An ODT file is the native text document format that the Open Office productivity suite of program stores. The Open Office text editor provides functions similar to the MS Word application. Any new work that the program creates is saved in ODT format. A common need that arises for Open Office users is converting ODT to DOC format in order to view or manipulate documents in Microsoft Office. The file conversion can be completed for free with the Open Office productivity suite.

How to Convert ODT to DOC Format

Step 1 – Visit the OpenOffice.org and download the appropriate version for the computer’s operating system (OS).

Step 2 – Double-click the Open Office program icon on the computer’s desktop or alternate location.

Step 3 – Select the Text editor menu option from the Open Office main menu.

Step 4 – Select “File” and “Open” and use the program file chooser to select the ODT file to be converted to DOC format.

Step 5 – Choose “File” and “Save As” then select the applicable Microsoft Word .doc format to convert the ODT file to on the document save action.

Step 6 – Click “Save” and choose the “Keep Current Format” menu option on the subsequently displayed dialogue menu.

How to Configure Open Office to Show DOC Format by Default

The Open Office suite can be configured to save to the DOC format by default instead of the default ODT file. To do so:

Step 1 – Select “Tools” then click “Options” and the “Load/Save – General” option.

Step 2 – Choose the “DOC” format as the default file format on the subsequent screen.

Step 3 – Exit the Open Office program and the default file format will be set to the DOC type.

How to Convert All the Documents in a Folder to ODT Format

In order to convert Word or Star Office documents to ODT format, use the File Wizard tool bundled with Open Office.

Step 1 – Open the Open Office application.

Step 2 – Select the “File” and “Wizards” menu options.

Step 3 – Click the “Document Converter” menu choice.

Step 4 – Select the File type and folder location of the documents to convert to ODT format.

Step 5 – Choose the destination folder for the converted files then click “Next” and “Convert” to complete the file conversion.