You receive a message when you open an Excel 2000 file that you previously saved in the Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook file format (211483)

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 2000, you may see the following message when you open a Microsoft Excel 2000 file that you previously saved in the Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook file format:

Filename should be opened as read-only unless you need to save changes to it. Open as read-only?

Filename is the name of the file that you are opening.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when all of the following conditions true:

You save the file in the Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook file format in Microsoft Excel 2000.

-and-
You open the file in Microsoft Excel version 5.0 or 7.0 and click No when you are prompted to open the file as read-only.

-and-
You then save the file with the same name from Microsoft Excel version 5.0 or 7.0.

NOTE: The Microsoft Excel 2000 portion of the file format no longer exists.

WORKAROUND

In order to recover the workbook in the Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook file format, you must use a backup copy of the original file.

Turn Off the Read-Only Prompt and Save File in the Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 File Format

Open the file in Microsoft Excel 2000.
When you are prompted to open the file as read-only, click No.
On the File menu, click Save As and, in the Save as type list, click Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook.
In the Save As dialog box, on the Tools menu, click General Options.
Click to clear the Read-only recommended check box, click OK, and then click Save.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel 2000, you can use a hybrid file format that allows you to save a file in two workbook formats: the Microsoft Excel 97 and 2000 workbook format, and the Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 workbook format. This dual file format allows you to open and view the file in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or 7.0. It also allows you to maintain the advanced features in Microsoft Excel 2000. A workbook that you save in this format contains two file formats; its file size is roughly twice as large as the Microsoft Excel 2000 format. Note that Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 do not recognize the Microsoft Excel 2000 portion of the file. When you open and revise the file in Microsoft Excel 2000, the changes are automatically updated in the Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 portion of the file.

NOTE: If you edit the file and save the changes in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or 7.0, the Microsoft Excel 97 and 2000 portion of the file is permanently lost, and the file contains only the data in the remaining Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 workbook file portion.

The Read-only recommended check box is selected for the Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 portion of the file. However, you can still open and save the file in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or 7.0. Because the Read-only recommended check box is selected by default for the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook format, the workbook file that you save also uses the Read-only recommended setting.