XL97: "Later Version" Error Message Appears Opening a Workbook (168203)

SYMPTOMS

When you open a workbook in Microsoft Excel 97, you may receive the following error message:

This file was created by a later version of Microsoft Excel. To open this file, you need a converter that you can download from the Web site. After downloading the converter, please restart Microsoft Excel and reopen the file.

Do you want to connect to the site to download the converter now?

If you click Yes, your Web browser connects to the Internet and opens the following web page:

http://www.microsoft.com/excel/work.htm

If you click No, you receive an error message similar to the following:

<File name>: file format is not valid.

When you view the Web page, there is no information about a converter for a later version of Microsoft Excel.

CAUSE

You may receive this error message if the workbook you are attempting to open is corrupted or damaged. Excel 97 recognizes that the workbook is an Excel workbook but does not recognize the exact format of the workbook; therefore, Excel incorrectly concludes that the workbook is saved in a workbook format for a newer version and displays the error message described in the "Symptoms" section of this article. Excel 97 can open Excel 2000 files.

RESOLUTION

For information about recovering damaged and corrupted workbooks, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

142117 XL: Summary of Methods to Recover Data from Corrupted Files

147216 XL: Linking to Data in a Damaged File (5.0 and Later)

MORE INFORMATION

Excel 97 uses converters to open files that are saved in formats that are not normally recognized by it. If you attempt to open a workbook with a format in an unrecognized format, Excel assumes that the workbook is saved in a newer format. Therefore, Excel recommends that you download the converter for that format from the Microsoft Web site.

Excel 2000 is the latest version available; however, Excel 97 recognizes files created in Excel 2000 because it uses the same file format.

Until a newer version of Excel becomes available, if you receive the error message in this article, it is because the workbook you are opening is corrupted or damaged in some way.