XL5: Err Msg: "Invalid File Format" Attempting to Save

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

When you save a file in Microsoft Excel, you may receive one of the following error messages:

   Invalid file format

   -or-

   Cannot Access f:\Data\Excel

   (where f:\Data\Excel is the drive and directory from which you opened
   the file)

   -or-

   Unable to write to disk

   -or-

   Document not saved

CAUSE

Microsoft Excel 5.0 creates links between the open file and two temporary working files with .TMP extensions. When you open a file, the temporary files are stored in either the TEMP directory or the drive from which the file was opened. (The location of your TEMP directory is determined by the SET TEMP statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.)

In Microsoft Excel version 5.0, and other Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Word 6.0, workbook document files are not stored entirely in memory. Some elements of the document are stored on the disk your file is stored on. This is due to a new Docfile format in object linking and embedding (OLE) version 2.0.

If the link between the open document and the temp files is broken, the document can no longer be saved, and you may receive one of the error messages listed above. This problem may occur, for example, if you open a file from a network drive. If the network connection is broken while you are making changes to the file, you may receive one or more of the error messages listed above when you attempt to save the file.

WORKAROUND

To maintain the links between the open document and the temporary files and to avoid this problem, do not disconnect from the network or remove the floppy disk from which the file was opened.

If an error occurs when you save a workbook file, copy or drag the sheet(s) to a new workbook (to create a new .TMP file in the TEMP directory) and save the new document.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q114440
   TITLE     : XL5: Error Editing/Saving File When Can't Access File on
               Disk