XL5: GP Fault Opening File Saved as Microsoft Excel 2.1

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel version 5.0, if you save a worksheet in a workbook containing a defined name that references another worksheet in the workbook in Microsoft Excel 2.1 Worksheet format, you receive a general protection (GP) fault error message when you open the worksheet in any version of Microsoft Excel.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, do either of the following:

• If you have already saved a worksheet in the situation described above, open the file in Microsoft Word, or another application that can open Microsoft Excel 2.1 worksheets. Save the file in a text format and then open the file in Microsoft Excel. Formatting and defined names may be lost, but you can recover your text with this method.

  -or-

• If you are saving a worksheet from Microsoft Excel version 5.0 to the Microsoft Excel 2.1 worksheet format, and the workbook containing the worksheet contains defined names with references to other sheets in the workbook, do the following to copy or move the worksheet to a new workbook before you save it:

  1. Select the tab of the worksheet you want to save.

  2. From the Edit menu, choose Move or Copy Sheet. From the To Book list,

        select (new book). To move the worksheet, clear the Create A Copy
        check box. To copy the worksheet, select the Create A Copy check box.
        Choose OK.
  

  3. In the new workbook, choose Save from the File menu.

MORE INFORMATION

If you save a worksheet that contains references to another worksheet in the workbook in Microsoft Excel 2.1 Worksheet format, you receive the following error message:

   Cannot save to that file format. There are references to other
   worksheets in this Workbook. Copy this sheet to a different Workbook
   first, then try again.