I found these instructions online on how to convert a Word Perfect document to a Word Document.

1. Start Microsoft Word.

2. Click Open on the File menu or click the Open button on the Standard toolbar.

3. When the Open dialog box opens, check the Files of type list to ensure it is set to All Files (*.*). If necessary, click the Files of type list arrow and then select All Files (*.*) in the list.

4. Use the Look in list or double-click to browse through folders to locate and select the Word Perfect file you want to convert.

5. Click the Word Perfect file name and then click the Open button. Word will convert the document and open it in Word.

6. Next, you should save the file in Word document format. To do so, click Save As on the File menu. When the Save As dialog box opens, check the Save as type list to ensure it is set to Word Document (*.doc). Word automatically will rename the file to use a .doc extension, not a .wpd extension.

After you convert the .wpd file to .doc, you may need to reformat some parts of the document (for example, formatting like page breaks and columns may not convert cleanly). After you’ve made these formatting changes, simply save the document again (remember: it’s now a Word document and will save, by default, as a Word document). Voila! In a few simple steps, you’ve converted your old Word Perfect document to a brand-new Word document.

Is it really that simple? Yes and No.

These simple instructions will let you save a Word Perfect document to Word format but these instructions do not accommodate the time you will spend to reformat the document to clean up the mess left behind from the conversion.

Just like any other software program out there both Word Perfect and Word use “markup language” to design the document which is written behind the scenes that the end user does not see. When you try to write a conversion utility, there is only so much that can be factored in for a proper conversion and that is why a lot of the formatting and placing of objects in Word gets messed up.

The key to a successful conversion is training, defining standardized styles and standardized templates . Setting up styles in Word is not hard if you understand how styles work. Styles in Word are like rubber stamps. A rubber stamp has a particular design, width and height. When you use a stamp, the imprint is consistent every time. Styles do the same for formatting a document and allows the end user to format documents in less time.

A lot of Word Perfect users are used to modifying documents using revel codes because the codes are visible. It is real easy to reformat a document but that also leaves the whole document with individual formatting for each sentence and paragraph. The advantage with styles is that if you decide to change the format of a paragraph, you can change the style and all the paragraphs that have the applied style will change all at once. This is where the power of styles can be harnessed.

Templates are predesigned forms that you use to start your new document. A well designed template with standardized styles will enhance your document production as all you have to do is add needed language to finish the document. Everyone needs to get content from another document and the best way to bring that content into your current document is to do a copy and paste special as unformatted text. This will place the text without the formatting from the source document and apply the formatting for the new document depending on where your cursor is placed. If the formatting is not correct all you have to do is place your cursor in the paragraph and apply the right style to it. If you paste text with tabs or numbers, you will have to manually remove those and then apply correct styles.

I cannot emphasize enough on the importance of training, not only to understand how to use word but, on how to use the styles that are developed. A Word Perfect user is going to get frustrated without the revel codes feature. But, when that same user understands how styles are applied, they will accelerate at document production. Most firms skimp on training due to the costs. They are helping their users form bad habits which will cost them a lot more in the end. One thing that every user does is take previous document and save it as a new file. This is a bad idea both for Word Perfect and Word. When you keep saving a file over and over again even if you are doing save as, both programs are storing and forwarding code from previous documents and over time the documents get corrupted to the point where the document is non recoverable.

In short users who learn how to use Word properly, including styles, will be far more efficient with their document production process.