Convert CHM to DOCX — Free Online Converter
Convert Compiled HTML Help (.chm) to Microsoft Word Open XML (.docx) online for free. Fast, secure document conversion with no watermarks or registrat...
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How to Convert
Upload your .chm file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.
Click Convert and download your .docx file when it's ready.
About CHM to DOCX Conversion
CHM to DOCX conversion transforms Microsoft Compiled HTML Help files into modern Word documents, making the structured reference content fully editable in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer. CHM files are single-file archives of HTML pages with navigation, search indexes, and table of contents — originally designed for Windows Help Viewer. DOCX liberates this content into a universally editable document format.
Our converter extracts the HTML content from the CHM's LZX-compressed archive, preserves the hierarchical structure as Word headings, and packages everything into a properly formatted DOCX file with styles, page numbers, and a navigable table of contents.
Why Convert CHM to DOCX?
CHM files are locked to Windows Help Viewer and a handful of third-party readers — they cannot be opened on macOS, Linux, or mobile devices without specialized software. DOCX is the most widely supported editable document format, opening natively on every major platform. Converting to DOCX makes the content universally accessible and editable.
Organizations migrating legacy documentation systems frequently have thousands of CHM help files containing valuable reference material. DOCX conversion enables these documents to enter modern content management systems, wikis, and documentation pipelines where they can be updated, collaborated on, and republished in current formats.
Common Use Cases
- Migrating legacy Windows help documentation to editable Word documents for content management systems
- Making CHM reference material accessible on macOS, Linux, and mobile platforms via DOCX
- Extracting and editing programming reference documentation from software SDK CHM files
- Archiving Windows help files in a universally readable format for long-term document preservation
- Enabling collaborative editing of help content that was previously locked in read-only CHM format
How It Works
CHM (Compiled HTML Help) uses Microsoft's ITS (Information Transport Stream) format with LZX compression to package HTML files, images, CSS, and navigation metadata into a single binary. The conversion decompresses the archive, parses the HTML content tree, maps CHM topic hierarchy to Word heading levels (H1-H6 → Heading 1-6), converts HTML formatting to DOCX paragraph and character styles, and assembles the result using Open XML (ECMA-376) structure. Our pipeline uses LibreOffice's import filters to handle the HTML-to-DOCX transformation after extraction.
Quality & Performance
Text content converts with high fidelity — paragraphs, lists, tables, and code blocks maintain their structure and formatting. Images embedded in the CHM are extracted and placed inline in the DOCX. Complex HTML layouts (multi-column, nested frames) are linearized into a single-column Word document. Hyperlinks between topics become internal cross-references. The CHM's table of contents is mapped to Word's heading structure for navigation pane support.
Device Compatibility
| Device | CHM | DOCX |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Partial |
| macOS | Partial | Partial |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Partial |
| Android | Partial | Partial |
| Linux | Partial | Partial |
| Web Browser | No | No |
Tips for Best Results
- 1Unblock downloaded CHM files in Windows (right-click → Properties → Unblock) before converting to avoid extraction errors
- 2Review the heading hierarchy in Word after conversion — adjust heading levels if the CHM had inconsistent structure
- 3Use Word's built-in table of contents feature to generate a formatted TOC from the converted headings
- 4For large CHM files with many topics, consider splitting the DOCX into multiple documents by major section
- 5Save as PDF from Word if you need a read-only distribution format that preserves the converted layout
CHM to DOCX converts legacy Windows help files into universally editable Word documents. The conversion preserves content structure while making the documentation accessible, editable, and compatible with modern document workflows.