Doc to Docx Converter

A Python solution to convert Microsoft Word .doc files to .docx format on both Windows and macOS.

Requirements

• Python 3.6 or higher
• Microsoft Word installed on your system
• On Windows: pywin32 package (pip install pywin32)
• Tkinter (included with most Python installations)

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Ensure you have the required dependencies installed

Usage

This converter can be used in two ways:

1. Command Line Interface

Convert a .doc file to .docx (saves in the same directory):

python convertDoc2Docx.py path/to/document.doc

Specify output path:

python convertDoc2Docx.py path/to/document.doc path/to/output.docx

2. Graphical User Interface

Launch the GUI application:

python doc_converter_gui.py

The GUI provides an easy-to-use interface with the following features:

• File browser to select input .doc files
• Optional output path selection
• Progress indication during conversion
• Status updates and error messages
• Simple one-click conversion

How It Works

The converter uses different methods depending on your operating system:

• Windows: Uses the win32com.client library to automate Microsoft Word
• macOS: Uses AppleScript via the subprocess module to automate Microsoft Word

Project Structure

• convertDoc2Docx.py - Core conversion functionality and command-line interface
• doc_converter_gui.py - Graphical user interface for the converter
• README.md - Documentation

Limitations

• Requires Microsoft Word to be installed on your system
• Only supports Windows and macOS (not Linux)
• The input file must have a .doc extension

Troubleshooting

Windows

If you encounter an error about missing win32com.client, install the pywin32 package:

pip install pywin32

macOS

Make sure Microsoft Word is installed and accessible. The script uses AppleScript to control Word, so Word must be able to open via AppleScript.

GUI Issues

If the GUI doesn't appear or shows errors:

• Ensure Tkinter is properly installed with your Python installation
• Try running the command-line version to check if the core conversion works
• Check console output for any error messages

Changelog

March 3, 2025

• Initial Release: Created convertDoc2Docx.py script with support for Windows and macOS
• Enhancement: Improved error handling, added input validation and custom output paths
• Feature: Added separate TKinter GUI application (doc_converter_gui.py)
• Documentation: Created comprehensive README with usage instructions for both CLI and GUI
• Update: Added explicit check for Microsoft Word installation on Windows, consistent with macOS version