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Unable to recognise Excel files.

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13 replies

by jczipri

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I have a Windows 98 computer with Office 2000, and I'm unable to read Excel files created on a Win 95 platform.

I've tried reloading Excel, but to no avail!

13 replies

by blackcurrant

Hi

I would check your file associations and make sure that XLS extensions are associated with MS-Excel.

You can do this by following the instructions in this article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306493

If this does not work, and you are still unable to open these files - do you see an error message? What happens when you double-click the file from within My Computer? Do you open Excel, then use the Open dialog to navigate to your file? Have you tried opening Excel, opening My Computer and dragging the file into Excel?

Let us know how you get on.

Good luck

by jczipri

I've tried all your suggestions. Excel recognises the .XLS suffix for files created on the computer, but not the ones from a WIN 95, Office 97 program. It still says "unrecognisable format"

I can save the old files as .SLK, (a page at a time) which will open, but I lose all the graphs.

Any fresh ideas?

by blackcurrant

Hi again

Have you tried loading Excel 97 on the XP machine? Also, have you tried posting this question in the Office 2000 section - you may get a better solution there...

by jczipri

"Works" was pre-loaded on the computer. Should I remove it before re-loading Excel 97?

by rkuhn040172

Not necessary to uninstall Works. But, you might try changing the file extension to .cvs and trying to open it.

Also, just for fun, try opening it with the following MS Works program:

C:\program files\microsoft works\wksss.exe

by jczipri

Excel won't open the ".cvs" re-named files.
Works (wksss.exe) will only open the tables, not the charts, one page at a time.

Thanks for all the help, I think I will give up now!

by rkuhn040172

Try two more things.

1) Open Excel in safe mode (just to eliminate Excel from the equation) by typing Start, Run, Excel.exe -s. Then trying opening the file.

2) Download or email the file to someone who has OpenOffice.org and try opening with that. I'd be more than happy do help with that.

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