About the DOC to DOCX Online Free Tool

The DOC to DOCX Online Free Tool converts the old binary Word format into the modern XML-based .docx, keeping text, headings, tables, lists, images, and styles intact.

Conversion runs on the IO Tools server using LibreOffice, the same engine behind most open-source document pipelines. Uploaded files are converted and deleted immediately; they are never stored or shared.

The .doc format dates from Word 97 and is being retired across the industry. Modern Word still opens it, but with warnings, and many newer tools refuse it outright. Converting once means the file keeps working.

This tool has no in-browser mode. A browser has no office engine of its own, so if the server is unavailable the tool says so plainly rather than producing a poor imitation.

How to Use DOC to DOCX Online

1. Choose a .doc, .dot, .wps, or .rtf file.
2. Convert it to DOCX.
3. Download the converted document.

What Carries Over

Content and formatting are preserved:
- Text, headings, tables, lists, images, footnotes, and page setup all transfer.
- Tracked changes and comments carry over where the source recorded them.
- Macros do not. A .doc with macros converts to .docx, which cannot hold them by design; use .docm in Word if you need them.

Common Use Cases

• Modernising old university, legal, or office archives so they open without warnings.
• Preparing a legacy file for a system that accepts only DOCX.
• Making an old document editable in Google Docs or a mobile Word app.

Quick FAQ

Will my original file be changed?
No. The DOCX is generated as a separate file.

Are files uploaded?
Yes. Reading the binary .doc format needs a document engine a browser does not have, so the file is sent to the IO Tools server, converted with LibreOffice, returned, and deleted immediately.

What if my .doc is really an RTF or HTML file?
It still converts. Word often writes RTF or HTML into a file named .doc, so the converter identifies the file by its actual contents rather than its name.

Can I convert the other way, DOCX to DOC?
Not with this tool. The old binary format is a dead end, so we convert forward only. Word itself can still save as .doc if you truly need it.