XL2000: Error Message: File Format Is Not Valid

ID: Q224134

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 2000

ERROR MESSAGE

When you open a file in Microsoft Excel, the following error message appears:

File format is not valid.

NOTE: Microsoft Office 2000 has built-in functionality that allows you to get more information about difficult-to-troubleshoot alerts or error messages. If you want to enable this functionality for this and other error messages in Microsoft Office 2000, please download the Microsoft Office 2000 Customizable Alerts file from the Microsoft Office Update Web site at the following address:

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/alerts.htm

NOTE: If you reached this article by clicking the Web Info button in an error message, you already have Customizable Alerts enabled.

CAUSE

You have more than one version of Excel installed

You are opening a file in e-mail that has been sent to you as a routed workbook

You are opening a text file

WHAT TO TRY

Multiple Versions of Excel Installed

If you have more than one version of Excel installed on the same computer, refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for steps to solve your problem.

Q214388 XL2000: Running Multiple Versions of Microsoft Excel

Opening Routed Workbook in Email

If this error appears when you attempt to open a workbook that has been routed to you in e-mail from another Excel user, refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for steps to solve your problem.

Q211919 XL2000: "File Format Not Valid" Appears Opening Routed Workbook

Opening a Text File

If this error appears when you attempt to open a text file (.prn, .txt or .csv), refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for steps to solve your problem.

Q215591 XL2000: "SYLK: File Format is not Valid" Error Opening File

Additional query words: XL2000

Keywords : kberrmsg kbdta
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb