A computer Question for he experts

[rodmkr]

Several years ago (when I used Windows XP) I created several excell spread sheets
with a complete inventory of my Guns, Molds , Loading equipment ,Brass ,Powder , and primers.
I have kept it updated so if I croak the kids will have something to go by when they sell it all.
Now I am using Windows 10 and none of the spread sheets work as XP excell is now forwards
compatible. This means I dd all that work for nothing.

Is there a program that will allow these excell sheets to work on windows 10 or excell spread
sheets made on windows 10 to be used on windows XP?
I sure hate to have to do them all over again just because I changed computers!

rodmkr

 

[dannyd]

If you don't have excel on the computer them download open office or Libre Office. They are free office suites compatible with MS Excel.

 

[Ian]

So you changed computers, imported your old Excell files, and couldn't open or edit them?

Do you have MS Office on your new machine?

I would think that mobs of angry internatioal business customers would have reduced MS to ashes if Exell and Word data weren't importable to later versions.

 

[rodmkr]

Have Microsoft Office on both computers.
Microsoft Excel and Word are not forward or backwards compatible.
It sucks but that is the way Microsoft made them.
I guess if you bought Office for Windows 10 and loaded it on XP it might work
but I do not know if even they are compatible that way.
I think the cost would be prohibitive.
I do know it sure doesn't work for me.
I had my son in law who is an IT check it out for me and his
answer is they are not forward or backwards compatible.

 

[Hawk]

If you get them printed out, could you scan them and import them into the new version of Excel?

 

[Hawk]

I'm still running Windows 7.

 

[Ian]

Wow. Just WOW. The stupidity of MS is beyond comprehension.

Glad I never got that entrenched in computers. Three-ring binders and matching hole punch have always worked for me.

 

[dannyd]

Install open office open the files go to save as and save in a newer version of excel.

 

[oscarflytyer]

I'm with Danny. I have converted/updated a TON of old XL and Word files to the new version. Some of the special formatting MIGHT be lost/changed, but the info will still be there. Just go back and reformat once in new version.

 

[dannyd]

So you changed computers, imported your old Excell files, and couldn't open or edit them?

Do you have MS Office on your new machine?

I would think that mobs of angry internatioal business customers would have reduced MS to ashes if Exell and Word data weren't importable to later versions.

Nope, just forces business to upgrade whether they want to or not. Probably 10,000 different commands in Excel average user uses about 20. Now with office 365 it will be almost impossible to pirate software.

 

[RicinYakima]

Well, for less than $10 a year you can rent/lease MS Office 365 that is backward compatible thru 1997, at least. That was the best solution for me with everything I had saved on Office Enterprise 2007.

 

[dannyd]

Well, for less than $10 a year you can rent/lease MS Office 365 that is backward compatible thru 1997, at least. That was the best solution for me with everything I had saved on Office Enterprise 2007.

That is only way it will be in couple of years. For commercial mainly about cost of storage.

 

[troj]

Current versions of Excel can read older formats. If you're finding you can't read something, it must be in an ancient version.

Can you send me one of the files to take a look at? I'll see if I can find you something that will read it.

-Kevin

 

[Brad]

If Kevin can’t make it work then something is really wrong

 

[mattw]

If you still have the old system, save the files as a .csv and then import into the new version of Excel. I have never tried to bring in a native Excel file that would not import.

 

[Cherokee]

I have upgraded excel and word files thru many versions of MS whatever, now to Win 10. Excel has always read the older files, same for Word. Something is odd here. I have everything on MS office and will continue to do so. Take up Kevin on his offer.

 

[Ian]

I have upgraded excel and word files thru many versions of MS whatever, now to Win 10. Excel has always read the older files, same for Word. Something is odd here. I have everything on MS office and will continue to do so. Take up Kevin on his offer.

That's how it should be. I was flabbergasted that file data from older versions could not be imported into later versions of the programs and saved as new files, or just straight-up copied to the new machine and opened/edited with the latest version of Office.

 

[Rick H]

My Excel is 2007 student edition and some of my spreadsheets are from way before that. Runs fine on my Windows10. Runs slow, has to load the old version each time and warns you that all the modern bells and whistles won't be transferred. I have reloading data sheets, financial records and all sorts of stuff. All works on Window's 10. I don't run the "Rent an MS Office" program though. But the old Excel and Word from back in Win95 still run.

 

[Rockydoc]

I don't have anything Microsoft for many reasons, the above being one of them. I have Apple Mac OSX, I run a free app called NeoOffice. It will open, edit and save Microsoft Office applications. It is an adaptation of Open Office. Neo office may be for OSX only, if so get Open Office. It's free and it works.

 

[Rally]

If your luck is anything like mine, I'd be copying any documents important, before trying to move them into a newer program. Guess how I know that?