Is anyone else starting to see this happen?
I’m finding it more and more common as people update their PC’s and laptops, they get the new edition of Office (2007), and just don’t realise that the file formats have changed and their files can’t be seen by others user. That, and when you do point it out to people, it’s real easy to forget to save files to an older format. Is there a default file type setting in Office 2007? How are people dealing with this problem? I can only see it getting worst over the next few years, as 2007(+) becomes more widely used.
Update: Here is the link to the file converter pack.
Related posts:
Ross,
I actually don’t make any effort to save to a lower version. I recommend that anyone with 2003 download and install the Compatibiiity pack from Microsoft. And if I do run into a user who is still on 2003 or earlier, I’ll let them respond with an “I can’t open this”, then save down a specific one for them.
I’m assuming that you clipped the file names in the above, and that’s not how it’s showing?
I can see more people running in to this issue, but the compatibility pack from MS is free and small, so everyone should be able to get it.
If you do feel like catering to the less technologically advanced, there is a setting in the Options under Save where you can set the Default Save Format. Select the version you want there when you click save next time, that’s what you get. You can always do a Save As to change it to the 2007 format if you wish.
My office switched early on (I want to say July 2007) which is really early adoption for an accounting firm. The problem we most run into is people taking advantage of all the cool flashy features (embedding documents, conditional formatting, tables, all other eye candy) then trying to send them to clients. Not only can they not open the files, but you can’t save down without losing information.
The problem is that people never really knew xl2003 so once they “get to know” a new version they don’t know what’s different. MSFT’s problem? Maybe. User issue? Maybe. But there is a problem there.
Hi, Thanks Ken,
I thought there would be some sort of pack, I will install in on my laptop – assuming it’s not that big! – Yes there clipped! ;-) nice for the locked down corporate environment!
Hi Nic,
>>If you do feel like catering to the less technologically advanced…
I thought there would be a option (away from home at the mo, so cant check!) I would if IT will switch this on during deployment? – I would make sense to me…
Hi Jayson,
>>The problem we most run into is people taking advantage of all the cool flashy features…
That’s my worry too, especially when a chap spends 2 days making a report with conditional formatting, and the little image things, and then had to send it as PDF! – Not that I’ve saw that happen last week or anything…..
Ross
Yep the file format issue is a PITA.
The compatibility checker in Excel 2007 is pretty good, a few too many false positives, but still useful.
Microsoft screws its developers again…a coolaid drinker thinks it is techno savy to follow the new crap junk in 2007 while 500,000,000 people who use older Excel versions think it is pure cow dung.