It can also be used by administrators in organizations to scan and generate reports about the Office files on the network. The OMPM is a free 2.7 MB download available from the Microsoft Web site. Instead, you can perform a bulk conversion using the Office File Converter that's included in the Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM). If you have a large number of Office files saved in the old format that you want to change to the new XML-based format, you don't have to open and save them one at a time in the Office 2007 program. It can be installed on machines running Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP1, and Windows Server 2003. The pack is available as a free 27.1 MB download from the Microsoft Web site. The Compatibility Pack allows users of Office XP or Office 2003 to open, edit, save and even create files in the new XML-based formats.
If someone with whom you exchange files is still running an older version of Office and you want to be able to send them files in the new XML formats (for instance, so they can see the formatting features that are unique to Office 2007), they can install the Office 2007 Compatibility Pack. #4: Installing the Office 2007 Compatibility Pack
For a full list of the features that are lost when you work in compatibility mode and which ones can be refreshed, see the article " Compatibility Mode in the 2007 Office System" on the Microsoft TechNet site. Some features can be returned to the document if you reopen it in an Office 2007 program others can't. When the Office 2007 program is in compatibility mode, it will be indicated in the document title bar, as shown in Figure C.įigure C: Office Compatibility Mode is indicated in the title bar of the document. In Word, compatibility mode also kicks in if you create a new document from an old-format template (.dot). Instead, you'll use the diagramming tool from Office 2003 so that the diagrams you create can be edited in the older version of the program.Ĭompatibility mode is automatically on when you open a file that was saved in the old file formats, when you convert a file from the XML-based format to the older format, or when you configure the program to save to the old format by default. If you place your Office 2007 applications in compatibility mode, incompatible features, such as the SmartArt diagramming tool, won't be available to you. If you frequently share files with others who haven't upgraded or you need to work on your files on another computer (for example, a laptop) that doesn't have Office 2007 installed, you can ensure that the files you create in Office 2007 don't contain any features that aren't supported by the previous version of the Office program. Office 2007 programs introduce a new feature called compatibility mode. When you save a file in the old format that was originally created in the new format, you may get a message advising that some of the formatting and features that are only supported by Office 2007 programs will be lost. Choose Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc) from the Save Files In This Format drop-down list, as shown in Figure B.įigure B: You can set the default to always save files in the old Office 2003 format. If you want to always save files in the old format by default, click the Office button, then the Options button, and select Save in the left pane. Just select Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc) from the Save As Type drop-down list in the Save As dialog box, as shown in Figure A.įigure A: You can easily save individual files in the old Office 2003 formats. You can still save files in Office 2007 programs in Office 2003 file formats. However, some users with previous versions of Office may not be able to open files in the new formats. It also makes file sizes smaller than those saved in the old binary formats. XML is an open standard, and the change makes it easier to move files between different applications.
The new formats are indicated by an "x" in the file extension. #1: Understanding and using new file formatsĪll the Office 2007 programs use new default file formats based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML).
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Microsoft Office 2007 provides a lot of new features and functionality, but what about compatibility? Here are 10 tips for dealing with compatibility issues when you upgrade to the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Deb Shinder explains how to minimize compatibility headaches when you make the jump to the latest version. As with any major upgrade, Office 2007 brings concerns about compatibility.