Compatibility of Excel/Word files across versions

[Kirk Bubul]

My sister has Office 97 on her computer. She and her classmates are
starting to think about their 50th high school class reunion in two
years. They are talking about Excel for classmate data spreadsheets
and Word for invitation mailings.

Question: What compatibility issues (if any) are there for Office 97
programs opening, editing, and resaving documents that were created in
later versions of Word and Excel?

Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

If someone is using a newer version, they will have to remember to do a Save
As and change the type to Excel 97. In doing that, they may lose anything
that is a new feature since Excel 97. (Sorry I can't tell you what features
have been added. I'm sure someone will have a link to answer that question.)

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx

 

[Susan Ramlet]

Hi, Kirk,

Word and Excel documents are fundamentally compatible across versions 2003,
2002, 2000 and 97.

These documents may provide you more details:

Microsoft Office Assistance: Using Excel 2003 with earlier versions of
Excel:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051985111033.aspx


Microsoft Office Assistance: Results of saving Word 2003 documents in RTF,
Word 97, and Web page formats:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051901161033.aspx

Microsoft Office Assistance: Strategies for sharing documents with different
versions of Word:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP051902821033.aspx