Excel 2003 Not Excelling in Handling 2000 .xls File

**pands** · 10-08-2006, 03:00 PM

Hi. Can anyone suggest a solution for this issue:

SYSTEM: Windows XP--Running Office Professional
PROBLEM: Excel 2000 .xls file comments are lost when Excel 2003 reads file.

.xls file saved in Excel 2000 (9.0.4402 SR-1) contains comments.
When this file is read by Excel 2003 (11.5612.5606), Excel 2003 displays message, “File error: data may have been lost.” The old-version .xls file then displays with its comments lost/dropped.

We've saved the Excel 2000 file as: (1) "Microsoft Excel Workbook (*.xls)"; (2) Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls)"; and (3) Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls)."

In each instance, Excel 2003 drops cell comment boxes.

* * *
Many thanks for prompt replies.

**Bryan Hessey** · 10-08-2006, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by pands

Hi. Can anyone suggest a solution for this issue:

SYSTEM: Windows XP--Running Office Professional
PROBLEM: Excel 2000 .xls file comments are lost when Excel 2003 reads file.

.xls file saved in Excel 2000 (9.0.4402 SR-1) contains comments.
When this file is read by Excel 2003 (11.5612.5606), Excel 2003 displays message, “File error: data may have been lost.” The old-version .xls file then displays with its comments lost/dropped.

We've saved the Excel 2000 file as: (1) "Microsoft Excel Workbook (*.xls)"; (2) Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls)"; and (3) Microsoft Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 Workbook (*.xls)."

In each instance, Excel 2003 drops cell comment boxes.

* * *
Many thanks for prompt replies.

I have not heard of this before, can you post a 2000 saved xls with a couple of comments for testing, as a .zip file.

Thanks
---

**pands** · 10-16-2006, 10:14 AM

Thanks for replying. We'll get that file out this week. Actually, we should have been clearer explaining our problem. So here's a restatement.

PROBLEM: Excel 2000 .xls file comments are lost when Excel 2003 reads file.

We used Excel 2000 to read and update an .xls we created in Excel 2003 (which raises the gray issue of "downward compatibility").

Excel 2000 read the 2003 .xls file just fine, displaying all of our comments, even when read again by Excel 2000. But when Excel 2003 attempts to read the file we saved in 2000 . . . that's when we get the message, “File error: data may have been lost.” The 2000 version .xls file then displays under 2003 with all cell data, but its comments are gone.

* * *
Many thanks again for your time and interest in helping us answer this problem.

**Bryan Hessey** · 10-16-2006, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by pands

Thanks for replying. We'll get that file out this week. Actually, we should have been clearer explaining our problem. So here's a restatement.

PROBLEM: Excel 2000 .xls file comments are lost when Excel 2003 reads file.

We used Excel 2000 to read and update an .xls we created in Excel 2003 (which raises the gray issue of "downward compatibility").

Excel 2000 read the 2003 .xls file just fine, displaying all of our comments, even when read again by Excel 2000. But when Excel 2003 attempts to read the file we saved in 2000 . . . that's when we get the message, “File error: data may have been lost.” The 2000 version .xls file then displays under 2003 with all cell data, but its comments are gone.

* * *
Many thanks again for your time and interest in helping us answer this problem.

Thanks for the reply, but I didn't want a whole file, just the portion that has the comments that give you problems.

I have used 2000 & 2003 (mixed) without 'comments' errors, but currently have only 2003, so if 2003 can be made to error as per your post then the cause would be the last setting changed etc.

---

**acgrego** · 02-27-2007, 04:56 PM

Hi,

I have the exactly the same problem. Anyone knows how to solve it?

Thanks!

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