Text Extractor & Rescue

About this tool

Text Extractor pulls the words out of a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file: body text, headers and footers, footnotes and endnotes, comments, speaker notes, and text that was formatted as hidden. You choose which of those to include and get plain text or Markdown back.

When to use it

Use it to feed a document into another program, to quote from a deck without opening PowerPoint, to audit what a file actually says including the parts nobody reads — or, in rescue mode, to salvage the text of a file that will not open at all.

How to use it

1. Open a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file — older .doc, .xls and .ppt files can be salvaged too.
2. Tick which parts to include and choose plain text or Markdown.
3. Copy the result to the clipboard or download it as a text file.

Good to know

• Rescue mode reads readable strings straight from the raw bytes, so it also works on damaged files — but formatting is lost and some noise is normal.
• Legacy binary formats are always salvaged this way rather than parsed properly, because their text is not stored as XML.
• Text inside pictures, charts drawn as images, or SmartArt rendered as graphics is not text in the file and cannot be extracted.

Common questions

Can it recover a document that Word refuses to open?

Often, yes. If the file is damaged but not encrypted, rescue mode can still find the readable text in it. A file protected by a password or by Microsoft Purview encryption cannot be read by any browser tool.

What is the difference between plain text and Markdown?

Plain text gives you the words with simple section headings. Markdown keeps a little structure — headings and list markers — so the result is easier to paste into a wiki, a README or a notes app.

Does it find hidden text?

Yes, if you tick Hidden text. Word can mark runs as hidden so they do not print; that text is still in the file and this tool will show it.