Site map | Search this site | If WP won't run on your new computer | Summary | Quick solutions to common problems | Anti-virus false positives | Voluntary contributions | Recent changes (RSS) | Announcements | The reasons for this | New printer drivers | WPDOS under Windows | Windows printing problems solved | Print to any printer or any Windows fax program | WPDOS graphics mode in a window | WP for and on the Mac | Workarounds | Euro symbol | Graphics mode survival guide | Text mode survival guide | Additional and under-documented features | Arabic and Hebrew WP | WordPerfect-related programs and utilities | Third-party tools | Discussion groups and other links | Obtaining WPDOS | WPDOS 6.2 patch program | Linux | What Corel should have done | Feedback | Acknowledgments
WordPerfect for DOS Updated | Site Map | Search | Troubleshooting Guide | Feedback | Voluntary Contributions | FAQ
WPDOS under Modern Windows and macOS, New Printer Drivers, Euro Symbol Support, and Added Features for WPDOS 5.1 and 6.x
The official website for WordPerfect family of products. Get product information, updates and free trials. Access special offers, tutorials and videos. The official website for WordPerfect family of products. Get product information, updates and free trials. Access special offers, tutorials and videos. WordPerfect is one of the oldest word processing apps around although unfortunately WordPerfect for Mac is not available. The only way to open, edit and save WordPerfect documents on macOS is to install Windows on your Mac and run the PC version of WordPerfect. This page describes the WPMacApp, a system that runs WordPerfect for the Macintosh 3.5 Enhanced in a window on any current Macintosh computer. The system uses the SheepShaver emulator software to run the 'classic' Mac OS, and runs WordPerfect inside a copy of the 'classic' Mac OS. The WPMacApp runs. Aug 08, 2011. WordPerfect Viewer is NOT an editor: it converts your WPD documents into a format that can be read on your Mac. WordPerfect Viewer supports documents from most versions of WordPerfect, including WordPerfect 4-11 (Windows), and WordPerfect 1-3.5 (Mac).
Why some people still use a DOS-era word processor
Everything is explained here.
If WordPerfect for DOS won't run on your new Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 computer
Go immediately to this site's vDos-based vDosWP system (or to the less-useful DOSBox-based DOSBoxWP system). You probably need not look at any other page on this site other than the first of these.
If you are a medical transcriptionist or court reporter who uses abbreviation-expander software (e.g., SmarType or PRD+) with WordPerfect for DOS, get in touch with me via the feedback page to learn about solutions that will make it possible to use your software under Windows 10.
If (and only if) you have upgraded an existing 32-bit Windows 7 or 8.1 computer to 32-bit Windows 10
See this site's WPDOS under 32-bit Windows 10 page. Also, you may want to read the advice in items 5 and 6 in the first post this thread at WPUniverse.com. This advice only applies if you are absolutely positively certain that you have 32-bit Windows 10 on your computer. If you don't know whether you have 32-bit Windows on your computer, then you don't have it, and should ignore this paragraph!
Summary: all you need to know about WPDOS 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, and 6.2 on modern computers
WordPerfect for DOS will run on any modern Windows-based computer, but it may require one of the two special systems mentioned immediately above. If you use WordPerfect for DOS for your daily work, you should try to buy a computer with 32-bit Windows installed so that WP can run in a window, rather than in one of the systems mentioned above. You may need to search for a vendor who supplies such machines (start with Lenovo or JNCS.com).
This site provides methods for running WordPerfect for DOS on 64-bit versions of Windows, including Windows 7, 8, and 10. This site recommends that you use one of two special systems devised for this site that make this possible: either the vDos-based vDosWP system or the older and less-capable DOSBox-based DOSBoxWP system. Information about other methods of running WordPerfect for DOS under 64-bit Windows may also be found on this site.
Note: It makes absolutely no difference whether you have a Pro or Basic or Home or Ultimate or Enterprise or any other specific subtype of Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7, 8, or 10; WordPerfect for DOS will run equally well on Pro, Basic, Home, or any other variety of Windows. Please do not waste your valuable time sending me messages asking whether WP will run on your Home or Basic of whatever variety of Windows. However, keep in mind it is far more trouble to run WordPerfect for DOS on 64-bit versions of Windows than on 32-bit versions.
This site provides methods for running WordPerfect for DOS on Macintosh computers. You do not have to give up WordPerfect for DOS if you switch to a Mac. See this site's new vDosWP for the Mac method for running WPDOS on the Mac, or its older DOSBox-based method.
As of 2017-18, the best platform for WPDOS is 32-bit Windows 7 with Ludwig Ertl's method for running WPDOS in full-screen under 32-bit Windows 7, and an old-style 4:3 monitor. Second-best is 32-bit Windows 10. If you have neither, then choose 64-bit Windows 7 or 10 with WPDOS running under vDosWP.
If you are already running WPDOS on a 32-bit Windows computer, and you are looking for a printer driver for your new printer, see this site's printer driver page for WPDOS 5.1 or a separate printer driver page for WPDOS 6.0, 6.1, or 6.2.
This site provides utilities that run under all versions of Windows and convert WP files to DOCX format, or convert DOCX files to WP format, or copy the contents of a WP file to the Windows clipboard Publisher equivalent for mac. for pasting into other applications.
If you need to open old WordPerfect files (files created in WPDOS 4.2, 5.1, or 6.x) on a modern computer, you can use any recent version of WordPerfect for Windows. All versions of Microsoft Word for Windows can open WordPerfect 5.1 files, and most can open WordPerfect 6.x files, but only if the necessary converter files were installed together with Word. If these converters are missing from your Word installation, they can be added by running a “Repair” installation of Microsoft Word; use your favorite search engine if you need to find instructions.
False positives from antivirus software
If your antivirus software tells you that any program downloaded from this site is infected with malware, this is the result of a 'false positive.' Do not waste your valuable time by sending me an e-mail asking for advice!If you do not trust my software, do not use my software! Use something else instead.
Quick solutions for common problemsWordperfect 10 Free Download
For fast access to this site's mostly commonly-requested advice, please go directly to the troubleshooting page. You can also search the complete text of this site with the Google, Yahoo, or Bing search engines. For an overview of the information available on this site, please visit the site map.
You may also want to read some of the frequently-asked questions about the contents of this site.
Voluntary contributions
If any of the drivers, files, or suggestions on this site are of value to you or your business, please consider making a voluntary contribution to help pay the costs of maintaining the site. Payment can easily be made in U.S. or Canadian dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling, or other currencies through this link to the PayPal payment service.
Announcements
WordPerfect for DOS 5.1+ and 6.2 are legally available for sale on CD to licensed users of WordPerfect for DOS. Further details are available elsewhere on this site.
How to download amazon chime with mac. Version 6 of Tame from www.tamedos.com is indispensable for use with WPDOS under Windows 2000, XP and the 32-bit versions of Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 (but cannot be used with 64-bit versions of Windows). This US$20 program speeds keyboard input and improves compatibility for WPDOS and other DOS applications under recent Windows versions. New features include the following: italics and underlines can be displayed in text mode; more than 60 lines of text can be visible in a window; the number of rows and columns on screen can be changed while the program is open; text can be copied and pasted to and from the Windows clipboard without macros or add-ons; a keystroke (Win-Enter) switches between windowed mode and a full-screen mode that uses Windows's fonts but is as fast as - or faster than - WP in traditional hardware-based full-screen mode. A page of further details provides preliminary information on the vast range of customization options available under Tame.
How to display the euro symbol in MS-DOS and Windows DOS. This site provides instructions for typing and displaying the euro symbol in full-screen MS-DOS (including Windows DOS) and in windowed DOS boxes.
Appeals for help:
rnate address for this site: This site can almost always be reached at an “alias” address, http://wpdos.org. It can, of course, also be reached at its real address, http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos.
The reasons for this
WordPerfect for DOS, in the opinion of many knowledgeable users, is still the greatest program ever written. Some of its features have not been matched even by the latest Windows software, and its interface remains unequaled for efficiency and elegance. Its support for multiple font formats has not been equaled by any other program or operating system, and its support for multiple alphabets, languages, and symbol sets has only been equaled by twenty-first-century versions of Windows, Linux, and the Mac OS.
As a reviewer for PC Magazine and other publications since 1985, I have tested hundreds of programs, including almost every word processor that was ever released to the public, plus one or two, like IBM's Signature, that were never released at all. There is much to admire in WordPerfect for Windows (and every user of the DOS version should own a copy of the Windows version, for use with graphics-rich documents), but I still return to WordPerfect for DOS whenever I want to get any serious work done, and even when I simply want to write a letter and address an envelope. (If there were a truth-in-reviewing law, it would oblige me to add that, among graphics-based word processors, I generally prefer Microsoft Word for Windows to Corel WordPerfect for Windows, but if I were forced to choose only one word processor, and I could choose among all text-based and graphic-based programs, I would unhesitatingly choose WordPerfect for DOS 6.2.)
This site was created as a way to share printer drivers and other files that can be of help to anyone who wants to continue to use WordPerfect for DOS in the twenty-first century. This site exists partly because the DOS “environment” (the so-called Virtual DOS Machine, or VDM) in recent 32-bit versions of Windows (including XP, Vista, 32-bit Windows 7, 32-bit Windows 8, and 32-bit Windows 10) is in many ways slow and awkward compared to the original MS-DOS operating system.
The awkward Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) in current versions of Windows derives from the original VDM that Microsoft wrote for Windows NT. It did not need to be as awkward as it is. The old OS/2 operating system, which began as a joint project of Microsoft and IBM, included a superb DOS environment, probably the best ever written, which was the work of a group of Microsoft programmers led by Ben Slivka, who was still working at Microsoft when Windows NT was being written a few years later. Microsoft had the resources to make a Windows NT VDM that worked well, but simply didn't use them, and we continue to suffer the consequences.
Note to WordPerfect for Windows users: The most generally reliable versions of WordPerfect for Windows are probably Corel WordPerfect 8, X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7; keep in mind that Corel WordPerfect 8, unlike later versions, is subject to conflicts with scanning and optical-character-recognition software that you may or may not have on your system. Be certain to download and install all update patches for version 8 (or for any later version) from www.corel.com (for recent versions) or from Corel's FTP site (follow the version numbers for upgrades). WordPerfect versions 9, 10, 11, and 12 are notably less reliable than 8 and marginally less reliable than X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7. Note that the later updated versions of WordPerfect 9 (only) have a bug in the WordPerfect Characters feature that causes some European accented letters to be entered incorrectly when you use the Compose feature. This bug is not present in other versions.
WordPerfect is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation. This site (which was created in Microsoft FrontPage and is maintained in Microsoft Expression Web) is not associated with Corel Corporation, PC Magazine, or any other person or organization. The site is hosted on Columbia University's web server, but the university is not responsible for any of the site's content. Corel Corporation does not support or endorse any of the documents or files on this site, and is perhaps not even aware that the site exists. - Edward Mendelson
WPDOS printer drivers for recently-released printers
This site provides many new printer drivers for WPDOS 5.1 and 6.x, and links to the original printer drivers created by WordPerfect Corporation when WPDOS 5.1 and 6.x were first released.
These drivers are not needed by the vDosWP and DOSBoxWP systems for running WordPerfect for DOS under 64-bit Windows; suitable drivers are supplied with the system itself.
This site has new WPDOS 5.1 drivers for the HP LaserJet, HP Color LaserJet, and Business Inkjet models. Both PCL and PostScript drivers are available; all 80 internal fonts in the 3200 and later models are supported; and all these drivers support the euro through the printer's hardware or through soft fonts available from this site. Drivers are also supplied for recent HP OfficeJet and other inkjet models, with euro support where available. Drivers are also available for recent Postscript Level 3 printers, Lexmark Optra laser printers. Special HP LaserJet drivers that “draw” the euro symbol, for older printers without built-in euro support, are also available. All these drivers are written by the author of this site, and are not endorsed or supported by Corel, Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, or anyone else. Information is also provided on drivers available elsewhere for some other printer models.
This site also has new WPDOS 6.x drivers for all recent HP LaserJet, HP Color LaserJet, and HP Business InkJet models. Both PCL and PostScript modes are supported; all 80 internal fonts in the 3200 and later models are supported; and all these drivers support the euro symbol either through the printer's hardware or through soft fonts available from this site. Drivers are also supplied for recent HP OfficeJet and other inkjet models, with euro support where available. Drivers are also available for recent Postscript Level 3 printers, Lexmark Optra laser printers, and some Canon bubble-jet printers. Special HP LaserJet drivers that “draw” the euro symbol, for older printers without built-in euro support, are also available. All these drivers (like all other WPDOS6.x printer drivers) may also be used with Corel WordPerfect for Linux. All these drivers were prepared by the author of this site, and are not endorsed or supported by Corel, Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Canon, or anyone else. Information is provided on drivers available elsewhere for some other printer models.
This site's WPDOS 5.1 and 6.x driver pages also offer recommendations that can help you to choose a printer that works effectively with WPDOS 5.1 or 6.x.
If possible, I will try to provide drivers for other printers not supported on this site if you are willing to beta-test the results. Some Windows-only printers, however, cannot be directly supported through custom WPDOS drivers; for these printers, see this site's instructions on printing to any Windows printer.
The original WPDOS 5.1 and 6.x printer drivers are available from Corel's page for WPDOS 5.1 printer drivers or its page for WPDOS 6.x printer drivers. If you have difficulty downloading files from Corel's site, see this troubleshooting advice.
WordPerfect for DOS under Windows
Most users of Windows 7, 8, or 10 should start at either this site's page about the vDosWP method of running WPDOS under 64-bit Windows or, as a distant second choice, the page about the DOSBox-based DOSBoxWP method.
WordPerfect for DOS can be used without serious difficulties under all versions of Windows, and WPDOS 6.x can use many of the TrueType fonts that Microsoft provides with Windows 9x, Me, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7, 8, and 10. Troubleshooting and other tips for Windows users may be found on this site's Windows page. Separate pages provide essential information on customizing the WPDOS desktop shortcut, on running WPDOS under Windows NT, 2000, and XP, and on running WPDOS under Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.
This site offers a system that runs WordPerfect for DOS from a portable USB drive (a “thumb” drive) lets you use WPDOS on any Windows-based system, including 64-bit windows.
Useful advice on Windows housekeeping for WPDOS users may be found on a separate page.
A survival guide for medical transcriptionists provides methods of using WPDOS with abbreviation-expander software under Windows. https://jtddozp.weebly.com/blog/firewalls-for-mac.
A wide range of information is also available on opening WordPerfect files in Microsoft Word, on automatic conversion of WordPerfect files to Word or PDF format, and on converting Microsoft Word files for use in WordPerfect.
Windows-based WPDOS printing and faxing problems solved
Extensive problem-solving advice on printing under 32-bit Windows may be found on a page about printing and faxing from WPDOS under Windows, so you can avoid mysterious crashes and extra pages containing nonsense characters. The same page includes advice on using Windows fonts in WPDOS 6.x and on printing to a printer connected by a USB cable or across a network. (If your printer is a Windows-only printer, see the separate page on printing to any printer supported by Windows.) Multiple methods are provided for creating PDF files from WPDOS.
Advanced techniques for accessing characters and symbols in multilingual TrueType fonts in WPDOS 6.x are on a page of their own. Other pages explain how to install PostScript Type 1 fonts into WPDOS 5.1 and 6.x and how to install and use Speedo soft fonts in WPDOS 6.x.
Print to any Windows printer or fax software
Using a combination freely-available programs, you can print from WPDOS to any printer supported by Windows, even if no WPDOS driver exists for the printer, and even if the printer is connected to your computer by a USB cable or across a network. This site offers a variety of methods for printing from WPDOS to any Windows printer, some of which can be set up automatically, some of which require complex manual setup. After any of these methods is first set up, however, it works automatically with no further effort from the user. A separate page explains how to use a similar method to fax from WPDOS to any Windows fax software (under 32-bit Windows only).
WordPerfect for DOS graphics mode in a window on the Windows desktop
One problem with WPDOS under modern Windows systems is that Windows makes it impossible to use WPDOS's graphics mode in a window on the Window desktop. This means that print preview and image editing under WPDOS 5.1 and 6.x, and graphics-based text entry under WPDOS 6.x, can be used only when WPDOS is running full-screen under Windows XP or, through Ludwig Ertl's method, under 32-bit Windows 7. This site provides methods of running WPDOS in graphics mode in a window on the Windows desktop, either through the use of a special system based on the DOSBox emulator or through the use of Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 (for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7 only, including 64-bit versions of Windows). (Other methods are available on this site's page about WPDOS under 64-bit Windows.)
WordPerfect for (and on) the Macintosh
WordPerfect for the Macintosh (a freely downloadable program) was written for older version of the Macintosh operating system, but it can be run on modern Intel-based Macs (or any Mac running OS X 10.6 or later) through the use of “emulation” software. A page on WordPerfect for the Mac on Intel-based Macs provides a complete system for running WPMac on Intel machines. Methods are provided for converting WPMac files to modern word-processing formats, or for converting modern word-processing files into WPMac format.
Separate pages include methods for running WPDOS on Mac hardware, including the new vDosWP method and the older but still effective WPDOSBoxMac method.
Work around the limitations of WordPerfect for DOS
WordPerfect for DOS has built-in limitations that will never be removed. Perhaps the most annoying is the program's inability to import GIF, JPEG, and other modern graphics formats; this site's WPG graphic format page provides ways of converting such formats into WordPerfect's WPG format. A separate workarounds page offer solutions for minor bugs and other inconveniences. A further page describes minor limitations in WPDOS related to Year 2000 issues.
WordPerfect and the euro symbol
The euro symbol was introduced after Corel stopped further development of WordPerfect for DOS. However, through the use of drivers, fonts, and other files available from the euro page of this site, the euro symbol can be used in WPDOS 5.1 or 6.x. The most extensive support provided on this page is for HP LaserJet and other PCL-compatible printers, but the euro can also be printed with any other printer that supports graphics, and this site provides drivers for newer HP, Lexmark, and other HP-compatible printers that have the euro symbol in the printer's hardware. Instructions on this site's euro page also make it possible to use the euro as a currency symbol in WPDOS 6.x tables.
Wordperfect For Mac Os X
A separate page provides methods of displaying and accessing the euro symbol in MS-DOS and Windows DOS, in both full-screen and windowed modes. These methods are designed mostly for users in Western Europe.
Graphics mode survival guide
If you run WordPerfect for DOS under Windows XP, you may use its graphics-mode print preview, page view, and graphics view (the latter two in WPDOS 6.x only). These modes require graphics driver files. All existing driver files were written before the mid-1990s, but some can be used with current hardware. This site includes a page with basic advice on which WPDOS graphics driver to use with your hardware, together with tools and techniques for displaying WPDOS graphics at high refresh rates instead of a headache-inducing 60Hz.
The page includes a VESA graphics driver for WPDOS 5.1 that gives 5.1 users the same high-resolution, low-flicker images available under WordPerfect for DOS 6.x. The page also includes a patched WPDOS 6.x VESA VBE graphic driver for new video cardsfor use with some video boards that will not work with the original driver. (If your board works with the original driver, you do not need the patched driver, and you will not gain any advantage by using it.)
Text mode survival guide
The built-in text-mode font on many recent computers is less attractive and legible than the fonts on older machines. This site's text mode page provides a utility that can replace the text font used by full-screen DOS. The page also includes notes on using WPDOS in monochrome mode.
Additional and under-documented features
Some features that have been added to recent versions of WordPerfect for Windows can also be added to WPDOS through the use of macros. among the features available on this site's additional features page are tools for copying and pasting text between WPDOS and Windows applications, “smart quotes” for WPDOS 5.1, Windows-style block selection for WPDOS 5.1, and a LineBreak code for WPDOS 6.x.
WordPerfect for DOS is so packed with features that some were never described in the printed manuals or help files. They are only known through experimentation or because they were described only in the files distributed with some versions of the program that listed enhancements made in interim versions. Some of the most notable of these changes will be listed on this site's underdocumented features page, together with the original lists of enhancements.
Year 2000 compatibility
WordPerfect 5.1 and 6.x for DOS are generally free of Y2K problems, and accept four-digit years in almost all dialogs where you can enter dates. Details, and links to Corel's Y2K pages, may be found on this site's year 2000 page.
Arabic and Hebrew WordPerfect
A page on this site includes notes on using the special Hebrew and Arabic versions of WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS. Please send feedback if you have further information for this page.
WordPerfect-related programs by WordPerfect Corporation and Corel
WordPerfect-related utilities by WordPerfect and Corel are available either directly from this site or through links to other sites. These utilities include a conversion program that converts recent Microsoft Word files into WP 5.1 and 6.x format, and (on a separate page) the WordPerfect Shell, Editor, and other WordPerfect Office for DOS programs. Another page includes links and compatibility information on DataPerfect, DrawPerfect, PlanPerfect, WP Presentations, and WP Works. For nostalgic visitors, a chronology of WordPerfect software is available for browsing.
This site does not provide support WordPerfect for Windows, but, for the convenience of users, some notes about compatibility with current Windows versions have been provided for older versions of WordPerfect for Windows.
Third-party tools and other software
Many third-party freeware and shareware tools have been developed for use with WPDOS. Among those that can be obtained from this site are TrueType for WordPerfect, by LaserTools, the font-installation modules of PrimeType for WordPerfect, also by LaserTools, utilities for repairing and viewing WordPerfect files, and utilities for removing password-protection from WordPerfect 5.0 and 5.1 files (together with links to commercial software that removes password-protection from WP 6.x files).
Discussion forums, FTP sites, and other links
This site includes a miscellaneous list of links to Corel and other WPDOS sites, including Corel's files and patches for WPDOS, bulletin board sites where WPDOS can be discussed, and other sites of interest.
How to obtain WordPerfect for DOS
A note on this site's tools and links page provides a link to a source from whom you can buy legal copies of WordPerfect for DOS 5.1+ and WordPerfect for DOS 6.2. Another note provides a link to any current eBay auctions for all versions of WPDOS.
WordPerfect 6.2 patch program
Some development work continued on WordPerfect for DOS after the final public release of WPDOS 6.2. A patch program available on this site will update the final public version to the final internal version, which was never released, but includes some minor changes that make it worthwhile (and at least two bugs that you may want to avoid).
Some notes on Linux
WordPerfect 6.x, 7.x, and 8.x for Unix and Linux all use WPDOS 6.x printer drivers. Older drivers may be found on Corel's website and newer drivers on this site's WPDOS 6.x printer driver page. That page includes beta versions of Ghostscript drivers for use with Unix and Linux systems that print through Ghostscript.
Instructions for running WPDOS under Linux may be found on this site's Linux page.
What Corel should have done
Corel abandoned a small but potentially significant source of income when it stopped development of WordPerfect for DOS, and it strained the good will of many of its most loyal customers. What Corel should have done (but never will do) was work toward making a slightly updated version of WPDOS available for downloading at a reasonable price; no retail boxes would be involved. One or two of the original programmers should have been rehired to add the following enhancements for WPDOS running under Windows:
These enhancements would have encouraged many law firms, government offices, and others to continue buying WPDOS instead of switching to Microsoft Word. Corel could easily have earned back the small investment required.
Feedback about this site
I am always happy to receive feedback and questions. Please see the feedback page for notes on the information that I will need about your system before I can provide any help. If you want to make a contribution to the maintenance of this site, please see the contributions page.
Computer and technical support personnel in educational institutions, corporations, or anywhere else should feel free to archive or copy all or part of this site for internal use, and any individual visitor should feel free to download all or part of this site for personal use. Please do not repost anything from this site in public without specific permission.
Acknowledgments
Many visitors to this site have helped to improve it by generously offering corrections, suggestions, files, links, and other material, and by testing printer drivers and other files created for the site. Niek Campagne, John Gay, Bob Headrick, Robert Holmgren, Mark Lomax, Timothy J. McGowan, Michal Necasek, John Ogden, Lutz Reuter, Don Rolfson, Randy Spurrier, Haye van den Oever, Malcolm Wheatley, and Richard Wood deserve special thanks for their generosity and ingenuity.
I also want to express my gratitude to Gianfranco Accardo, Tom Aiuppa, Sherrie Baumann, Keith Bernstein, the late Henk Bok, Jesse Bouma, Chris Butcher, Juan Miguel Campanario, Chris Condon, Janet Cyford, Douglas D'Angelo, Peter Das, Geert De Baets, Michael DeBusk, Tony Duff, Hans Olav Fekjær, Barbara Fields, Mark Fountain, David Garde, John Garziglia, Ian Gay, John Greenwood, Philip Griffin-Allwood, Marcy Grupp, Dr. Martin R. Hadam, Brian Hancock, H. F. G. F. Huijnen, Gregor J. Jones, Becky Jones, James Jones, Don Keeler, David Lasher, Timothy McGowan, Martin Malina, Paul Merrill, Tom Miller, Chris Moore, Elden Nelson, Matthias Paul, Ed Plowman, M. W. Poirier, Mitzi Ponce, Candace Primeaux, Eiji Primrose, John Rethorst, Carol Reese, Vicky Richardson, Ed Rippetoe, Brad Robertson, Edwin Russell, Frank Schaedlich, Stephen D. Schery, S. C. Schmidt, Chris Scott, George D. Selim, Jeannette R. Shearer, Ruth Sinclair, Charles Smith, Ron Smith, David Stanley, David Testardi, Udo Tjalsma, James Richard Tyrer, Gerard van Loenhout, Jack Waananen, Garry Wanlin, Martin Webb, Joe Weber, Betty Whiting, Paul Whiting, and Jerome Zimmerman. Some pages on this site have additional acknowledgments. My apologies to anyone whose name I have inadvertently omitted.
This site has no prejudices for or against any software vendor. I am happy to acknowledge my debt to Microsoft FrontPage, the program that made it easy for me to create these pages, and to Microsoft Expression Web, the program that has made it easy for me to maintain them. (However, the code on this page that displays this site's current RSS feed is from Adobe Dreamweaver because the corresponding code in Expression Web does not work with the Safari web browser.)
Accessibility statement: This site conforms to most current accessibility standards. Images include descriptive text in image tags, and color is only used to convey information when the same information is conveyed as text. Two points should be noted: at the top of each page is a paragraph containing sequential links leading to other sections on the same page; and all links to pages outside this site will open in a separate browser window. If these or any other aspects of the site cause accessibility problems, please contact me.
Edward MendelsonSite Map
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WPMacApp for Intel-based Macs | The WPMacApp desktop | The files in the download | FAQ | Copying and pasting to and from OS X | Open WPMac files in other programs | Links and useful information | Automatically set zoom level and window size | Automatic font replacement macro | Non-Roman scripts | Home page
Read this first:
This page describes the WPMacApp, a system that runs WordPerfect for the Macintosh 3.5 Enhanced in a window on any current Macintosh computer. The system uses the SheepShaver emulator software to run the 'classic' Mac OS, and runs WordPerfect inside a copy of the 'classic' Mac OS. The WPMacApp runs under OS X 10.10 Yosemite, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, macOS 10.12 Sierra, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, macOS 10.14 Mojave, and macOS 10.15 Catalina.
Under macOS 10.5 Catalina and later versions, this is a paid application; please get in touch with me via the feedback page for details.
The WPMacApp is updated frequently. This page describes the version released in October 2019. This version uses a 64-bit version of SheepShaver.
The WPMacApp for Windows: A version of the WPMacApp that runs under Windows is also available; its features and similar to the OS X/macOS version. You may download and install it from this link, and I will document it if anyone has any interest in it.
Note: If you want to run WordPerfect for DOS on modern Macintosh hardware, see a separate page. If you have WordPerfect for DOS or WordPerfect for Windows documents that you want to open in Microsoft Word for the Mac, you should visit another page on this site.
A brief explanation (not required reading):
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To use WordPerfect for the Mac under OS X 10.10 or later, perform the following steps:
If macOS warns you that the 'WPMacApp is damaged and can't be opened' and tells you to move it to the Trash, do this instead, because that message is false: Right-click on the WPMacApp; click on Open in the pop-up menu; and follow the prompts. You may have to do this twice before the message box shows an Open button. The next time you launch WPMacApp, it will open normally.
If macOS Mojave, Catalina, or later versions asks permission to perform certain actions, grant those permissions; you will only need to do so once.The program will perform exactly as it did under earlier versions of macOS. Mojave introduces prompts for permission that did not appear in earlier versions. If you don't trust my software, don't use my software.
After you run the WPMacApp for the first time, if you want to explore its options, hold down the Option key while launching the application. (Do not try this the first time you launch it!) You can set the following options (and, depending on your OS X/macOS version, possibly others) from the menu that appears:
Very serious warning: SheepShaver is an extremely complicated program, and it can be unstable. It may crash without warning, especially when printing. You may see an 'AppleEvent timed out' message when it starts up, and you will need to shut it down and restart it. You should always save your documents to the 'Unix' folder (which, by default, is actually the Documents folder in your OS X/macOS system), because you can lose them if SheepShaver crashes and cannot recover. This warning is serious!
To open WordPerfect documents automatically in the WPMacApp, select a WPMac document in your OS X/macOS system, press Cmd-I for the Get Info dialog, select Open With, and specify WPMacApp (if it is not already selected). You may now open a file in the WPMacApp by double-clicking a WPMac document file, or by dropping a document file on the WPMacApp application itself or any shortcut to it. (Drop a document only on an icon on the desktop or in a Finder window; do not try to drop a file on the dock icon that shows a Mac with a document in its window.) If the WPMacApp is already open, the document file will open in WPMac. The WPMac document file must be in the Documents folder of your OS X/macOS home folder, and the application will warn you if it is not.
To print from WordPerfect, simply press Cmd-P or choose Print from the File menu. Use the default desktop printer, 'Print or Make PDF in OS X.' After an interval of thirty seconds or a minute or more, the document will print from the default OS X/macOS printer. (Search 'PDF' on this page to set an option that will prompt you either to print the document or create a PDF from it that will open in OS X/macOS Preview.)
Powerpoint for mac os x 10.8.5. If you want to select an OS X/macOS printer when you print, instead of printing to the default OS X/macOS printer, then use the desktop printer named 'Select Printer in OS X.'
You may open the WPMacApp application in the OS X/macOS Script Editor to explore additional options and features in this system. If you change any options in the script, the Applescript Editor will take a very long time to close and save the file; be patient.
The WPMacApp automatically installs Gero Herrmann's WordPerfect plug-ins for QuickLook and Spotlight so that WP files can be searched in Spotlight and previewed with QuickLook (hint: use the spacebar when a a file is selected, or use the QuickLook keyboard shortcut Cmd-Y).
If you want to build your own self-contained SheepShaver system for running Mac OS, you can do so easily with my SheepShaver Wrapper application, available elsewhere. You will need a Mac OS installation CD (or disk image of such a CD) and a Mac OS ROM file (easily found on the internet). The SheepShaver Wrapper is a reduced version of the WPMacApp available on the page you are reading now.
Acknowledgments: This system is based on work by John Rethorst, who first devised a SheepShaver/WPMac system and a system for opening files automatically in WPMac after selecting them in OS X, and by Smokey Ardisson, who devised the system for opening WPMac files with an OS X application bundle.
The WPMacApp desktop and how to use it
When the WPMacApp opens, it displays a WordPerfect window that fills much of the screen. If you close or minimize the WordPerfect window, you can see the full WPMacApp desktop, looking more or less like the picture below (the current version may look slightly different). The desktop contains the following icons. (Remember, the WPMacApp normally appears in a window on your OS X desktop.)
The desktop shortcut 'WordPerfect' opens the final version of WordPerfect for the Macintosh. Use it exactly as you would use WordPerfect for the Mac on a real 1980s or 1990s Mac.
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The 'Virtual Printers' folder contains the desktop printers used by this system. By default, the application prints to a 'virtual' printer named 'Print or Make PDF in OS X'. Other desktop printers in this folder have self-explanatory names.
The 'Open WP Files in WPMac' folder contains 'droplets' that you can use to open WordPerfect files ((for files created in non-WP formats, such as Microsoft Word, see the paragraph below this onee) in WPMac when you can't (or don't want to) open those files from the WPMac File/Open menu. Drag the files to appropriate droplet to open it in WPMac. The droplet named 'Drop Mac file.' should be used only for WPMac files and Mac-based text files.
The 'Convert to/from WPMac' folder contains droplets that can convert many file formats into other file formats. If you want to edit a Microsoft Word or other non-WP file in WPMac, drop the file on the 'to Corel WordPerfect 3.5e doc' droplet and drag the resulting file to the desktop or some other folder. To convert a file into WPDOS, Microsoft Word, or any other supported format, drop the file onto the appropriately-named droplet and drag the resulting file to the desktop or your 'Unix' folder. Use these droplets before transferring files to your OS X/macOS system.
The 'Shortcut to OS X/macOS folder' and the 'Unix' icon both open a window that shows the files in your OS X/macOS 'Documents' folder. In other words, if your OS X/macOS username is 'Roscoe', the Unix icon in the Appliance is the same as the 'Documents' folder inside your 'Roscoe' folder in OS X/macOS. Drag documents to and from the Unix window to move them between OS X/macOS and the Appliance. The 'Shortcut to OS X/macOS folder' shortcut is on the desktop only in case you forget what the 'Unix' icon does! (You can change the location in OS X/macOS of your 'Unix' folder by holding down the Option key when launching the WPMacApp.)
The 'File Transfer' folder is merely a convenience. It reminds you that you should not try to copy a file from the 'Unix' folder (i.e., by default, your OS X/macOS Documents folder) directly to the WPMacApp desktop, because the file will not be moved to the WPMacApp emulated disk. Instead, copy the file from the 'Unix' folder to the File Transfer folder, and move it from there to anywhere on the WPMacApp disk.
A shortcut opens the 'Read Me First.pdf' file, and you must read at least the first page of this file!
The 'WP Documents' folder opens a convenient folder for storing your documents.
Printing options:The default desktop printer 'Print or Make PDF in OS X' normally prints to the default OS X/macOS printer. You can change this behavior so that you will be prompted (every time you print) to choose whether to print the file or create a PDF from it in OS X/macOS. To change this option, hold down the Option key when launching the WPMacApp, and when the Options menu appears, choose the prompting option and follow the prompts.
Other desktop printers in this system include 'Select Printer in OS X' (if you use this desktop printer, you will be prompted to choose an OS X/macOS printer every time you print) and 'Write PDF to OS X Desktop' (which creates a PDF on the OS X/macOS desktop with an arbitrary name based on the current date and time). If you want to create a PDF from WordPerfect, use one of the PDF macros on the WPMac Tools menu; these macros will create a PDF with the same name as the WP document. The 'PDFWriter' desktop printer is an Adobe printer driver that creates a PDF in the WPMacApp itself.
How the WPMacApp differs from a real Mac:The SheepShaver emulator works more or less like any real PowerPC Mac running an ancient version of the Mac OS. The only significant differences between this system and your old PowerPC Mac are these:
How to get files into and out of the WPMacApp. You may open a WP document file in the WPMacApp by double-clicking it in OS X/macOS or by dragging it to the WPMacApp icon. Alternatively, you can copy or move a file from your OS X/macOS system to the WPMacApp disk by performing the following steps:
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Warning: Be safe by saving new and modified files to the WPMacApp Desktop (or to the 'File Transfer' folder), not directly to the 'Unix' folder. WordPerfect for the Mac can save files directly to the 'Unix' folder (which, as you remember, is actually a folder on your OS X/macOS system). However, not all programs included on the WPMacApp are able to save directly to the 'Unix' folder; for example, any file that you try to save from Apple's SimpleText (included in the WPMacApp) to the 'Unix' folder is immediately and irretrievably deleted, not saved. To avoid this problem, save new and modified files to the WPMacApp desktop (or the 'File Transfer' folder), and then drag the files from the WPMacApp desktop to the 'Unix' folder in order to transfer them to your OS X/macOS system.
A warning on 'Save As.' from WordPerfect for the Mac: Be certain to test any files that you create by using the File | Save As. option in WordPerfect. If your document is complex, the WordPerfect export filter may produce an empty file. The export filters that seem most reliable are 'Microsoft Word 6.0' and 'WP for PC 6,7,8.' (Avoid using any export option that looks like 'RTF - Rich Text Format' or 'WP for PC 5.1,5.2', both of which often create empty files.)
A warning about the Microsoft Word 6 format: If you convert your WPMac files to the Microsoft Word 6 format, the resulting files may not be usable in Microsoft Word for Windows. Recent versions of Word for Windows refuse to open such files because their file format is inherently insecure. If you save a file in Word 6 format from WPMac, open in it Word for the Mac or some other OS X/macOS program, and then save it again in the format of Word 97 or later, so that it can be read on current Windows systems.
If you need more disk space: If you run out of disk space on the WPMacApp disk image, use the SheepShaver Preferences dialog (accessible from the SheepShaver item in the OS X/macOS top-line menu) to create an additional disk for this system. Use the suggested folder, and select a suitable size. Completely close down SheepShaver, and restart it; you will be prompted to format the new disk. After it is created and formatted, use it to store files and programs that do not fit on the main disk, while you continue to use the main disk for the programs installed on it. Do not try to copy the existing Mac OS system to the new disk unless you are deeply familiar with the WPMacApp and its operations, because the copied system will require many subtle adjustments before it works correctly.
Troubleshooting:
Technical note: An HTML-formatted version of an older version of the Applescript at the heart of this application is available on a separate page.
The files included in this download (and their copyright status)
This download includes a variety of different software, with different copyright status, as follows:
If either Apple or Corel wants me to remove any software from this site, they know where to find me. Steven Jobs quoted me by name in his keynote address to the World Wide Developers' Conference in 2008, and I am in constant communication with Apple's corporate communications department. I have been in continuous contact with Corel ever since that company acquired WordPerfect. Both companies know how to reach me, and both know that I will immediately agree to any request they may make in reference to their intellectual property.
Frequently-asked questions
Q. Why can't this system connect to the Internet, or to the rest of my network?
A. In fact this system can connect to the Internet, but SheepShaver cannot easily connect to any other machine on your network.
Q. I'm far too intelligent and independent-minded to do what other people tell me, and I resent your implication that I have to do exactly what you say. When I tried to print from WordPerfect, I chose a different folder from the one that appeared in the dialog box because I know what I want to do, and I don't want you to tell me. Of course, nothing printed, but this is entirely your fault for being so inflexible and controlling. Please fix your software so that it works the way I want it to work.
A. Please follow the instructions.
Q. What happened to the Chooser? It isn't there!
A. In this system, I have removed the Chooser from the Apple Menu because there is nothing you can choose from the Chooser. The 'Virtual Printers' are all variations on the Apple LaserWriter printer driver, which is the only driver that lets you print to your OS X printers or create PDF files through OS X. So the Chooser would be useless. If you insist on having the Chooser, you can find it in the System Folder, in the Apple Menu Items (Disabled) folder.
Q. I have an old Mac program called MacCheese that I use for making Stilton and Cheddar in my garage. Please tell me as soon as possible whether your system will run this program, and what I might have to do in order to make it work smoothly. I will be glad to send you a copy of MacCheese so that you can test it for me and tell me whether it will work, so that I don't have to waste my extremely valuable time by installing it, only to find that it doesn't work.
A. I have never heard of MacCheese, and I have no plans to test it. I understand, of course, that your time is far more valuable than mine is, and I understand why it makes to sense to you that I should waste my time testing a program that you want to use. However, you might want to consider the bold, revolutionary step of trying it for yourself.
Q. Sorry, but I just don't understand any of this. I see that you went to a lot of trouble to explain it extremely clearly, but I'm too lazy, impatient, and incompetent to read everything that you've written. Please send me an e-mail that tells me all the things that you're saying on this page, but a lot more clearly, and addressed to me personally, not just written for anyone. Meanwhile, I'll also send you a long list of questions, because I'm too impatient to find the answers that are already on this page.
A. Please read this page slowly and carefully. Copy-and-paste or cut-and-paste between OS X/macOS and the WPMacApp
You can copy and paste plain text between OS X/macOS and the WPMacApp. If you are copying from the WPMacApp to OS X/macOS, follow these steps:
Follow a similar procedure to cut-and-paste instead of copy-and-paste from the WPMacApp to OS X/macOS. Use similar procedures to copy- or cut-and paste from OS X to the WPMacApp.
Technical note: When copying from OS X/macOS to the WPMacApp, it is not necessary to click on the WPMac Appliance desktop before pasting, but you should do so anyway, so that you will be less likely to forget that essential step when pasting to OS X/macOS.
Frequently-asked question:
Q. I tried this method and it didn't work at all! Why are you wasting my valuable time with a method that you obviously didn't bother to test? How can you repay me for the time and effort that I've wasted trying to follow your incompetent and ignorant instructions? How to open or convert WPMac files in other programs or formats
If you have WPMac files that you wish to open in other applications, the following list tells you which applications may be able to open your files. See also the list of standalone conversion programs at the end of this list. For information on specially-created applications for converting WPMac and WPDOS files into other formats, under OS X/macOS, see a separate page.
An automated WP-to-DOC conversion fearture: A feature on this system makes it possible to convert a WPMac file automatically to Microsoft Word's .DOC format. To use this system, you must first install in your OS X/macOS system the WPLO Converter for OS X, found on another page of this site. Then, in the WPMacApp, find the OSA Menu, which is a small script icon in the SheepShaver menubar at the top of the window. You will find on this menu 'Convert File in OS X'. Click on this menu item, choose a WP document from your WPMacApp disk, and then wait while the file is copied to your OS X/macOS Documents folder and then converted to .DOC format by the WPLO Converter. The resulting .DOC file will be in the Documents folder together with the original WP document.
Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 3.5e (3.5 Enhanced):
Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 3.0 through 3.5.4 (but not 3.5e), including files saved in 'WPMac 3 Compressed' format, which seems to be identical to the WPMac 2.x compressed format:
Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 2.x, including files saved in 'WPMac 2.x Compressed' format:
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Files created by WordPerfect for the Mac 1.x:
Commercial conversion software:
For the Macintosh:
Under Windows:
Links, documentation, and other useful material
GroupsIO hosts a WordPerfectMac user group, founded and moderated by John Rethorst. Anyone may join easily, and your e-mail address can be hidden from other members. The group's resources include around a thousand digests of the now-defunct WP-L mailing list; this index may be found in the group's Databases section. The group's Files section contain access to virtually every downloadable or web-based WPMac resource except for the large downloaders for WP itself.
Many additional files for WPMac may be found at the Info-Mac HyperArchive; read the file '00wp-abstracts.txt' for descriptions. See also the page of WPMac links at WPUniverse (but be warned that most of these links are defunct).
The only book about WordPerfect for the Macintosh that has been updated to cover version 3.5e (the one included in the WPMacApp) is John Rethorst's thorough and indispensable Teach Yourself WordPerfect Mac. The updated text is available as a PDF in the Files section of the Yahoo WPMac user group message board, which you can access by starting here (Yahoo login required).
Wordperfect Machine
Users who already know the basics of the program should study John Rethorst's unique guide to WordPerfect macros and related AppleScript scripting, available as 'Scripting Guide' in the Files section of the WordPerfectMac user group.
An Envoy document viewer for the Envoy-format files distributed with some WordPerfect, Corel, and Novell products may be found at a third-party download site.
Automatically set the zoom level and window size for WPMac
WordPerfect for the Macintosh was written for different screen sizes than those on today's computers, so many users prefer to change the zoom level for comfort. In WPMac, use the Set Default Zoom macro to change the zoom level.
If you also want to change the default window size, see the instructions on another page for suggestions about how to go about modifying the supplied OnDocumentOpen macro.
An automatic font replacement macro
If you created WordPerfect documents under older versions of the Macintosh operating system, you may have chosen obsolete Mac fonts like Geneva or New York as your default document fonts. These fonts can produce unattractively-formatted documents when printed under OS X, and you may want to replace them with more modern fonts.
A macro that automatically replaces fonts when a document is opened was written by John Rethorst and Kevin McCoy. Download this Stuffit archive containing a WPMac document; extract the document and open it in WordPerfect. Follow the instructions in the document to install the macro.
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other Non-Roman Scripts
If you have one or more of the 'Apple Language Kits,' you may use WordPerfect for the Mac to edit text with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or other non-Roman scripts. https://brownmarkets887.weebly.com/dj-app-for-android-spotify.html. Use the 2.x versions of the Language Kits together with the version of the Mac OS supplied with the WPMacApp.
Other sites include further information on Chinese on older Macs and Japanese on older Macs, and a web search will lead to further information.
To convert WPMac files with non-Roman scripts into modern word-processor formats, use the WPLO Converter, as described on another page.
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