XL: Shared Files May Open as Read Only

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c

SYMPTOMS

When you open a file that was created in Microsoft Excel version 7.0, you may receive a Password dialog box containing one of the following error messages:

In Microsoft Excel 97

   A shared list from Microsoft Excel 95 must be opened Read-Only.

   To edit the workbook in Microsoft Excel 97, click OK, then click Save
   As on the file menu and save the workbook with a new name. You can
   then save the new workbook as a Microsoft Excel 97 shared workbook, if
   you want. For more information, click Help.

In Microsoft Excel 5.0

   '<FILENAME.XLS>' is reserved by XL 95 Users. Open Read Only!

   Enter password for write access, or open read only.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you open a file that was saved as a shared file in Microsoft Excel 7.0. When you turn on the Multi-User Editing feature in a file in Microsoft Excel 7.0, you are not able to open the file with read-write access in Microsoft Excel 5.0 or Microsoft Excel 97.

MORE INFORMATION

When you receive the Password dialog box in Microsoft Excel 5.0 after opening a file that was saved as a shared file in Microsoft Excel 7.0, if you enter a password, whether the file has a password or not, you receive the error message "Incorrect password."

In Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 97, when you open a file that was created in Microsoft Excel version 7.0 that was not saved as a shared file, the file opens normally; no dialog box appears.

NOTE: Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 7.0 use the same file format. Microsoft Excel 97 uses a different format.