XL97: How to Convert an Add-in File into a Workbook

ID: Q156943

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel 97, you can convert an add-in (.xla) file into a normal workbook (.xls) file that you can view and edit. This article contains detailed information about converting an add-in file.

MORE INFORMATION

To convert an add-in file back into a normal workbook, use the following steps: 

 1. On the File menu, click Open. In the Open dialog box, select the
    add-in file that you want to convert (for example, Test.xla), and
    click Open.

 2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor
    (or press ALT+F11).

    In the Project Explorer window in the Visual Basic Editor, entries
    similar to the following appear:

       <Project name> (<Add-in file name>)

    where <Project name> is the name of the Visual Basic project, and <Add-
    in file name> is the name of an add-in file.

    For example, entries similar to the following appear:

       MyAddIn (Test)

 3. Click the plus sign (+) to the left of the entry for the add-in file.

 4. If you are prompted for a password, type the password and click OK.
    Otherwise, skip to step 5.

    NOTE: if you do not know the password for the add-in file, you cannot
    convert it into a normal workbook. If you know who created the add-in
    file, ask the creator for the password. Otherwise, you cannot continue.

    Entries similar to the following appear in the Project Explorer window:

       MyAddIn (Test)
          Microsoft Excel Objects
          Modules

 5. Click the plus sign (+) to the left of "Microsoft Excel Objects".

    The tree should look similar to the following:

           MyAddIn (Test)
              Microsoft Excel Objects
                 Sheet1 (Sheet1)
                 Sheet2 (Sheet2)
                 Sheet3 (Sheet3)
                 ThisWorkbook
              Modules

 6. Click ThisWorkbook.

 7. On the Tools menu, click <Project name> Properties.

 8. Click the Protection tab. Clear (uncheck) the "Lock project for
    viewing" check box. Clear both the Password and "Confirm password"
    boxes. Then, click OK.

 9. In the Properties window of the Visual Basic Editor, click IsAddin. In
    the box to the right of IsAddin, change the value from True to False.
10. On the File menu, click "Close and Return to Microsoft Excel". 

   The worksheets and chart sheets in the add-in file (if it contains any)
   should be visible.
11. On the File menu, click Save As.

12. In the Save As dialog box, click "Microsoft Excel Workbook" in the 

    "Save as type" box. Type a new name for the workbook (for example,
    Test.xls) in the file name box. Click Save to save the add-in file as a
    normal workbook.
13. After you save the workbook, click Close on the File menu.

The add-file is converted to a workbook that can be opened, viewed, modified, and saved, just like any other workbook. Note that the add-in file is not modified by this process.

For more information about how to create add-in files in Microsoft Excel 97, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q156942
   TITLE     : XL97: How to Create an Add-in File in Microsoft Excel 97
Additional query words: XL97 addin vba macro 8.0 
Keywords          : kbprg kbdta xlloadsave xlui xlvbahowto xlvbainfo kbfaq
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: May 25, 1999