AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Microsoft has a conversion program from older to newer versions. I wonder if they have one for that also. It might be worth a look.

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

Microsoft will allow me to download the latest version of Word for $109.99. I was trying to avoid that.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

In all honesty that $105 a year is pretty inexpensive considering what you get. I also get Access which is a great DB if you want to take the time to learn how to use it. If you have another member of your family that uses Office you can split the cost. The lease is good for 5 copies. I split mine with one of my sons.

JamesCurran Loc: Trenton ,NJ

I agree with those suggesting Google Apps. You don't really want a database; just a contact manager and a calendar. Google throws both of those in free with a GMail account (also free). (PLus online spreadsheet, word processor, photo backup, music library)

The cool thing is that they are always available online, and, if you have a smartphone, you can link the calendar & contact apps on the phone to you google account.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I use FileMakerPro - it is powerful and relational. You might find an older version on eBay or Amazon for cheaper $.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Not inexpensive when compared to free, and a better product, I recovered files that word and excell would not open several times with Open Office, Bob.

zigipha Loc: north nj

Act is a personal informative manager not a db

I thing hotmail or gmail with the contacts and calendar will work

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

Actually for what he's wanting to do I use Google calender and contacts. I use Office for other things.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

Actually, Google Contacts does everything you've requested. It's free, works across devices (Smartphone, tablet, mac. Windows, etc.). If you insist on a full database program, it is hard to beat Microsoft Access, but it is far more than you've requested and far more complicated.

Georgews Loc: Wellington, New Zealand

If you go with a relational database like Access there can be a lot to learn as you need to set up multiple tables to make full use of it. With your requirements I don't know if you need togothatfar. Excel, or Works as cited by someone else, would probably do.
If you decide to go with Access, if you have it, then I would be able to give you a hand or set it up for you. I used to teach people how to set it up (for about 12 years) but if you don't have it, the cost to get it is high.
Word is a word processor but there is a built in function for addresses etc for mail merge but this is not so easy to use as it is kind of burried within Word. If you have Word already I wouldn't bother buying it.
Open Office will read Word and Excel files just fine and does have a built in relational database.
However, I think with the sort and filter abilities of Excel (or similar) would work fine for a simple database like you have. Works is another option. Simple to use as well.
First look at what software you have and see if that can do the job. You have Word and Excel? If you don't then download Open Office (free) and use it. Spreadsheet is basically same as Excel and the word processor is similar to Word. Quite a few businesses in the UK are now switching to it because of cost of ms-office

Huey Driver Loc: Texas

Thanks for all the suggestions but I got Act! working again and since I know how the program works I guess I'll stay with it until the next problem with it.

twowindsbear

Have you tried converting the .doc file to a PDF and then printing it.

Just a WAG.

Good luck

twowindsbear

No longer available or supported by Microsoft. It IS available from 3rd party vendors and on Amazon. Kinda pricy, though compared to the free programs. Try to convert your files to use with the free program. Cause, eventually Works WILL stop working. Good luck

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Office Libre is a variant of Open Office.

I have it installed on my computer for testing, because that is probably what I will end up having to use when I buy a Linux computer to avoid having to buy a Win10 computer.

My testing showed that yes, I could open *.doc, *.docx, *.xls, and *.xlsx files using Libre Office. Sometimes it would have minor issues with formatting, but nothing major. It has been my primary "office" software for the past year.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

From 1994 through 2012, I developed over a dozen database solutions in FileMaker Pro, versions 2.1 through 11. I think they're up to version 15 now. It is a full featured database that normal people can configure, right out of the box. It runs on Macs and PCs, and there's a companion version for iPhones, iPods, and iPads. It is at least ten times easier to use than Access, which only runs on Windows and is very geeky. (I've worked in it, too.) FileMaker.com is the mothership site.