XL: Saving a File for 5.0/7.0 and MS Excel 97 or MS Excel 98

ID: Q157497

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition include a new feature that allows you to save a workbook in a dual format. If you are using Excel 97 for Windows, the format is called "Microsoft Excel 97 & 5.0/95 Workbook." If you are using Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, the format is called "Microsoft Excel 5.0 & 95-98 Workbook." This article explains how the format works, why you would want to use it, and includes a list of potential problems that you may encounter.

MORE INFORMATION

What Is the Dual Format and How Does it Work?

The dual format is a special kind of file format. A workbook saved in this format contains two sections: one section that is written in the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 file format, and one section that is written in the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 file format. When you use this format to save a workbook, you can open it in Microsoft Excel versions 5.0, 7.0, Microsoft Excel 97, and Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.

When you save a file in the dual format in Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98, the following events take place:

The Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section of the workbook is written.

The Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 section of the workbook is synchronized with the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section, so that they contain the same values.

The Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 section of the workbook is written.

The workbook is saved.

When you open the workbook in Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98, the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section of the workbook is read. If you make changes to the workbook and then resave it, the changes to the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section are copied to the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 section of the workbook, and the workbook is saved.

When you open the workbook in Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 or 7.0, only the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 section of the workbook is read. If you make changes to the workbook and save it, the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section of the workbook is lost. This behavior occurs because earlier versions of Microsoft Excel are not aware of the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section of the workbook.

A workbook stored in the dual format may be up to twice as large as a normal workbook. This is because data stored within the workbook is stored twice, once in each section of the workbook.

To save a workbook in the dual format, follow these steps in Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98:

On the File menu, click Save As.

In the Save As Type list, if you are using Microsoft Excel 97 click "Microsoft Excel 97 & 5.0/95 Workbook." If you are using Microsoft Excel 98 click "Microsoft Excel 5.0 & 95-98 Workbook."

Change the file name if you want, and then click Save.

Why Would I Want to Use the Dual Format?

The dual format is useful when a mix of users who run different versions of Microsoft Excel all need to be able to view the same workbook.

If users running Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 open a workbook that is saved in this format, they will not notice any unusual behavior. They can make changes and save the workbook just like any other workbook.

If users who run Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 or 7.0 open a workbook that is saved in this format, they are prompted to open the workbook as read- only. The specific warning message is the following:

'<Filename.xls>' should be opened as read-only unless you need to save changes to it. Open as read-only?

If a user chooses not to open the workbook as read-only, and then saves the workbook, the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section of the workbook is lost. Features that are specific to Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98, such as conditional formatting and natural language formulas, are lost because earlier versions of Microsoft Excel do not support these features. Also, if worksheets in the workbook contain more than 16,384 rows of information, data in rows below row 16,384 are lost.

What Potential Problems Might I Encounter When Using the Dual Format?

You may encounter the following problems when you use this format:

As stated earlier, if users running an earlier version of Microsoft Excel open a workbook saved in the dual format, and then save it, the Microsoft Excel 97 or Microsoft Excel 98 section of the workbook is lost. Along with any special features not supported in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, they lose all data below row 16,384.

Because of this, Microsoft recommends that you keep workbooks saved in this format as simple as possible. Data in worksheets that contain data, normal formatting, and so, is not lost if you save the workbook in an earlier version format.

Note that you can apply a protection password to the workbook so that users who use earlier versions of Microsoft Excel cannot save changes to the workbook.

If you use another program, such as Microsoft Access, to make changes to a workbook saved in the dual format, the changes may be incorrectly applied to the workbook. This occurs because other programs may not support the dual nature of the workbook, and the workbook's sections may become unsynchronized.

For more information on the problems you may encounter when modifying such a workbook using Microsoft Access, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q157495 : XL: Odd Workbook Behavior after Modification by MS Access

As stated earlier in this article, workbooks saved in the dual format are larger than workbooks that are not saved in this format. This may cause problems when you save or store such workbooks on floppy disks.

Microsoft recommends that you do not directly save a workbook in the dual format on a floppy disk. Instead, save the workbook to the hard disk, close the workbook, and then copy it to the floppy disk.

REFERENCES

For more information about the dual format in Microsoft Excel, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text


   file formats, using

and then click Display to see the appropriate help topic.

Additional query words: 8.00 XL97 XL98 previous version


Keywords          : xlloadsave 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97;MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a,98
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: May 13, 1999