doc2docx

What it is and what it does

doc2docx is a command-line tool and Python library that converts .doc files to .docx format by delegating to Microsoft Word itself rather than attempting format translation. It works on Windows via win32com (the pywin32 package) and on macOS via JXA (Javascript for Automation). The tool supports both single-file and batch folder conversion, with optional output path specification and a --keep-active flag to leave Word open after conversion.

The package is designed for scenarios where you have legacy .doc files that need to be upgraded to the modern .docx format and Word is already available on your system. It includes a CLI interface and a Python library API, and uses tqdm for progress indication during batch operations. The implementation is straightforward: it automates Word's native save-as functionality rather than reimplementing document format handling.

Use it for:

• Batch-convert a folder of legacy .doc files to .docx in-place on a Windows or macOS workstation.
• Automate .doc to .docx migration as part of a Python data-processing pipeline when Word is available.
• Convert a single .doc file with explicit output path specification for archival or distribution.
• Integrate doc conversion into a Jupyter notebook workflow (with ipywidgets for progress display).

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Converts legacy .doc files to modern .docx format on Windows or macOS by automating Microsoft Word, which must be installed on the system.

Yes, if you have Microsoft Word installed and need to convert .doc files to .docx. The package is lightweight and does exactly what it claims. However, maintenance is dormant (last release April 2023, no recent commits), so if Word's automation interfaces change significantly or you encounter bugs, fixes may not be forthcoming. For one-off conversions, Word's own Save As dialog is simpler; for programmatic batch conversion on systems with Word already present, this package is worth the install.

Install

doc2docx on PyPI

pip install doc2docx

uv add doc2docx

poetry add doc2docx

Installing doc2docx

Before you install

Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel. Maintenance is dormant—last release was 2023-04-06 and no commits since 2024-06-04—so expect no active bug fixes or updates, though the codebase remains archived and available.

License in practice

MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart

pip install doc2docx

from doc2docx import convert
convert("input.doc")
convert("input.doc", "output.docx")
convert("my_doc_folder/")

Microsoft Word must be installed on Windows or macOS; the package is a CLI wrapper around Word's COM interface (Windows) or JXA (macOS) and cannot function without it.

Verify before relying

• Whether the package works reliably with recent versions of Microsoft Word (last release was April 2023).
• Performance characteristics for batch conversion of large document folders.
• Compatibility with non-English Word installations or regional settings.

Package facts

Evidence: doc2docx-0.2.4-py3-none-any.whl

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