Compatibility error for charts?

ramparts · #1 07-20-2009, 06:31 PM

Hi all,

I'm using Excel 2008 for Mac. I have a basic column chart in a data file in XLS format, and now every time I save I get the message "Some content in data.xls may not be saved because it is not compatible with the 97-2004 format", etc., asking me if I want to remove the incompatible content and save in the current format. I do that, and nothing gets removed and every single time I save, I have to deal with this prompt.

This is a pretty annoying and 100% useless message, so I'm wondering how to get Excel to stop asking me this. Thanks!

Palmetto · #2 07-20-2009, 07:08 PM

Not a Mac user, but this is not much different from the PC version of saving a .xlsx to a 97-2003 format.

For the specific file in question you need to do a Save As and save it as an Excel 2008 file (.xlsx). This will prevent recurrence of the warning message.

Next, go to your Excel options and change the default file format to .xlsx so that all future workbooks will be automatically saved to the latest format.

However, if you open older workbooks and user newer features/function not supported in prior version you will again receive the warning. So, if you don't need to maintain backward compatibility or share files, just Save As to the newer format.

ramparts · #3 07-20-2009, 07:25 PM

Well, it was sort of implicit in my question that I don't want to have to use XLSX

I'd much rather maintain backwards compatibility. And a simple column graph, of all things, should be compatible with older versions of Excel.

This warning is doing nothing - when I tell it to remove whatever is incompatible, it removes nothing, and then asks me again next time I save. Surely there's a way to get rid of this message, no?

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