How to use earlier versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word to open and save files from 2007 Office programs (924074)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2007
  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Excel 2002
  • Microsoft Excel 2000
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2000
  • Microsoft Office Word 2007
  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
  • Microsoft Word 2002
  • Microsoft Word 2000

Beta Information

This article discusses a Beta release of a Microsoft product. The information in this article is provided as-is and is subject to change without notice.

No formal product support is available from Microsoft for this Beta product. For information about how to obtain support for a Beta release, see the documentation that is included with the Beta product files, or check the Web location where you downloaded the release.

INTRODUCTION

Microsoft has added the new Office Open XML Formats to the following 2007 Microsoft Office programs:
  • Microsoft Office Excel 2007
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
  • Microsoft Office Word 2007
A compatibility pack is available to make sure that you can open and save Office Open XML Formats in earlier versions of Microsoft Office. You can install the compatibility pack on a computer that is running Microsoft Office 2003 programs, Microsoft Office XP programs, or Microsoft Office 2000 programs. When you install the compatibility pack, you can open, edit, save, and create files in the robust Office Open XML Formats.

This article discusses the following topics:
  • The updates that you must install so that earlier versions of Office programs can use the Office Open XML Formats.
  • The issues that you may encounter if the computer has not been fully updated so that it is compatible with the Office Open XML Formats.
  • The changes that are made to the Office programs after you install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack.

MORE INFORMATION

Updates for earlier versions of Office programs

The following is a list of the updates that you must install to open and to save files in the Office Open XML Formats:
  • You must have the following updates installed:

    Office 2003 programs For more information about the updates for Office 2003 programs, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    910473 Description of the update for Office 2003: May 19, 2006

    Office XP programs For more information about the updates for Office XP programs, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    910474 Description of the update for Office XP: May 19, 2006

    918420 Description of the security update for Microsoft Excel 2002: July 11, 2006

    917153 Description of the update for PowerPoint 2002: July 11, 2006

    917347 Description of the update for Word 2002: July 11, 2006

    Office 2000 programs
    No updates are required for the Office 2000 programs.
  • You must install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Office 2003, Office XP, and Office 2000.

    For more information about the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

    http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/beta/converter.mspx

Issues that you may encounter if the computer has not been updated to be compatible with the Office Open XML Formats

When you try to open a file that was saved in one of the Office Open XML Formats in an earlier version of the Office program, you may experience one of the following issues:
  • If the computer has not been updated so that it is compatible with the Office Open XML Formats, the file does not open. Additionally, you may receive the following error message:
    There was an error opening the file.
    To resolve this issue, install each update for your version of the Office program. The updates are listed in the "Updates for earlier versions of Office programs" section.
  • If the computer has been partially updated to be compatible with the Office Open XML Formats, the file does not open. Additionally, you may receive the following error message:
    This file was created by a newer version of Microsoft program. Do you want to download a compatibility pack so that you can work with this file?
    To resolve this issue, install the Office Compatibility Pack. For more information about the compatibility pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    919026 Error message when you try to open or to save a 2007 Office document: "Do you want to download a compatibility pack so that you can work with this file"

Changes that are made to the Office programs after you install the Office Compatibility Pack

After you install the required updates to open and to save files that have been saved in the Office Open XML Formats, the following changes to the Office programs are made:

Excel 2003 and Excel 2002

The following file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box:
  • Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)
  • Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm)
  • Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb)
  • Excel Template (*.xltx)
  • Excel Macro-Enabled Template (*.xltm)
  • Excel Add-In (*.xlam)
Additionally, you can use Windows Explorer to open files and save files in the Office Open XML Formats.

Excel 2000

No file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box.

To open an Excel 2007 file in Microsoft Excel 2000, follow these steps:
  1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
  2. Double-click the file.
Note Microsoft Excel 2000 must be installed on the computer. If other versions of Microsoft Excel are also installed, the file may open in a different version of Excel than expected.

To save an Excel 2000 file as an Excel 2007 file, follow these steps:
  1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
  2. Right-click the file, and then click Save As.
  3. In the Save As dialog box, click one of the following Excel 2007 file formats in the Save as type box, and then click Save:
    • Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Workbook (*.xlsx)
    • Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Macro-Enabled Workbook (*.xlsm)
    • Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Binary Workbook (*.xlsb)
  4. When the save is complete, click OK.

PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003

The following file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box:
  • PowerPoint Presentation (*.pptx)
  • PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Presentation (*.pptm)
  • PowerPoint Template (*.potx)
  • PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Template (*.potm)
  • PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx)
  • PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Show (*.ppsm)
Additionally, you can use Windows Explorer to open files and save files in the Office Open XML Formats.

PowerPoint 2000

No file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box.

To open a PowerPoint 2007 file in Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, follow these steps:
  1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
  2. Double-click the file.
Note PowerPoint 2000 must be installed on the computer. If other versions of Microsoft PowerPoint are also installed, the file may open in a different version of PowerPoint than expected.

To save a PowerPoint 2000 file as a PowerPoint 2007 file, follow these steps:
  1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
  2. Right-click the file, and then click Save As.
  3. In the Save As dialog box, click one of the following PowerPoint 2007 file formats in the Save as type box, and then click Save:
    • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Presentation (*.pptx)
    • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Macro-Enabled Presentation (*.pptm)
  4. When the save is complete, click OK.

Word 2003, Word 2002, and Word 2000

The following file formats are added to the Save dialog box, the Save As dialog box, and the Open dialog box:
  • Word Document (*.docx)
  • Word Macro-Enabled Document (*.docm)
Additionally, you can use Windows Explorer to open files and save files in the Office Open XML Formats.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/6/2006
Keywords:kbsavefile kbopenfile kbconversion kbExpertiseBeginner kbhowto KB924074 kbAudKnowledgeWorker
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