If you receive a file that you can’t open, all is not lost. You can download a viewer from Office Downloads and see what it is the sender wants you to see.

Same thing applies if you're sending a file to someone who doesn't have the program: Either attach the viewer to your e-mail or include a link to the viewer they need.

Note: There are viewers for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio.

You can read more about it my column View this: Opening a file when you don’t have the program.

— Crabby