# the converter faled to open file



## ebony (Aug 27, 2001)

I have MS Excel 2000 installed on my PC. I recently got an e mail with an Excel document attached. When I try to open it I get the message "the converter failed to open file" The document is an xlsx attachment. It is from MS Excel 2007. Can I covert it to my Excel 2000?


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

You need the compatibility pack - get it here
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...70-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en
You also need to have the Service Pack 3 updates for Office 2000


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

If you have issues converting it after you install the compatibility pack, then save the file to your hard drive from the e-mail and then open Excel and open the file via the open dialog box. For some reason the converter sometime does not kick in when opening it from an e-mail or via windows explorer.


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## ebony (Aug 27, 2001)

I did try to install the compatibility pack but it didn't seem to work. Is the "open dialog box" the open box under file?


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

ebony said:


> I did try to install the compatibility pack but it didn't seem to work. Is the "open dialog box" the open box under file?


Aye, that is correct.


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## ebony (Aug 27, 2001)

I installed service pack 3 and compatibility pack. I tried to open the downloaded message using Excel but got the message "this is not a recognizable format". I'm not sure what to do with it.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Did you double-click the FileFormatConverters.exe program file on your hard disk to start the setup program - in other words, installed the converter, not just downloaded? Forgive me if this seems silly - don't know your abilities. (At least you have the PC on!)


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## ebony (Aug 27, 2001)

I did install the program but to make sure I repeated the installation. Still doesn't work.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Rebooted, too? Aside from that, sounds like you have it set correctly. You did get all the high priority updates first also, didn't you?
If (and I am guessing you have done all this) that is all true, I am stuck. Should work....


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Can you look in your add/remove programs and verify that it did indeed completely install the compatibility pack. Did they password protect the file? I do not know if passwords work across versions.


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## ebony (Aug 27, 2001)

The compatibility pack is in the add remove file. By the way the Excell attachment is an invoice from a contractor so it wouldn't have a password.


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

You can have them print to a PDF instead.


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## ebony (Aug 27, 2001)

Thanks for the help. That's what I'll do.


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## jwevans27 (Jul 29, 2008)

Ebony,

You stated that the file was xlsx file type - is this a typo on your part or the sender's part? Might want to make sure and save the file as .xls.


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## ebony (Aug 27, 2001)

xlsx is MS Excel 2007 document. That's the problem.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

jwevans, just FYI, all the Office 2007 programs (except Access) have a new format based on XML. Thus, they have new file types all ending in "x" - .docx, .xlsx, .pptx
Access has a new file type as well, .accdb, which replaces the old .mdb.


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## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

As I double clarify on top of you hehe. Macro enabled items will end in an M actually. So an XLSM is a macro enabled 2007 workbook. DOCM is a macro enabled 2007 Word document.


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## slurpee55 (Oct 20, 2004)

Really? Cripes, I can't track it any more....


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