My old documents created in MS word for a mac 2019 version won't pen with the Microsoft 365 plan I am trying out

Try these steps on the Mac before canceling:

1. Update Word first
   • Open any Office app.
   • Select Help > Check for Updates.
   • Turn on Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date.
   • Install all available updates, then try opening the old document again.
2. Open the file through Word’s recovery option
   • In Word, select File > Open.
   • Select the old document once.
   • In the Open dropdown, choose Recover Text and then Open.
   • If prompted, select OK.
   • Then select File > Save As and save it as Word Document (.docx).
   • Note: some formatting may change.
3. If the document opens in Compatibility Mode, convert it
   • Select File > Save As.
   • In Format, choose Word Document (.docx).
   • Save the file.
   • This updates older .doc files to the modern format used by current Word versions.
4. Use OneDrive to convert the file
   • Sign in to OneDrive in a web browser.
   • Upload the old Word file.
   • After upload, select the file and wait for the conversion message.
   • Select File > Save as > Download a copy.
   • Save the converted file back to the Mac.
5. If Word still will not open the file
   • Try opening it in Apple TextEdit or an earlier version of Word.
   • Then save it again and reopen it in current Word.
6. If the file may be damaged
   • Check for another copy from Time Machine backups or another backup source.

If the Microsoft 365 trial is canceled, Office can continue for a short time, but eventually it goes into View Only mode. In that state, documents can still be opened and printed, but not edited or created.

References:

• Error: [Filename] uses a file type that is blocked from opening in this version
• My document title says [Compatibility Mode]
• Cancel your free trial of Microsoft 365 Family