Batch converting Word Doc Files To Text

OK, so converting Doc files into text probably isn't something you'll need to do daily. (If it is, maybe you need to get out more!)

Chances are that it's a sudden need - maybe caused by your boss or your boss's boss. Suddenly, you're given a pile of Word format "doc" files that need changing into plain old text files (the ones with the .txt file extension. Likely because someone needs the information contained in the files but doesn't need all the proprietory formatting and other junk that Word adds to make things look pretty on screen.

What's more, they're needed very urgently. Like now. This instant.

If there are only two or three files to convert then the easiest way is to use Word's "Save as" function. That works OK although Word will warn you every single time that you're about to lose all the formatting. Yeah, whatever, you knew that already and sure don't need to be told it every single time you want to save a file as text.

But what happens if you've got tens or hundreds or even thousands of doc files to convert?

Word's macro system might do the trick. Or, if you're a normal human being, you could spend the next hour fruitlessly trying to get the macro to do what you thought you'd asked it to.

Far and away the simplest way to convert a folder or CD full of Doc files is to use a program like Doc2Text. So long as you can use Windows' drag and drop functionality, you can quickly and easily convert files all day long. Really, really fast - around 150 files a minute.

Sure, there are other programs out there that do the same thing but they're more expensive (by an order of magnitude). You can check out Doc2Text for free here.