How to use shared workbooks with different versions of Excel (269860)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article explains how to share a Microsoft Excel workbook with other users.

If you want several users to work in the same Excel workbook simultaneously, you can save the workbook as a shared workbook. Users can then enter data, insert rows and columns, add and change formulas, and change formatting.

NOTE: It is not possible to open shared workbooks that are created in Microsoft Excel 95 in later versions of Excel and still maintain their shared status.

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Set Up Shared Workbook

To make changes to a shared workbook created in Microsoft Excel 97 or later, you must use Microsoft Excel 97 or later. Specifically, even if a shared workbook created in Excel 97 or later is saved as an Excel 95 workbook, it cannot be shared. If a workbook created in Excel 95 is shared, it is read-only when opened in Excel 97 or later.

To set up a shared workbook, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Share Workbook, and then click the Editing tab.
2. Click to select the Allow changes by more than one user at the same time check box, and then click OK.
3. When prompted, save the workbook.
4. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the shared workbook on a network location where other users can gain access to it.

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