My Microsoft Excel 2007 Won't Open Any Files Properly

Excel at work.

Microsoft Excel is a standard spreadsheet software that can be used for everything from complicated financial accounting to basic time sheet and scheduling tasks. With its newest version, Excel 2007, Microsoft has added new file types that can sometimes make opening older spreadsheet files troublesome. Sorting through possible complications is worth a little bit of time, because the power of Microsoft Excel 2007 can simplify many mundane office tasks.

Instructions

1. Check your file type. Excel 2007 defaults to the file type .XLSX, which cannot be read by Excel 97 to 2003.

2. Transfer the file to a second computer that has an installed, working copy of Microsoft Excel 2007 by saving the file to a flash drive or emailing it to the second computer.

3. Open the Excel file on the second computer in Excel 2007 by clicking "File" then "Open" and selecting the file.

4. Save the open file as an Excel 97 file with the extension .XLS.

5. Transfer the file back to the first computer.

6. Open the new Excel 97-formatted .XLS file on the first computer by selecting "File" then "Open" and selecting the file.

7. Repeat Step 2 through Step 6 if the file still won't open, but save the file as a "Comma delimited" file with the extension .CSV.

8. Uninstall and reinstall your copy of Excel 2007 if it cannot open .XLSX, .XLS or .CSV files.

Tips & Warnings

• Try opening more than one kind of file to make sure it's the copy of Excel, not the particular file, causing trouble.

• Emailing the file to yourself or

References

• Microsoft: How to Open and Save Excel 2007 or 2010 Files in Earlier Versions of Office Programs