OLD Excel

[dkr]

We have a great problem. A lot of old research data are in an Excel
format that is too old even for Office 98.
Any idea where I could find an image of an older version of Excel?

 

[Michael Vilain]

We have a great problem. A lot of old research data are in an Excel
format that is too old even for Office 98.
Any idea where I could find an image of an older version of Excel?

try looking up the format of the older Excel. The older file formats
are out there. Then modify the Perl Excel module to access it. Then
you'll be able to convert it to something more portable.

 

[dkr]

The problem is that I wouldn't know how to get about doing that

 

[Michael Vilain]

The problem is that I wouldn't know how to get about doing that

Then you're sorta stuck. Don't know what platform you're running on but
there is a Mac-based translator package called MacLink that may support
your format. If you aren't running on a Mac, then you'll have to track
down that old version of Excel, license keys, an OS to run it, and a
machine to install it on. Or look for a service that can read your
files for you if it more worth your time to have someone else just solve
the problem for you.

 

[dkr]

Then you're sorta stuck.  Don't know what platform you're running on but
there is a Mac-based translator package called MacLink that may support
your format.  If you aren't running on a Mac, then you'll have to track
down that old version of Excel, license keys, an OS to run it, and a
machine to install it on.  Or look for a service that can read your
files for you if it more worth your time to have someone else just solve
the problem for you.

Of course I'm running on a Mac using 10.5.8 and 9.0.4(SheepShaver)
MacLink sounds a good idea. I'll check on that.
Thanks

 

[dkr]

Of course I'm running on a Mac using 10.5.8 and 9.0.4(SheepShaver)
MacLink sounds a good idea. I'll check on that.
Thanks

MacLink starts reading from Excel 2 onwards, Excel tells me that my
files are Version 1.
Pity

 

[Michael Vilain]

MacLink starts reading from Excel 2 onwards, Excel tells me that my
files are Version 1.
Pity

Yeah. You'll either have to write your own code to read the files based
on the published or leaked Excel file spec or find a 3rd-party company
that can do the conversion for you. Your call on what's doable. If you
can kiss the data goodbye, that's most likely your best option.
Anything over 7 years isn't really relevant to businesses that should be
destroying their records after 7 years. If you're a financial company,
hire someone to do the conversion for you.

 

[Matthias Fripp]

We have a great problem. A lot of old research data are in an Excel
format that is too old even for Office 98.
Any idea where I could find an image of an older version of Excel?

You might have more luck looking for a medium-old version of Excel and/
or for software that can open Multiplan files, since the first version
of Excel may have descended from Multiplan ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel#History
).

For example, this Microsoft knowledge base article (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/214250 ) says that Excel version 5 can
open Multiplan files. So it may also be able to handle Excel 1. There
are probably many more versions of Excel 2-5 than Excel 1 collecting
dust on shelves around the world.

Matthias