderstood your need to have a two-way capability/compatibility with your remote employer. Tracking changes only locally would have been accommodated by Open Office but it is, indeed, incompatible for two-way collaboration.

I believe you are now on the right track. Hope all goes well and please let us know how it turns out...

I'm glad you got it worked out. Disregard my previous post in CH&S.

All the benefits of using Office without the several hundred dollar "privilege" of using a competent word processor on a PC.

It's probably right under c:\programs. If you can open file explorer and navigate to that folder, you should find them in there. If you do, you can put links to them on your desktop, "start page," and/or task bar to make finding them easier next time.

p.s. good luck on the new job!

an older version it doesn't support. I know that some older versions of Office aren't compatible with Windows 8.

If it were me, I'd head for the Microsoft site and download the latest version of the MS Office Suite. If my job depended on it, I'd get it done right now, too. That would solve the problem and get this person to work, which appears to be the concern.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to install some new software to handle a work contract. If I need the software I just go get it.

get it to work with my Window 8 computer.

There are others in the House, running CO, Vista, and Windows 7. There are also others, including an iPad, an Acer Chromebook and various Android devices. She reviews software for a major publication, and I use them all to verify proper function on websites I work on.

There is also a first version Macintosh that I turned into a lamp. When it is on, it runs an old aquarium program. We only turn it on for company.

It won't install them. That may be the situation here.

I have Office 2000, 2007, and the latest version on different computers. I like Office 2000 best, but I use whichever version I need for a particular client if Track Changes is required, because each new version has added capabilities to that feature and they aren't two-way compatible.

I can open .docx files in any version. Microsoft has a docx converter for versions back to 2000, which also works as an import converter and lets even Office 2000 save in docx. But all Office features are not in the earlier versions, so you do sometimes need the current version when you're working with client files.

different interface, but should be compatible. What you need to do is get start8 if you http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

want the same windows 7 type start, and to start in desktop mode.

It only costs 5 bucks, and it will help you over come the interface learning curve

I was thinking about going to the MS-DOS level and de-install Windows 8 there before rebooting the machine and installing Windows 7 or XT. But that approach would require having someone that know how to do the work, that would cost at least $150-$250, then the desired software would have to be purchased.

More information please.

As I see it and please correct me.

1) You had a computer with Windows.

2) The computer also had MSOffice?

3) You then upgraded Windows to 8.1.

4) Now when you click on a .docx file, notepad opens up instead of Word?

5) Open Windows explorer and use search to see if you have the file winword.exe. If you do and you click on it and Word opens, it means, for whatever reason, the file associations are screwed up. You will need to associate .doc &.docx file with winword.exe.

If you didn't have office, I would ask your new employer what version they use, if they have a virtual app solution, if they have one to send you, if you need to buy it, and if if there is an employee home use discount purchase agreement.

Office is not part of Windows. Sometimes they ship "MS Works" with new devices, but that's not worth using. The Free office programs are slow, sucky, and likely not going to work based on your description.

I got Office 2013 downloadable for $10 I believe - payed an extra $10 for a physical copy of the disc.
I do prefer Office 2010 and 2007 though.

I've been fighting with my computer which came loaded with Windows 8 ever since I got it a year ago. Tech guy updated me to 8.1, and decided to do a few tweaks without fully disclosing to me. Finally got it back working the way I need.

A couple hopefully helpful hints:

There's RECOVERY and RESTORE (or refresh). One will only affect the software, the other will wipe out your files. Be sure you know which you are choosing if you go this route, which I did find helpful.

I have had to reinstall Office 2010 a couple times to resolve problems. I've also used Microsoft "fix it" which was really effective. Try googling "microsoft fix it for word 2010". In my case it checked out my installation and fixed it.

A good place to look for software that might help solve your problem is "filehippo." Just be very careful what you click on. We made an error clicking on an ad and it took me forever to get nasty software off my laptop.

Be sure you have really good anti-virus software (e.g., AVG), Malware, and ad blocking software on your computer before you start going around the web and downloading stuff. Once you do, just check customer reviews and try to get the best one.

Good luck! I feel for you!!

And toss your computer out

if you don't know how to get to the operating software level to de-install Windows 8. If you do de-install, you will need an install disk for the Windows version that works for you, that likely is Windows 7 or XT. If you need to de-install then build back up with an earlier version of Windows, the Geek Squad can send someone to do the work, but they charge something like $150+ just to show up. If you have family, especially young ones that are deep into computers, one of them may be able to do the work for you for free, leaving you to just buy the earlier version of Windows.

Office has never been part of the regular install of Windows, goingl the way back to Windows 3.1. Also, Office 2003 and older aren't compatible with Windows 8.1. What parts of Office do you need? There are several different versions of Office, and you can see the differences here:

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbpage.OfficeCompare?tid=XhF02Wsw&cid=5250&pcrid=2387998148&pkw=microsoft%20store&pmt=e&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=pointitsem_Microsoft+US_bing_5+-+Microsoft&WT.term=microsoft%20store&WT.campaign=5+-+Microsoft&WT.content=XhF02Wsw&WT.source=bing&WT.medium=cpc

The one thing to note is that Office 365 is a subscription. While Microsoft updates and patches it for you, it's only rented. The rest you buy and install like you've done before.

You don't need to get rid of Windows 8.1, especially if your new laptop is running it. A subscription for Office 365 will be useable on both your new and old systems. It might be worth paying for it, if you are so inclined. You might check to see if your new employer r has a Microsoft license agreement that lets employees get Office for something like $10.00 for home use. He also might either pay for your Office 365 subscription, or if they've already implemented it, they may just need to give you access to it. I know a lot of businesses who have done that for contractors and telecommuters.

No need for tears, you just needed information on how to proceed.