Forums | MacLife
You are not logged in.
#1 2005-07-19 11:42 am
- chl0525
- Member
- From: Merriam, KS USA
- Registered: 2001-12-12
- Posts: 147
Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
I am running OSX 10.3 on a G5 with Indesign CS and I also have Quark 6.5 (but I don't want to use it). Someone sent me a pagemaker 5 file. It's supposed to be a text document, and I will NEVER understand why the copy could not be pasted into the email as text, but I can't open the pagemaker documet. Or at least I don't think I can. Help. Please. Thanks.
Offline
#2 2005-07-19 12:06 pm
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
do you have the "indesign CS pagemaker plugin pack"? it should be on it's own CD if you got the premium edition of indesign.
install this and you can open pagemaker docs in indesign. the docs won't look right, and most likely everything will be screwed up, but at least you can open it and get at the text.
"the bible is cooler than i thought.... most of the main characters get stoned!!!"
"let's get back to the good ol' days when the "opiate of the masses" was still actually opium." -me
"kids don't beat me. i beat kids." -HJS
the above post is proudly antihammer
Offline
#3 2005-07-19 12:11 pm
- chl0525
- Member
- From: Merriam, KS USA
- Registered: 2001-12-12
- Posts: 147
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
Thanks, I just tried that. It will not open a version this old. It is supposed to work for PM 6.5 and 7 files.
Offline
#4 2005-07-19 1:07 pm
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
PM 5? Man thats older than dirt. I don't think even PM6.5 will open it. But if ya want to email it to me I'll give it a go for ya.
Make it idiot-proof, and someone will make a better idiot.
Offline
#5 2005-07-19 2:01 pm
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 16030
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
I wonder if you can open the file in BBedit Lite if all you want to do is extract the text.
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
Offline
#6 2005-07-19 2:21 pm
- chl0525
- Member
- From: Merriam, KS USA
- Registered: 2001-12-12
- Posts: 147
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
I finally opened it in Text Edit and was able to copy SOME of the text. I did reset much of the file. It would be good to know, for future reference, if there is a better solution.
Thanks for the offer, almaink. I might take you up on it next time! Although hopefully there will not BE a next time...
Offline
#8 2005-07-19 3:31 pm
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 16030
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
Well, the best solution is to have a copy of PM5....or depend on the kindness of strangers (and friends). 
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
Offline
#9 2005-07-19 4:32 pm
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
Kick it back.
Tell the author that you cannot work with a file this old and that he has a couple of options.
1) send as plain text or rtf
2) send a PDF
At least if he could send a PDF you could also see somewhat of the desired format.
Hell, even a PS file would be better so you could distill it yourself.
Last edited by Gipetto (2005-07-19 4:33 pm)
Offline
#10 2005-07-19 8:30 pm
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 16030
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
Sounds like one of those "art from the client of the client" deals like I usually get.
Clients don't always want to reveal that they are going outside of the company and/or the salesman promised they could use that file - so, ain't no kicking it back.....
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
Offline
#11 2005-07-20 10:39 am
- chl0525
- Member
- From: Merriam, KS USA
- Registered: 2001-12-12
- Posts: 147
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
I don't know what the deal is with these people. They are not for profit and we do this job for free every year. The lady that sets up the file does not know how to make a PDF. She does not know how to (or refuses to) copy the text straight into the email. We have had nearly the same layout every year and she blows all this time re-setting it up in PM (rebuilds our layout with new copy) and then when I get it, I pick up my old InD (used to be Quark - yuck) and reset the type. Usually all I get from her is a fax. I want realy bad to go over there and just sit at her computer and do it myself. There are SO MANY things that she could do to make this job easier on everyone.
I think I might troll ebay and look for an old copy of PM that I can install on a OS9 machine that I keep around.
Thanks for your help guys. This place rocks.
Offline
#12 2005-07-20 3:48 pm
- pottymouth
- Uncreative
- Moderator
- From: JP, MA
- Registered: 2002-02-06
- Posts: 17410
- Website
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
Somehow I doubt that a person running PageMaker 5 would have the ability to make a PDF.
Offline
#13 2005-07-20 7:39 pm
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
I think if you can get a hold of Pagemaker 6 or 6.5 you'll be able to open that version 5 file. That way you won't have to go all the way back to version 5...
Offline
#14 2005-07-21 7:58 am
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
whoa... PM5 is over 10 years old... someone needs not just a computer/software update but a life update as well! sheesh!
Offline
#15 2005-07-21 8:09 am
- user
- Your plastic pal who's fun to be with
- From: I'm not getting you down, am I
- Registered: 2001-10-15
- Posts: 16030
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
Not for profits have to make do with what they have. They don't spend money on software and computer upgrades when what they have works for them - or even if it doesn't work for them. The person working with those files probably is not a graphics pro, but someone who just happens to know which end of the mouse to hold.
Aw, he's no fun, he fell right over.
Unless you become as little children, there's no way you will believe this crap.
Offline
#16 2005-07-26 5:17 pm
- sircamlt
- Member
- From: Ohio
- Registered: 2001-04-07
- Posts: 342
Re: Pagemaker 5? WTF am I supposed to do with this?
I have pagemaker 6.0, which I used to open up archived copies of a church newsletter I used to make way back when. I can save as 5.0 format so I can imagine, I probally can read 5.0 format as well. As for the comment about saving as a pdf, yes this is possible. Pagemaker had plug-ins, and one of them was acrobat distiller, which of course you know makes pdfs. I have already done this trick to save a 200 page employee manual, however the trick in that case was converting it to word. The fix I finally settled on was an application called pdf2office that can make any pdf into a office doc, and works not to bad considering the alternative of rewritting 200 pages.
Working with old formats is tricky, but sometimes amazing that you can resurect anything off an old floppy.
There is a new sheriff in town, and his name is reality....
Offline
