For some years I have been adding data to a Microsoft Works database in Windows 98SE, and the "advanced sort" facility in Works is essential to its effective use. I have tried installing it on a laptop loaded with Windows XP Home Edition but without success. Will the same apply to Vista? Fred Finney
Microsoft Works is still a current product. Microsoft Works 8 would be fine for XP, but you may need v8.5 if you are moving to Vista. You will probably be able to load your data into the newer version of Works on XP or Vista, but this is not guaranteed. To increase your chances, always give yourself multiple options. In this case, you should save your data as a Works file, as a dBase file (dbf is a widely supported standard) and as a CSV file (comma separated variables). You can load a CSV file into almost any database, although the process can be tedious.
There are several things to watch for when saving a Works file, and you should read the first part of Microsoft Knowledge Base article 197894 for details.
Microsoft Works is sometimes bundled with new PCs either free or for a very low price. The much larger Works Suite -- which also includes things like Encarta and Microsoft Money -- can cost £40 to £50. Alternatively you can buy the programs from Amazon UK etc or hunt around for cheaper OEM versions (no-frills copies that are supposed to be sold bundled with PCs).
Works is, deliberately, a simplified product: it's not Microsoft Office. Having dbf and CSV files would enable you to try a more sophisticated database or spreadsheet, although there are not many cheap or free options that are easy to use. Either way, the main thing is to avoid having to re-enter your 20,000 lines of data.
