Excel11.xlb v Personal.xls v PERSONAL.XLS v PERSONAL.XLSB problems

[Gilberto17]

Hello!
I had customised menus and buttons in Excel 2003, with referred macros stored in Personal.xls in the XLStart directory.
I recently (Nov2019) installed Excel 2013 and PERSONAL.XLSB appeared in the XLSTART directory and Personal.xls became PERSONAL.XLS.
I am able to run both XL2003 and XL2013, but when I run XL2003 my customised buttons have disappeared and the customised menus are empty.
If I remove the PERSONAL.XLSB file, the Personal.xls file does not get "opened", also "new macros" cannot be added and stored in the Personal Macro Workbook because "the Personal Macro Workbook in the startup folder must stay open for recording".
If PERSONAL.XLSB and PERSONAL.XLS are present
1) Alt-f11 gest me to the "usual" list of the macros
2) if I record a new macro in XL2003, the file that gets updated is PERSONAL.XLS.

How can I restore the XL2003 menu and toolbar "situation"?
Thanks in advance!

[Keebellah]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
I ran into similar issues when I moved up to the newer versions of Excel. The 'old' custom menu buttons that I had working in all my files were no longer supported.
Even if you say you're sunning both 2003 and 2013 on the same machine I think the different DLL files clash somewhere along the line.
In the end I just converted it all to custom ribbon menus.
I did however find a link once to open the old style command bars under the newer versions of Excel but do not remember which site it was, I think Ron de Bruin's site (which is an excellent site explaining the Custom UI (Ribbon)