You have surely heard of a doc or docx document. These are file extensions. Indeed, if you use software from Microsoft's office suite, you will surely recognize them. But what does a document.docx really mean? Find out the answer in this article.
What is a .docx document
A .docx document is a Microsoft Word document created with Word 2007 or with a newer version of Word. It is a file format used by Microsoft Word and other word processing software. Indeed, with the launch of the 2007 version of Microsoft Word, this format was established as the new standard for text documents. The goal was to create an XML-based file format that would take up less storage space. Moreover, this new version is the combination of the .doc extension and the letter X for XML. Other applications in the Microsoft Office suite have followed the same file format evolution: the old Excel .xls format has thus evolved into the .xlsx format.
A .docx document is actually made up of several files
It is a document composed of several files grouped together in a compressed archive. It contains the document content, styles, images and other related elements. By the way, when a .docx file is opened, it is extracted from the archive. The various files that compose it will thus be processed by the Microsoft Word application or any other software compatible with this format. This modular structure will allow more efficient management of the document. It also facilitates subsequent modifications and updates to these files.
What software is compatible with a .docx document?
A .docx document is compatible with the following software:
- Microsoft Word Open Office
- LibreOffice
- Google Docs
- apple-page
- Word Viewer
This .docx document can be opened with Microsoft Word versions 2007 and later. With these versions, opening this document is no longer a problem. Older versions of Word, such as Word 2003, can still open them if you install the Microsoft Office accounting package. However, it's still possible that the .docx file won't be supported even with this package installed, due to the different formats that exist. We recommend using a recent version of Microsoft Word for optimum compatibility with the .docx format.
What are the advantages of a .docx document.
The .docx format offers several advantages over older Word file formats. It is more compact, which reduces file size, makes it easier to share and speeds up the loading of documents. Moreover, it supports advanced features such as styles, tables, charts and multimedia objects.
How to locate the secret file of a docx document?
Here is a trick that allows you to find a secret file in a .docx document:
- To begin, you will need to locate the .docx document on your computer. If file extensions are not visible, you can configure Windows to show them.
- Once you find the document, do the following to rename it: right-click on it and select the “Rename” option using your mouse. Then add the .zip extension to the end of the file name.
- A message from Windows will appear asking you to confirm if you want to change the file extension. Click on the “Yes” box to accept.
- The file icon will change to reflect this change and it will become a compressed folder.
- Then double-click on the file to discover its contents.
- If you want to edit an .xml file, you will need to extract a copy of the .xml file by dragging and dropping it into another folder, such as "My Documents".
- If you plan to edit it using a plain text editor, you can use programs such as Notepad or Notepad++.
- When Windows prompts you, select the "Copy and Replace" option.
- Once you are done editing the .docx file, you can go back to it and rename it again by removing the .zip extension. Then you can open the file in Word or Open Office.
So, you have now completed the process to find the secret file of a .docx document and modify it.
It is important to note that you can open and view .xml files without extracting them from the .docx archive. However, when you want to save the changes, you must do so outside of the archive. Once you are done editing the .xml file, you can drag and drop it from "My Documents" to the original folder in the .docx archive.
