How to use files that are still in WPS format in Wordpad (Windows 10)?

Grandma had worked with Works on her old laptop on Windows Vista. Now I have the approximately 100 text files in WPS format on the new laptop (Win10) copied. There she wants to work with the free Wordpad. She does not want to buy Microsoft Office or use Open Office. The problem: Wordpad under Win10 outputs the WPS files as control characters. That's why I downloaded the Microsoft Works 6-9 converter. This works but apparently only in cooperation with Microsoft Word. Then I searched if there's a Works version for Win10. Apparently this is not the case. Therefore the question → see heading.

You do not have to work with OpenOffice / LibreOffice, but you can use it to open and save in a Microsoft compatible format…

Thanks for the answer!

Converting more than 100 files of wps files individually would be a bit too time-consuming. Maybe I can convince Granny in the future with one of the o.g. Program to work.

What is more similar to the old Works from the user's perspective: OpenOffice or LibreOffice?

And what is faster and easier to install?

With "faster / easier", the two packages do not take much. Unfortunately, I have to adapt to the similarity; I really can't remember…

Try opening the files in OpenOffice and then under doc or odt. Save. That should then be opened by Wordpad, I think.

To my knowledge there's no complete compatibility. That Some things will have to be repaired manually, others just will not work anymore.

Alternatively you can set up a VM with an old system for Omi.

Look here: https://online-umwandeln.de/konvertieren/wps-in-doc/ This is an online converter for the WPS format. This can be converted into the doc format that you can then open in Wordpad.