which program open odt?

• Save the LaTeX file as a pdf file.
• Open the pdf file with Microsoft Word. (Word automatically converts the pdf to a Word document.)
• Save the Microsoft Word file.

This article describes what an ODT file is, how to open one on any device, and how to convert one to DOCX and other more common document formats.

An ODT file is an OpenDocument text document. These files are most often created by the free OpenOffice Writer word processor program.

ODT files are similar to the popular DOCX file format used with Microsoft Word. They're both document file types that can hold things like text, images, objects, and styles, and are compatible with lots of programs.

If your file isn't a document, it might instead be a dialog theme used with the Origin data analysis and graphic software. These files are formatted in XML and used to change how various dialog windows in the program appear.

ODT files are built with OpenOffice Writer, so that same program is the best way to open one. However, LibreOffice Writer, AbiSource AbiWord (download the Windows version), Doxillion, and several other free document editors can open ODT files, too.

Google Docs and Microsoft 365 Online can open ODT files online, and you can edit them there as well.

ODT Viewer is another free ODT viewer for Windows, but it's only useful for viewing ODT files; you can't edit the file with that program.

If you have Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect installed, those are two other ways to use ODT files; they're just not free to download. MS Word can both open and save to the ODT format.

Some of the programs just mentioned work on macOS and Linux, too, but NeoOffice (for Mac) and Calligra Suite (for Linux) are some alternatives. Also remember that Google Docs and Word Online are two online ODT viewers and editors, meaning that they work on not only Windows but any other operating system that can run a web browser.

To open an ODT file on an Android device, you can install the OpenDocument Reader app. iPhone and other iOS users can download and use OOReader or ikuDocs Documents, and probably some other document editors.

Origin Dialog Theme files are used by Origin, but you can't open the theme file in the program like you can other Origin file types like OPJU, OPJ, etc. Instead, an ODT file is stored in the program's "dialog" folder, usually in "C:\Program Files\OriginLab\Origin\Themes," from where Origin can read the settings and apply the appearance described by the theme file.

To convert an ODT file without having one of those ODT editors/viewers mentioned above, your best options are to use Zamzar or FileZigZag. Zamzar can save an ODT file to DOC, HTML, PNG, PS, and TXT, while FileZigZag supports some of those formats as well as PDF, RTF, STW, OTT, and others.

However, if you already have MS Word, OpenOffice Writer, or any of those other ODT openers installed, you can just open the file there and then choose a different document format when you save it. Most of those programs support other formats in addition to the formats those online ODT converters support, like DOCX.

This is true for the online ODT editors as well. To convert the ODT file using Google Drive, for example, right-click it (from the list of files in your account) and select Open with > Google Docs. Then, use the Google Docs File > Download as menu to save the ODT file to DOCX, RTF, PDF, TXT, or EPUB.

Another option is to download a dedicated free document file converter.

The ODT format isn't the exact same as MS Word's DOCX format.

ODT files are stored in a ZIP container but can also use XML, which makes it easier for the file to be created automatically without the need for an editor. Those types of files use the .FODT file extension.

You can make a FODT file from an ODT file with this command:

That command is available via the free OpenOffice suite.

If your file isn't opening with any of the several suggested programs above, there's a good chance that you don't really have an ODT file. Some file types share similar file extension letters that make it easy to confuse them with each other.

For example, an ADT file shares two of the three file extension letters but those files are not openable in an OpenOffice program. Instead, ADT files are ACT! Document Template files used with the Act! software.

Similarly, ODM files might look related to OpenOffice Writer but those are OverDrive Media files used within the context of the OverDrive app.

An ODT file is an OpenDocument text document file. Open one with Word, OpenOffice Writer , Word Online, or Google Docs. Convert to a similar format like PDF or DOCX with one of those programs or a dedicated converter like FileZigZag.

If you often work with office files, you may have come across an ODT document. Someone may have shared one in place of a DOCX file. We’ll explain what ODT files are and how you open one.

A file with the “.odt” extension is an OpenOffice Document file. These documents are typically created using programs like Apache OpenOffice Writer and LibreOffice Writer, word processors comparable to Microsoft Word and Google Docs. ODT files are similar to file formats created using Word, such as DOCX and DOC. They contain formatted text, images, links, and page information used for document creation and printing.

ODT files are part of the Open Document Format (ODF) standard, also known as OpenDocument. Other ODF file extensions include OpenDocument Sheets (ODS) for spreadsheets and OpenDocument Presentations (ODP) for slideshows. These files are widely compatible with other office suites and are relatively easy to convert back and forth to different file types.

There are several ways to open an ODT file. The best way to open an ODT file and retain all its formattings is to use office applications with native ODF compatibility. These include the Apache OpenOffice suite and the offshoot LibreOffice suite, which are fairly similar programs. The main difference is their ownership and development; OpenOffice is owned by Apache and has had a history of developmental hiccups, while LibreOffice is open-source and is actively maintained. You can learn about these two office programs in our comparison.

If you use Microsoft Office, you can open ODT files using Microsoft Word. While you likely won’t get complete compatibility, you can get quite close. With the release of Office 2021, Microsoft upgraded the suite, including Word, with better support for the newest OpenDocument 1.3 standard. Improvements included better support for page numbers, headers and footers, and content control.

You can also open OpenDocument files through other office suites with varying degrees of compatibility. Google Docs allows you to open an ODT file as a Google Docs document and edit it directly. Google Docs also lets you export documents to ODT files. You can also open ODT files using Corel WordPerfect. If you’re using a Mac, you can use LibreOffice’s native Mac application or NeoOffice, an OpenOffice and LibreOffice offshoot specifically developed for macOS.

If you want to open an ODT file on a mobile device, you can check out Collabora Office, a LibreOffice-based office suite available on iOS and Android. This will ensure the highest level of compatibility possible. Many document viewers and office suites are available on the App Store and Google Play Store, some of which can open ODT files for general viewing purposes.

RELATED: Here's What's New in Microsoft Office 2021 (and How Much It Costs)

Converting ODT files is pretty simple. If you have an ODT file open in Microsoft Word or LibreOffice Writer, all you have to do is select “Save As” and save it in your desired format. You can select all standard word processing file types, such as DOCX, XML, or HTML.

You can also convert an ODT file into a cloud-based Google Document by opening it inside the Google Docs suite. Much like importing a DOCX file, this immediately converts it into a file that is editable through Google Docs. You can also export it into Google Docs’ available export formats, such as DOCX and PDF.

You can also convert an ODT file to a permanent file format like PDF using any office suite. In Microsoft Office or LibreOffice, you can directly save a file as a PDF or use a PDF driver like Microsoft Print-to-PDF or Adobe Acrobat. You can use printing options to set up things like page sizes, borders, and page selection.

OpenDocument file formats were built to be highly compatible with the OpenOffice suite. If you know that you’ll be working with ODF files constantly, you should consider downloading Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice on your computer. These are both free programs with much of the same functionality as Microsoft Office.

One thing that you should always consider before working across file formats is interoperability. While Microsoft Office can open ODT files and OpenOffice Writer can open DOCX files, they’re not going to be perfect conversions. To ensure maximum compatibility, coordinate with your team and work in the same file format as much as possible.

Do you need to know how to open other unfamiliar file types? Check out our guides on RTF files and XML files.