Old CorelDraw files unreadable query

[Charlie+]

Not really PSP but I cant find an answer anywhere to this problem:
I use CorelDraw 12 now on w XP o/s. I tried yesterday to open an old
.CDR file produced in the days of CDR version 3 /W95 or W3.1 possibly.
Cdr 12 immediately crashes when any of these old files are tried.
Funnily enough PSP7 will import the file quite happily as a graphic but
not a vector of course, - so we know the cdr files are not corrupted.
Just wondered if any reader here had any experience with this? Would CDR
x6 etc actually open these old files as vector?
My slow and dirty fix would be to load an old box with W95 or W98 and
CorelDraw 8 and open the old files and save them all as CDR 8 files
which CDR12 will open - bit of a palaver though and might take a day's
work IF I can get everything to run!!

[Charlie+]

On Sat, 16 Feb 2013 09:03:16 +0000, Charlie+ <***@xxx.net> wrote as
underneath my scribble :

Just in case someone thinks of posting an answer: I have sorted this
problem now. Very poor show that Corel s/w cant read its own old files
with the same .cdr extension ....that applies to CorelDraw X6 also.
Fires a warning shot about losing important work if the original s/w
and/or hardware becomes no longer available.
C+

Post by Charlie+
I use CorelDraw 12 now on w XP o/s. I tried yesterday to open an old
.CDR file produced in the days of CDR version 3 /W95 or W3.1 possibly.
Cdr 12 immediately crashes when any of these old files are tried.
Funnily enough PSP7 will import the file quite happily as a graphic but
not a vector of course, - so we know the cdr files are not corrupted.
Just wondered if any reader here had any experience with this? Would CDR
x6 etc actually open these old files as vector?
My slow and dirty fix would be to load an old box with W95 or W98 and
CorelDraw 8 and open the old files and save them all as CDR 8 files
which CDR12 will open - bit of a palaver though and might take a day's
work IF I can get everything to run!!