Invalid file format

[sarahp]

I run excel version 5.0 on windows XP. I received via e-
mail another Excel version5 file that I created on
another windows operating system -- could have been XP
but might be earlier. when i try to open this file on my
system, I get the error message "invalid file format" --
the file has a proper name (example.xls) and it is
located on my hard drive in microsoft office folder named
excel. any thoughts on how i might be able to open this
file with Windows XP? Thanks.

 

[Nick Hodge]

Sarah

Please treat this as help... are you sure they are both V5? Versions got
very 'muddy' at one point. Anything from V8 (Excel 97) up, is not directly
compatible with earlier versions without saving as the earlier file format.

Versions were:

Excel4 - readable by all later versions but cannot read V8 and above
Excel5 - Ditto
Excel7 - (AKA Excel95) Ditto
Excel8 - (AKA Excel97) Cannot be read by earlier versions but can read
earlier files
Excel9 - (AKA Excel2000) Can read all files to date cannot be read by
versions pre Excel8 (added HTML file structure also by add-in)
Excel10 - (AKA ExcelXP) Ditto (HTML now an in-built file format)
Excel11 - (AKA Excel2003) Ditto (Ditto HTML and XML now also built-in)
--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
(e-mail address removed)