MOSS 2007: Configure Document Conversion for your server

by Tobias Zimmergren

Author: Tobias Zimmergren
Url: http:https:https://zimmergren.net//zimmergren.net//www.zimmergren.net

I recently bumped into a challenge where I had to make it possible for people to convert their Word, Excel, InfoPath or other documents to a web page for display in your SharePoint 2007 installation. After a few minutes of informationgathering I realized that i could actually make it very simple for myself by using the Document Conversion functionality offered by Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise.

Below is a step by step instruction on how to configure and enable Document Conversion as well as how you will publish and convert a document from e.g. Microsoft Office Word 2007.

Configuring Document Conversion

  1. Navigate to Central Administration of your SharePoint installation
  2. Click on the tab called Operations
  3. Locate the section Topology And Services and click Services On Server
  4. Start the following two services: 1. Document Conversions Load Balancer Service
  5. Document Conversions Launcher Service
  6. Choose a load-balancing server and finally set a port-number it should run on.
  7. Click OK – It should state that the services are Started
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  8. Navigate to the Application Management tab
  9. Locate the section called External Service Connections and click Document conversions
  10. Choose to enable conversion for this site
  11. Choose a load-balancing server
  12. Click OK

Convert a document to a Web Page

  1. Launch e.g. Microsoft Office Word 2007
  2. Either choose to create a new document and fill it with some information, or open an existing one
  3. Publish it to a Document Library of your likings by choosing: 1. The big round Office-button
  4. Publish
  5. Document management server
  6. Enter your portal url: e.g. http://moss-portal/, hit enter, then use the interface to navigate to a Document Library
    1. Save document and Exit Microsoft Office Word 2007
  7. Navigate to your Document Library
  8. Choose Convert Document in the drop down
  9. Choose From Work Document to WebPage
  10. Enter a title of the page
  11. Click Create

Viola! You should now have a newly generated .aspx page published on your site, created from the Word document you chose.

Thanks for your time.
Cheers