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How do I open an .xpx file in Office 2002 SP3?

An .xpx file can cause problems for Office 2002 SP3 users, but Microsoft does provide help in Windows 7 and with a free XPS viewer.

XPX is not a common file type. It is associated with files accessed by an application from Intercon Associates Inc. called Accessible FormNet. The application is designed to support electronic forms, particularly for customer-service purposes.

If, however, you are interested in working with .xps files, you can use a free viewer from Microsoft to open these files. XPS stands for XML Paper Specification. It is an electronic document format -- like Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) -- that allows you to save documents as images. They essentially look like a printed version of your document.

These files are not designed to be edited in Microsoft Office. They are designed for writing once and reading multiple times without giving readers the option to edit the document; but you can generate XPS files from the desktop applications.

You can create XPS documents by printing documents from Word, Excel or other applications and selecting the Microsoft XPS Document Writer as your printer.

In addition, Microsoft provides some tips on using the Windows 7 XPS Viewer to find documents, set permissions and digitally sign them.

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