About encoded text files

When a text file is encoded, it is saved according to an encoding standard— a set of rules that assign a numeric value to each text character in the file. Many different encoding standards exist to represent the character sets used in different languages, and some encoding standards support the characters used only in a particular language. For example, a text file written in Simplified Chinese might use the GB2312-80 encoding standard, while a text file written in Traditional Chinese might use Big5.

Because Word is based on the Unicode encoding standard, you can use Word to open and save files in encoding standards for many different languages. For example, you can use Word to open a text file encoded in a Greek or Japanese encoding standard on an English-language system.

When you open a text file, Word attempts to detect the encoding standard used for text in the file. Word can automatically detect most encoding standards. When the file's encoding standard matches the default encoding standard used to save files as plain text in the version of Microsoft Windows you are running, Word opens the file directly.

If Word cannot detect the encoding standard, or if it detects an encoding standard that doesn't match the default standard used by Windows, you must verify or choose the encoding standard from a list in the File Conversion dialog box. Word then uses the encoding standard you choose to convert the file to Unicode. You can preview the text to check whether it is readable before you open the file.

When you save a file as encoded text for the first time, you must choose the encoding standard you want to use. Usually, you can use the default Unicode encoding standard in Word, since it supports most characters.

If you choose an encoding standard that doesn't support characters you've used in the file, Word marks in red the characters it cannot save. You can preview the text in the encoding standard you choose before you save the file. After a file has been encoded, Word continues to use that encoding standard when you choose the Save command (File menu) until you specify another encoding standard.

Text formatted in the Symbol font or in field codes is not preserved when you save a file as encoded text.

Word installs a number of encoding standards by default when you install Microsoft Office, and it supports the encoding standards provided with the system software on your computer. You can install additional encoding standards by running the Office setup program again. On the Advanced Customization screen in the setup program, expand Office Shared Features, and then expand International Support. Click the arrow next to the item you want to install, and then select Run from My Computer.

For information about loading more encoding standards, see the Microsoft Windows documentation.