Upgrading to Excel 2000

FAQs About Upgrading to Excel 2000

Do previous versions of Excel have the same file format as Excel 2000?

Microsoft Excel 2000 has the same file format as Excel 98 (Macintosh) and Excel 97 (Windows), but it has a few enhancements because of the new features included in Excel 2000. The Excel 95 and Excel 5.0 file formats are different from Excel 2000. For more information, see Sharing Workbooks with Previous Versions of Excel.

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Are the date algorithms in Excel 95 and Excel 5.0 the same as the ones in Excel 2000?

The date algorithms in Excel 95 and Excel 5.0 are different from Excel 2000 because Excel 95 and Excel 5.0 use a two-digit format to represent the year while Excel 2000 uses a four-digit format. The Microsoft Excel Date Migration Wizard scans Excel 2000 workbooks for potential date function problems with converted versions of Excel that use a two-digit format to represent the year.

Toolbox   You can use the Microsoft Excel Date Migration Wizard to scan Excel 2000 workbooks for potential date function problems. For information about installing this wizard, see Excel File Recovery and Date Tools.

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How can I address year 2000 date confusion?

Excel 2000 has two new formats to help you eliminate year 2000 date confusion. In Excel 2000 you can specify a m/d/yyyy or a Mmm yyyy format for the date.

To specify a date format in an Excel 2000 workbook

1. On the Format menu, click Cells.
2. In the Category box on the Number tab, click Date, and then select a format in the Type box.

To expedite changing all date formats from two-digit to four-digit years in existing Excel workbooks, users can run the Microsoft Excel Date Fix Wizard.

Toolbox   You can use the Microsoft Excel Date Fix Wizard to change date formats from two-digit to four-digit years in Excel 2000 workbooks. For information about installing this wizard, see Excel File Recovery and Date Tools.

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How can I prevent users from saving presentations in an unapproved format?

You cannot prevent users from saving presentations in an unapproved format, but you can:

• Set a system policy by using the System Policy Editor, and create a custom message to alert users when they try to save a file that is not the default format in the system policy.

• Set a default file format by using the Options dialog box (Tools menu).

• Limit the number of converters that you distribute to users.

For more information, see How to Specify the Default Format in Which to Save Files and Using the System Policy Editor.

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Why does text look different when a user saves an Excel 2000 workbook in Web Page format?

For text and font formatting to display correctly, users must upgrade to Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, and use cascading style sheets.

To use cascading style sheets, click Options on the (Tools menu), and then click the General tab. Click Web Options, and then click the General tab. Select the Rely on CSS for font formatting check box.

For more information about saving workbooks in Web Page format, see Transferring Files Between HTML and Office Document Formats.

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How can Excel 95 and Excel 5.0 users open HTML files created by Excel 2000 users?

When Excel 2000 users select Web Page format in the Save As dialog box (File menu), files are saved in HTML format. Before Excel 95 and Excel 5.0 users can open the files, they must install the HTML add-in included in the Microsoft Office Converter Pack.

Toolbox   You can install the HTML add-in from the Microsoft Office Converter Pack. For information about installing this add-in, see Microsoft Office Converter Pack.

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Why don’t the values in a converted workbook match the values in the original workbook?

Excel 2000 calculates some operators and functions in a different order from other applications. To calculate formulas by using the same rules as another application such as Lotus 1-2-3, click Options (Tools menu), and then click the Transition tab. Under Sheet options, select the Transition formula evaluation check box.

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Why are some formulas changed to text or values when a workbook is opened in Excel 2000?

When Excel 2000 opens a file created in another application, and encounters an operator or function that it cannot convert, Excel uses the result of the formula rather than the formula itself for the contents of the cell. Enter the formula again in your Excel workbook by using an equivalent operator or function.

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Can users of earlier versions of Excel view code or modify macros created in Excel 2000?

Excel 97, Excel 95, and Excel 5.0 users can’t view the code or modify macros that are digitally signed by using the Visual Basic Editor in Excel 2000. This is a new Excel 2000 security feature that is not included in other versions of Excel.

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Can users disable XLM macros?

You can disable the Auto_Open macro when you open a workbook; however, other XLM macros still run because you can’t disable them. You can disable only macros created in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

Users need to make sure that the source of a workbook is reliable before opening the workbook.

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Why can’t users of previous versions of Excel view macros in some Excel 2000 workbooks?

The macros might have been digitally signed from within the Visual Basic Editor in Excel 2000. This new security feature is not included in other versions of Excel.

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Why can’t users run a macro or load an add-in in a workbook?

If the security level for Excel 2000 is set to High, and users open a workbook or load an add-in that contains unsigned macros, the macros are disabled and users cannot run them.

Users can enable macros that are not digitally signed by changing the security level to Medium in the Security dialog box (Macro submenu on the Tools menu), closing the workbook or unloading the add-in, and then opening the workbook or loading the add-in again.

Note   Remember to change the security level back to High if you want Excel 2000 to automatically disable unsigned macros in the future.

If the security level for Excel is set to Medium or High, and you chose to disable macros because you do not trust the source of the macros, then you cannot run the macros. To run the macros, close the workbook or unload the add-in, and then open the workbook or load the add-in again. Then click Enable Macros.

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What can Excel 2000 users do if a file does not convert properly?

If a file does not convert properly, Excel 2000 users can close the file without saving it, and then open the file again by using a different converter. The original file remains unchanged until it is saved in Excel 2000.