Use a hex editor (like HxD) to open the file. Look for the string WS (hex 57 53 ) at the beginning of the file. If it’s missing, the WordStar header is gone. You must manually strip non-printable characters using a tool like Strings (Sysinternals) to extract plain text.
By the early 1990s, the "Word Processing Wars" had largely been decided. WordStar, which had reigned supreme since 1979 as the first widely adopted microcomputer word processor, struggled to adapt to the Graphical User Interface (GUI) wordstar converter pack for microsoft word
WordStar used dot commands (e.g., .pl , .mt ) for page layout. These will likely appear as plain text at the top of your document. Use a hex editor (like HxD) to open the file
A non-intrusive banner appears at the top of the document: "WordStar Dot Commands converted to Word Formatting. Review the Conversion Log." You must manually strip non-printable characters using a
This is the most crucial section for anyone holding a 5.25-inch or 3.5-inch floppy drive. Here is the step-by-step process to install a functional WordStar converter for Microsoft Word (works for versions 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, with limitations in 365).
: Many users prefer converting WordStar files to ASCII/plain text first using tools like convert.pl , which removes binary formatting but preserves the readable content.
can often open WordStar files directly, allowing you to save them as for use in Microsoft Word. : An open-source WordStar 7.0D clone
