Versions of Word earlier than Microsoft Office Word 97 If you want to open the file in Office for Mac, ask the Windows-based author to adjust the password length. You cannot open a workbook or document that has been password protected in the Windows-based version of Excel or Word if the password is longer than fifteen characters. Passwords in Excel for Mac and Word for Mac have a 15-character limit.
If you work with any version of Word 2000 through Word 2003 for Windows and Word for Mac 2011, you can download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats from the Microsoft Download Center area on the Microsoft Web site (). To find out which version of Word you are using, on the Word menu, click About Word.
