Where does the .rtf default extension come from?

[Laurel]

I find that both WordPad and Word are defaulting to .rtf format. I'm not
sure when this started, perhaps when I got my new PC last spring. I now
discover that this isn't true for the rest of the world, and that RTF files
are larger than .doc files by enough that some of my friends can't even open
them.

Where can I change the default so that both WordPad and Word will go back to
..doc as the default?

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Laurel

The .rtf file extension was created by Microsoft such that a file generated
by a word processor program could be saved and used by other word processor
programs and across different OS platforms..

Wordpad was given the ability to read .rtf files such that a new user could
read formatted text documents originating from higher end word processors..

Neither program defaults to .rtf.. but if you are sent an rtf file, they are
the two programs that will pick it up.. I would be very surprised if, upon
opening Word and saving the blank page, the default save format would be
..rtf.. is this the case?

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Laurel,

In Word check in Tools=>Options=>Save to set the
default document format to 'Word Document' and
on your next save check that the 'file type box'
shows 'Word document' when you save the file.

In Wordpad the standard default format is RTF
but you can choose MS Word v6 (.doc) format as the
default. Open Wordpad create a file and use
File=>Save and then select one of the available file
types other than RTF. You should then see a box under
the file type you can check to select that format as
the new default.

=========
I find that both WordPad and Word are defaulting to .rtf format. I'm not
sure when this started, perhaps when I got my new PC last spring. I now
discover that this isn't true for the rest of the world, and that RTF files
are larger than .doc files by enough that some of my friends can't even open
them.

Where can I change the default so that both WordPad and Word will go back to
..doc as the default? >>
--
Let us know if this helped you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

Office 2003 Editions explained
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/office/editions.mspx

 

[Laurel]

Thanks.
Here's a puzzle, though. For years I've had a file called bit.doc that I
just use as a kind of virtual brain. I dump everything there. I've had it
since before rtf fles. It still has the .doc extension, and I routinely
edit it with WordPad, but I see that .doc is not one of the allowed default
extensions. Can I find out what format my bit.doc file really is in?

 

[Laurel]

Thanks for the info. WordPad was defaulting to RTF for me (I created a new
file and saved and that was the extension). I don't recall ever clicking
that little "make default" checkbox. Didn't know it existed (see post
following yours). What do you assume the default is suppoed to be? (See my
response to the next post for more about why I'm wondering.)

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Laurel,

If you have MS Word turn on the
[x] Confirm Conversions at Open
choice in Tools=>Option=>General
to see what file type Word thinks it
is when you next use File=>Open.

The RTF file type has been around since Windows 3.1
when Wordpad (then MS Write) was part of Windows and
the default file type was the Write format (.WRI)

Wordpad does have a default choice for .DOC file but
it's an older version of Word format. The Wordpad
default is RTF, which until Word 2000 was Words internal
use format as well.

=======
Thanks.
Here's a puzzle, though. For years I've had a file called bit.doc that I
just use as a kind of virtual brain. I dump everything there. I've had it
since before rtf fles. It still has the .doc extension, and I routinely
edit it with WordPad, but I see that .doc is not one of the allowed default
extensions. Can I find out what format my bit.doc file really is in? >>
--
Let us know if this helped you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

Office 2003 Editions explained
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/office/editions.mspx

 

[Laurel]

Thanks! 2 more questions - see below

Hi Laurel,

If you have MS Word turn on the
[x] Confirm Conversions at Open
choice in Tools=>Option=>General
to see what file type Word thinks it
is when you next use File=>Open.

Thanks. It is in .rtf format


Question 1 - I got started on this because a colleague objected to my
sending .rtf files because "they're so much bigger than .doc files," so I
saved my .rtf file (named .doc) to another name in .doc format. True, true.
The rtf format was 5198 kb and the .doc format was 319. So what are the
pros of .rtf? Why is it around?

Wordpad does have a default choice for .DOC file but
it's an older version of Word format. The Wordpad
default is RTF, which until Word 2000 was Words internal
use format as well.

Question 2 - When I save a document in WordPad, the dropdown for "Save as
Type," contains 4 entries,
Rich Text Format (RTF)
Text Document
Text Document - MS DOS format
Unicode text document.

How does one get at the .dos format? (Or, if it's older, maybe it's big
like rtf and not worth getting at?)

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Laurel

The .rtf format enables a word processor document to be read by any other
word processor regardless of the native format or platform while retaining
some or all of the original document special formatting, e.g. number lists,
indentations etc

If your colleague would prefer the .doc format, then send stuff using that
format.. if two people are both using a wordprocessor that can make sense of
a .doc document, it is pointless to send in any other format..

The other formats are available to send basic text documents (no special
formatting other than spaces and carriage returns) to any text reader
regardless of platform

Platform = UNIX, Mac, Linux etc

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

Thanks! 2 more questions - see below

Hi Laurel,

If you have MS Word turn on the
[x] Confirm Conversions at Open
choice in Tools=>Option=>General
to see what file type Word thinks it
is when you next use File=>Open.

Thanks. It is in .rtf format


Question 1 - I got started on this because a colleague objected to my
sending .rtf files because "they're so much bigger than .doc files," so I
saved my .rtf file (named .doc) to another name in .doc format. True,
true. The rtf format was 5198 kb and the .doc format was 319. So what are
the pros of .rtf? Why is it around?

Wordpad does have a default choice for .DOC file but
it's an older version of Word format. The Wordpad
default is RTF, which until Word 2000 was Words internal
use format as well.

Question 2 - When I save a document in WordPad, the dropdown for "Save as
Type," contains 4 entries,
Rich Text Format (RTF)
Text Document
Text Document - MS DOS format
Unicode text document.

How does one get at the .dos format? (Or, if it's older, maybe it's big
like rtf and not worth getting at?)

=======
Thanks.
Here's a puzzle, though. For years I've had a file called bit.doc that I
just use as a kind of virtual brain. I dump everything there. I've had
it
since before rtf fles. It still has the .doc extension, and I routinely
edit it with WordPad, but I see that .doc is not one of the allowed
default
extensions. Can I find out what format my bit.doc file really is in? >>
--
Let us know if this helped you,

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

Office 2003 Editions explained
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/office/editions.mspx