XL2000: Currency Formats Lost Saving to Non-Default File Formats (215726)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2000
This article was previously published under Q215726

SYMPTOMS

When you open a workbook, cells formatted with the Currency or Accounting number format appear formatted with a General number format.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you do the following:
  1. You format cells using either the Currency or Accounting number format.

    -and-
  2. You use any currency symbol other than the default $ symbol.

    -and-
  3. You save your workbook using one of the following file formats.

    • Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook
    • Microsoft Excel 4.0 Worksheet
    • Microsoft Excel 3.0 Worksheet
    • Microsoft Excel 2.1 Worksheet
    • Microsoft Excel 4.0 Workbook
    • WK4(1-2-3)
    • WK3(1-2-3)
    • WK1(1-2-3)
    • WKS(1-2-3)
    • WQ1(Quattro Pro/DOS)

RESOLUTION

If you need to share the workbook with users using a previous version of Microsoft Excel, use the Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook format.
For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

214237 XL2000: Using Excel 2000 Files with Earlier Versions of Excel

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Excel 2000 provides support for many types of currency symbols as defined by the International Organization for Standards (ISO). Earlier versions of Excel and the non-Excel file formats listed earlier do not offer these international currencies. When saving to these file formats, Excel does not retain these unsupported currency symbols.

For example, if you apply the currency format in cell A1 using the Euro currency symbol, and then save the workbook in the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook format, when you next open this workbook, the number format for cell A1 will be reset to General and the Euro symbol will not appear.

For more information about what is lost saving to the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook format, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

179824 XL2000: Features and Formatting Lost Saving to Excel 5.0/95


Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/5/2003
Keywords:kbprb KB215726
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