Geek's Advice

Pages files can be opened easily in Windows

Pages is a popular document editing app for Apple Mac computers. It is quite similar to Microsoft Word in Windows. However, while MS Word saves documents as .docx, the Mac app saves all documents by adding .pages extension to them.

However, if you are a Windows user and someone sent you a document in this format, you might find it hard to open it, since your operating system does not support such file format. What is more, you can’t download Pages for Windows, and you also can’t open Pages file with Word. Therefore, a problem arises – how to open and edit such a document?

Luckily, there are several easy-to-follow solutions, and you definitely can open a pages document on PC. In some cases, you might just need to open the document to read or print it. However, if you need to edit it, you might need to take different methods, which we also explain below.

How to Open .Pages Format file in Windows

Method 1. Use Online File Converter (Open & Edit)

Many people look for ways to convert .pages to Google Docs. Unfortunately, Google Docs does not accept .pages file unless it is converted. You can ahead and try to upload it, but the Docs app will suggest using the solution provided below anyways.

This is the easiest solution which I tend to use all the time – using an online converter to open .pages files in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and editing them.

Now, be careful there. Do not go to any suspicious file converter, as these can be untrustworthy and start pushing undesired potentially unwanted apps and extensions to you. I personally choose CloudConvert, which is a trusted app recommended by Google Docs. It can also batch convert pages to Word, PDF or Docx.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to CloudConvert website.
2. Click Select Files and choose the .pages file or files from your computer.
3. Now, select the preferred format for your files. I recommend choosing Document > Docx. You can also choose PDF if you do not need to edit the final file.
4. Click Start Conversion.
5. Wait and then Download your files. That’s it! You now have your .pages file in chosen format, so go to your download destination and open it or edit it, or upload to Google Docs.

Please note that the mentioned page gives more options, such as creating archives or saving files to DropBox.

Method 2. Compress the .pages file to open it in Windows (Open only)

The following method requires altering file extensions. If they are disabled in View options, you might need to do that first. Otherwise, jump to step #3.

Please keep in mind that this method is more secure as you do it in local environment, or, in other words, your computer. However, you won’t be able to edit the file – only read or print it.

1. Open the folder containing your .pages file. Click View, then put a tick next to Show/Hide component File name extensions.
2. Now, create a copy of your file to avoid losing data in case you mess up. Right-click your file, choose Copy. Then right-click anywhere on an empty spot in the folder and select Paste. Now you have your copy.
3. Right-click on the Copy file and choose Rename. Now, erase the .pages extension and type zip or rar instead of it. Click Enter to save and then Yes in the pop-up window that appears on the screen.
4. Now, double-click to open the new file you just created. Click Open to confirm. If you have trouble opening it with WinZip, right-click the file and choose Open with WinRAR option. Confirm by clicking Open.
5. Now, find file called preview.jpg or [your file name].pdf. Open it. Now you can read or print the file, as desired.
   

That’s it! Hopefully the tutorial helped you out to open .pages format file in Windows and edit it via Microsoft Word or another program. Don’t forget to check out other tutorials to find more easy Windows tips.

Norbert Webb

Norbert Webb is the head of Geek’s Advice team. He is the chief editor of the website who controls the quality of content published. The man also loves reading cybersecurity news, testing new software and sharing his insights on them. Norbert says that following his passion for information technology was one of the best decisions he has ever made. “I don’t feel like working while I’m doing something I love.” However, the geek has other interests, such as snowboarding and traveling.