# [SOLVED] Changing from xls to xlsx



## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi all,

Win xp, and 07, some 03 office and some 07 office. Files saved on a win 2003 server. All files created with excel 2003.

I am having a problem with people saving excel files. I am told from the user that they just hit the save icon when they are done making changes. The problem is that for a couple people "who have office 07" it saves as .xlsx 07 excel fomat. I want to keep all my excel files as xls format.
Most of the time it is fine, When someone using excel 07 save the file that is an .xls formate it stays .xls. But I am told that when the file changes to .xlsx all they have done is hit the save icon and not save as and it still somehow changes it to .xls. Is there a way that I can make the files so that they can not be changed to .xlsx? They only way they can be saved will be with .xls. To force them to stay .xls.

Thanks


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*

[Doing this from memory -- don't have 07 in front of me today!!]

-Click the Office button in the upper left-hand corner.
-Somewhere on that menu will be an 'Excel Options' button.
-On the left will be a selection for 'Save' or 'Save Settings' or something like that
-You will be able to specify the older version (.xls) on a drop-down bar.

I feel like I left something out. Apply changes if that's an option.

gl

jw

PS -- could always download the compatibility pack, no? Probably should, really, for the '03's. It's a pain in the butt -- gotta run a gamut of updates to both XP and Office, but, still, then no compatibility problems.


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## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*

Thanks

Yes I know all that. But I just want the file to always stay .xls. I dont want to have to tell all the users that they have to select save as make sure it is .xls format each time they save. They should just be able to hit the save icon and if it opened as .xls it should stay .xls.

But for some reason when they hit the save icon it is not staying .xls and sometimes changeing to .xlsx. It should not change on its own.
but thanks.

Also the compatibility pack is installed on most. But I want them all to stay .xls and do not want them being changed.

Thanks


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## TheGift73 (Oct 17, 2006)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*

Yep, as jaythorpe522 said: Open Excel>Ribbon>Excel Options>Save>Save workbooks (top of page)>OK.


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## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*



TheGift73 said:


> Yep, as jaythorpe522 said: Open Excel>Ribbon>Excel Options>Save>Save workbooks (top of page)>OK.


Sorry I am now reading your post and I think I did not understand at first what you meant. I am going to look into what you are saying to do again. I was confused but will look now to see if that is what i wanted
thanks


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*

If they do this once, they won't have to 'save as', as long as it's .xls when opened. That changes the default save option to .xls. Default save option = hitting the save icon for new workbook, and 'as-opened' format for pre-existing. If it opens as .xls, and the default save is .xls, it will save in .xls. If it opens as .xlsx, I think that a save-as will be required, no matter what you try to set up.

EDIT: I don't know if there's an option for telling a workbook to only allow itself to be saved in one format. But that would be a pain to do to every workbook you have on file, no?

EDIT edit, cause I'm slow: Thanks for the pretty picture, TG!


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## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*



jaythorpe522 said:


> If they do this once, they won't have to 'save as', as long as it's .xls when opened. That changes the default save option to .xls. Default save option = hitting the save icon for new workbook, and 'as-opened' format for pre-existing. If it opens as .xls, and the default save is .xls, it will save in .xls. If it opens as .xlsx, I think that a save-as will be required, no matter what you try to set up.
> 
> EDIT: I don't know if there's an option for telling a workbook to only allow itself to be saved in one format. But that would be a pain to do to every workbook you have on file, no?


It is always opened as an .xls file. And the only way they ever save it is by hiting just the save icon. They never do save as. but it still sometimes changes to .xlsx


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## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*

Will I need to do this on each computer or just each file one time?


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*

Each computer, once.


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## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

*Re: Changing from xls to xlsx*

I just looked at one of the computers that this was happening on and it was set to save as "excel workbook". I changed it to excell 97-03 format. It does now seem like that was the problem.

I do have alot of computers to do this on but as long as it fixes the problem I will be happy. Just have to go around to 40 or so and check them all. But that is better than having to change back once it does change to 07 format

Thanks Much


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

my pleasure


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## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

One more question.

If they open a file that is a .xlsx is it now gonna change it to a .xls when they save it?


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## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

I think not; again, I don't have it with me to test today, but I think that an .xlsx will save as it opened, if you use the save/disk icon. One save-as .xls will be necessary for each that has already become an .xlsx. I think...


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