How can I batch convert doc to docx for my MSWord docs?

People reading this thread should be aware that renaming a document (even changing its ending) is not the same as a conversion.  In the case of Microsoft Office files like .doc > .docx some things change or add features when you truly open a file and save as... and change the format to .docx.  One of these things is opportunistic locking functionality.

A real .docx file stored on an AFP (mac environment) server can not be accidentally opened by 2 users at the same time - an ending renamed file as suggested above can, as it has not changed its format just its name.  

This can be very important in certain organizations ESPECIALLY since renaming it to .docx implies that op-locking would work, when in fact it doesn't.

Hello.

Let me point you to a piece of software that I consider essential, and which will provide you with a lot more functionality than you can hope to achieve via Applescripts and macros: R-name. It is considered abandonware. However, Jacek Stanislawski, a motivated programmer, has recompiled a Universal version:

• R-Name (Universal)

Instructions for use—not really needed—can be found in the "ReadMe.rtfd" file somewhere among the source code files here.

So you just grab a lot of files and folders, and drop them on the icon (or in the app's window), enter the rule for renaming (don't forget "Recurse Folder"), click on "Show new names" and finally "Rename Now" all those files at once.

Thanks, Daniel. 

I actually found another very simple method that works like a dream. It's an operation in Mac OS 10 Yosemite:

https://support.apple.com/kb/PH19067?locale=en_US

I wish that Microsoft would program easy solutions to problems like these right into Word. Ah well.

Thanks for your expert advice!

New attempt

How about a script? Paste this one in AppleScript Editor and run it. It will Save As all open files into the .docx. format and add that as an extension. The resulting files are placed next to the original. Try it first with just a few files, then on increasing numbers while Word does not choke.

As mentioned in my previous post, you can do a Finder's search for names containing .doc, open those files right there from the results window and then run the script. Finally, repeat the find operation in the Finder, Command-Click on the files you no longer need (duplicates), then trash them.

I think you will be surprised at how little space you end up saving. Yesterday I batch-converted hundreds of space-hungry .RTF files into .docx format. They were on the disk of an old, storage-starved Mac. The disk's free space went from 6.1 GB to 6.3 GB. Although 200 MB were recovered, this is a very small percentage of the total free space.

--------------SCRIPT TO PASTE FOLLOWS--------------------

tell application "Microsoft Word"

repeat with i from 1 to the count of (documents)

save as the front document file name path of the front document & ".docx" file format format document

close front document saving no

end repeat

end tell