Answers to Questions About File Compatibility

Topic at a glance

The new productivity features of Office 97 require new file formats. However, the Office 97 applications are fully compatible with files created in earlier versions. We realize you might have additional questions about how Office 97 applications can coexist with previous versions or whether files created with other applications can be used with Office 97. See below for answers to some of these key questions.

Are my old files compatible with Office 97 applications?

Yes. We know that you need to be able to work with documents created in earlier versions. We have strived to make Office 97 fully compatible with earlier versions, so that the work you have done will be fully supported and usable.

If I install Office 97 over my old version of Office, what happens to my old files?

We actually recommend that you install Office 97 directly over your old version. This guarantees the cleanest installation. None of your data or old files will be lost or damaged.

What happens to my Office 97 files if only part of my company switches to Office 97 and the rest continues to use earlier versions of Office?

Office 97 applications read documents created in earlier versions of Office. None of your work will be lost.

Is there an easy way to save files so that they are available to everyone even if some people are using earlier versions of Office?

You or your system administrator can arrange for files to be saved in the old format until you decide to switch to Office 97.

What happens to data created with new features when it is saved in an earlier file format?

Office 97 will map it as closely as possible to the corresponding feature in the earlier version. For example, an Office 97 drawing object will be saved as the corresponding Draw object from the earlier version.

I’m switching from another application to Office 97. Will I be able to use my data?

You can open existing files from many other applications, including WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, and Quattro Pro. Click Open (File menu), and then select the file of type you want to open.

If a co-worker doesn’t have Office installed will she still be able to look at my documents?

Viewers that read Office 97 files are available from the Office Web site. Viewers let users open and read Office documents even if they don’t have Office installed on their computers.

Are there other ways to move between Office 97 files and files from earlier versions?

Word 97 and PowerPoint® 97 provide installable converters that allow features to be saved and transferred easily from one version to another. This is similar to using the Save As command (File menu) in the newer application and specifying the old format. The major difference is that, after the converter is installed, no one has to think about what format they save their files in, because everyone can read everyone else’s files.

Microsoft Excel 97 and PowerPoint 97 allow files to be saved in a dual format so that new files can be viewed without a loss of new features, although new features cannot be edited.

What happens to your calendar, contact lists, and other personal information files when you switch to Outlook?

Outlook imports Microsoft Schedule+ 1.0 and 7.0 calendar, task, and contact files, as well as e-mail files and data from other mail clients. Outlook reads Microsoft Exchange mail files as native files. You can share your Outlook calendars with Schedule+ users.

If you are upgrading from Office 4.x and choose the Custom installation, remember that the features with their check boxes selected are installed in the Typical installation. This is a change from Office 4.x setup.