NOTE: this software is for Classic Mac OS (eg: OS 9) and cannot be used on Mac OS X.
Nisus Writer Classic is no longer for sale. This page is only for archival purposes.
Why won't Nisus Writer read my Microsoft Word 98 files?
The situation resides deep inside the Macintosh operating system and consists of aspects
of problems with "XTND" developed by Claris over 6 years ago and since dropped, a
conflict between remaining XTND technologies and newer versions of MacLink Plus by
DataViz
Beginning with MacOS 7.6(.1?) through 8(.1?), Apple offered a bundled, optional
installation of MacLink Plus from DataViz. This both seemed to resolve some of
the problems while it raised others. It offered an alternate system which required
a third-party that needed payment. At the same time installing additional versions
of translators that were incompatible with those we had installed often caused
collisions and made matters worse. This often necessitated extensive debugging
by the user.
One of the "fixes" in version 5.1.3 was the removal of the materials from DataViz
which we had (up until that time) license to install. This has simplified the matter
technically somewhat, while forcing you, the user, (if you do not have it installed
with your System - MacOS 7.6(.1?) through 8(.1?) - to contact DataViz directly to get
the current version of MacLink for your file format translating needs.
Think of it this way: Rather than having to learn a different language you hire a
translation agency to do this specialized task.
* * * * * * *
Further to the above report (from a user):
This is getting a bit tangential because it seems my major problem was with
MacLink, but I thought other might be having/have had similar problems with
OS8.5.1 and MacLink 10.
Basic problem was Nisus 4.1.6 (the latest I run) and ClarisWorks 5 lost contact
with MacLink when I installed the updater to go from OS 8.5 to OS 8.5.1. Mac G3 266.
Re-installed MacLink 10, turned off the Contextual Menus Enabler (extensions) as
per maclinkprobs and got
MacLink associating itself with Nisus (v. 4.1.6) and ClarisWorks 5 again.
DataViz has a small updater for MacLink v.10.00x
(updater 10.003) available free which I installed. Look under support. However, the
translators available from within the programs still appear restricted, particularly
in Nisus, and a Word for Windows 97 document cannot be translated through either of
them. They do not come up with anything higher than Word for Windows 6 (Nisus) and
Word for Windows 6,7 (ClarisWorks).
So I translate the document on the desktop using the dinky little MacLink drag and
drop things. It identifies the document as Word for Windows 97 as it translates it
to Nisus 4, with the converted document being placed on my hard disk.
Now, with the PC floppy in the floppy drive containing the original Word document,
I try opening the Nisus document from within Nisus. Just as it completes the opening,
it accesses the floppy, spits it out and demands I reload the floppy. And into the
familiar old loop we go until I crash restart. Hey, I might talk about the good old
days sometimes, but I'm joking! This feels like System 1.0! Same trouble over several
repetitions. BUT if I eject the floppy first, we're laughing! The converted file opens
in a flash and there is no request or apparent reference to the original file on the
floppy!
Tested it with ClarisWorks too. C/W 5 has no problem opening the file converted to
either C/W 4 or MacWrite II (my favorite format for interchange), and there are no
hang-ups with the source floppy in place. Earlier, C/W 5 was crashing (Error Type 2)
when I converted to and tried to open MacWrite II files. Nisus had no problem opening
them.