Word compatibility - PC to Mac

[Youngsjess]

Im not actually sure that this has anything to do with it being PC to Mac, as I understand that *shouldn't* be a factor. But forgive my ignorance. I am a PC user, and I use Word for only the most basic work-related tasks, so my knowledge is limited.



I created a document in Word 2013, and sent it to 2 coworkers who are Mac users. One reported that the formatting is "a mess" on her end. She states she's using Office 2011 for Mac. Docx and XML aren't working. She claims she cannot even open the XML. We are workings remotely, so I don't know what she's looking at, and have no idea how to guide her as I don't know much about using Mac Office.

What else could be causing the format changes? Ideas? Suggestions for resolving it?

This is probably to vague - I'm not sure what information is relevant since I don't know what he cause could be.

[macropod]

Word for Mac 2011 should have no trouble opening a document created with PC Word 2013. If docx files aren't working there, that indicates a problem with the Word installation on the Mac, not the document. Content issues you can have where Macs are concerned include: non-working content controls on Mac 2011 and earlier; and no support for ActiveX controls on any Mac version of Word.

As for formatting in general, do be aware that Word uses information from the active printer driver to optimise page layouts. This often results in (typically minor) formatting changes from one installation to the next. Things can get messy when you've used manual line breaks and manual page breaks inappropriately.

[Charles Kenyon]

It could be something identified here, which does not care about the platform.
What happens when I send my document to someone else? Will Word mess up my formatting?

It also could be a problem with the transmission, sometimes parts of .doc and .docx files get dropped when they are sent. If that is the case, sending the file again or putting it on a shared space like dropbox or onedrive can solve the problem.