Convert a folder of Word docs into PDFs

To convert a folder full of Word documents (.doc or .docx) into PDFs, here’s a simple guide using different methods depending on your setup:

Method 1: Using Microsoft Word (Windows) with VBA Script

If you have Microsoft Word installed on Windows, you can automate the conversion with a VBA macro:

1. Open Word, press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor.

2. Insert a new module (Insert > Module).

3. Paste this code:

vba
CopyEdit
Sub BatchConvertDocsToPDF()
    Dim folderPath As String
    Dim fileName As String
    Dim doc As Document
    
    folderPath = "C:PathToYourFolder" ' Change this to your folder path
    
    fileName = Dir(folderPath & "*.doc*")
    
    While fileName <> ""
        Set doc = Documents.Open(folderPath & fileName)
        doc.ExportAsFixedFormat OutputFileName:= _
            folderPath & Replace(fileName, ".docx", ".pdf"), _
            ExportFormat:=wdExportFormatPDF
        doc.Close False
        fileName = Dir()
    Wend
    
    MsgBox "Conversion complete!"
End Sub

4. Modify the folderPath to your folder location.

5. Run the macro (F5).

6. All Word files in the folder will be saved as PDFs in the same folder.

Method 2: Using Python with python-docx and comtypes (Windows)

Python can automate Word to PDF conversion via COM interface on Windows:

python
CopyEdit
import os
import comtypes.client

def doc_to_pdf(doc_path, pdf_path):
    word = comtypes.client.CreateObject('Word.Application')
    word.Visible = False
    doc = word.Documents.Open(doc_path)
    doc.SaveAs(pdf_path, FileFormat=17)  # 17 = wdFormatPDF
    doc.Close()
    word.Quit()

folder = r"C:PathToYourFolder"
for filename in os.listdir(folder):
    if filename.endswith(".doc") or filename.endswith(".docx"):
        doc_file = os.path.join(folder, filename)
        pdf_file = os.path.join(folder, os.path.splitext(filename)[0] + ".pdf")
        doc_to_pdf(doc_file, pdf_file)
print("All files converted.")

Make sure to have Python and comtypes installed (pip install comtypes).

Method 3: Using LibreOffice (Cross-Platform)

LibreOffice can convert docs to PDFs via command line:

bash
CopyEdit
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf *.docx --outdir /path/to/output/folder

Steps:

• Install LibreOffice.

• Open terminal or command prompt.

• Navigate to your folder with Word docs.

• Run the command above.

• PDFs will be created in the specified output directory.

Summary

• Windows + MS Word: Use VBA macro or Python COM automation.

• Cross-platform: Use LibreOffice command line.

• Batch process by pointing scripts to the folder location.

Let me know if you want the code customized for your OS or need help running these!