Why they don't open
InDesign replaced PageMaker, and for years InDesign included a PageMaker converter. Adobe dropped it after InDesign CS6, so today's InDesign shows an error. PageMaker itself is too old to install on current Windows or macOS.
Option 1: InDesign CS6 or earlier
If you or someone you know still has InDesign CS6 or older installed, open the PageMaker file there and save it as an InDesign file. That's Adobe's own advice. Most people no longer have a working copy.
Option 2: LibreOffice Draw (free)
LibreOffice reads PageMaker 6 and 7 files. It's useful for getting at the text. Layout, linked columns and fonts often don't survive well. If you only need to read or print the file, my converter makes a PDF for $4.99, after a free preview of every page.
Option 3: convert to IDML
IDML is the format current InDesign and the free Affinity both open. My PageMaker converter turns PageMaker 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0 files into IDML, with text frames, threaded columns and pictures you can edit, plus a PowerPoint version. You preview every page free before paying $12.
What to expect
- Fonts from the 90s often aren't on today's computers, so headlines in unusual fonts may need a touch-up.
- PageMaker could link pictures instead of storing them. Linked pictures that aren't inside the file need placing again.
- Files from PageMaker 5 and earlier aren't supported yet.