File Conversion Instructions
for File Managers

Converting a File from MSWorks to plain text and keeping dates in correct format
1)  Open the file in MSWorks

2)  Save as "text and tabs"

3)  Open the file in Excel

A text wizard opens.  Choose "Tab delimited" and go to next.  (there might  be another "next" but do nothing with that screen and click on "next" again.  This will bring you to a screen that where you choose the type of text and in the upper left corner you will see some radio buttons, the top one saying "General".

Select all the columns of the text:  the first column is already highlighted.  Scroll over to the last column and holding down the shift key, click in that column.  All of the text should be highlighted now.

4)  Click on the radio button at top that says "text"  (This is what keeps the dates from changing)

5)  Click on "Finish" and the file will import.

6)   Look thru the file and make sure it is formatted the way you want it.  To make sure that no columns are overlapping, click on the right side of each lettered column at the top.  The column will automatically adjust itself to the longest cell in that column.

7)  Highlight the entire document. 

8)  Go to the menus on top - Format-->Cells.  This opens a box with lots of choices.  The ones to change are:

Font needs to be courier size 10. 
Choose no borders and no color.
Unlock file then click OK.

9)  Highlight the document (only the cells with text in them......if you select all, you will get a huge file with all the empty cells at bottom)

10)  Save as .prn file with the name of your choice.

11)  Open the .prn file in Notetab.  The file must first be saved as text to view on the Internet.  So save it as text and then view it on the Internet to make sure it's correct.

These instructions were graciously passed on to me by Maggie Zimmerman Stewart and Lee Zion.

For files with many columns that are not formatting correctly on the web, please write to me privately and I will send you a macro written by Maggie to use to work around this.  A good example of this type of file is at http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/haywood/vitals/1930-death.txt

Vicki Shaffer