• Overview
• Opening Office 2007 Files in Older Versions of Office
• Saving Office 2007 Files as Office 97-2003 Files
• Opening Older Office Files in Office 2007
• Converting Older Office Files to Office 2007 Files

Overview

Office 2007 uses new a file format for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. (The new format has an "x" at the end of the file extension. For example, .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.) The new format is based on XML, which produces smaller-sized files, has better security, and allows for more features.

Opening Office 2007 Files in Older Versions of Office

If you want to open Office 2007 files on a computer that does not have Office 2007 (e.g., a personal computer), then you will need to download and install Microsoft's compatibility pack (for Windows) or file converter (for Mac).

For Windows:
Download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats

For Mac:
Download the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.0

Saving Office 2007 Files as Office 97-2003 Files

If you want to ensure that your files can be opened by someone who does not have Office 2007, then you should save your files in the 97-2003 format using the Save As command. For example, to save a Word 2007 document as a Word 97-2003 file:

1. Click on the Microsoft Office button and select Save As - Word 97–2003 Document.

Opening Older Office Files in Office 2007

Office 2007 can open files created in all older versions of Office, including Office 2003.

Files created in older versions of Office programs will open in Compatibility Mode. In Compatibility Mode, some of the features in the new version of Office will either turned off or modified so that they approximate an older version of the Office program.

Files opened in Compatibility Mode display (Compatibility Mode) next to the file name.

Converting Older Office Files to Office 2007 Files

If you wish, you can convert files created in older versions of Office to Office 2007 files. Converting your older Office files will allow you to access the new and enhanced features in Office 2007.

To convert an older Office file to an Office 2007 file:

1. Open the file in the appropriate Office 2007 program.
2. Click on the Microsoft Office button and select Convert.

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