XL: Error Opening MS Excel 97 File in Earlier Versions

 Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
Article ID: Q170311
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0, 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel version 5.0 or 7.0, when you try to open a file saved in the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition workbook format, you receive the following error message 

   <File name>: file format is not valid.
where <File name> is the name of the file you are opening.

If you try to open the file in Microsoft Excel version 4.0, you receive the following error message: 

   Cannot read this binary file. If the file was created in a version
   of Microsoft Excel later than 4.0, use that version to save it as
   an Excel 4.0 file. Open file as text?

CAUSE

In Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, the file format changed for the first time since Microsoft Excel 5.0. Because of this change, a file that you save in only the Microsoft Excel 97 or the Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition format cannot be opened by earlier versions of Microsoft Excel.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, you can save a file so that it is compatible with earlier versions; the earliest compatible version is Microsoft Excel version 2.1. However, functionality in Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition that is not available in the earlier versions is lost. You can also save a file in the "Microsoft Excel 97 & 5.0/95 Workbook" or the "Microsoft Excel 5.0 & 95-98 Workbook" format so that the file can be opened by Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition and Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0.

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q157497
   TITLE     : XL97: Using the Microsoft Excel 97 & 5.0/95 Workbook Format

   ARTICLE-ID: Q159361
   TITLE     : XL97: Read-Only Recommended Opening 97 & 5.0/95 File Format

   ARTICLE-ID: Q167077
   TITLE     : XL97: "Cannot Convert" Error Saving File in Earlier Format

REFERENCES

For more information about backward compatibility, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text 

   converting from
and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Key information for upgraders and new users" topic.

Additional query words: convert textconv
Keywords : xlloadsave kberrmsg
Version : MACINTOSH:4.0,5.0; WINDOWS:7.0
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb kbinfo
Solution Type : kbworkaround

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Last reviewed: February 2, 1998
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