I receive a lot of questions from students with new computers complaining that when they send document attachments, the recipient is unable to open it.  What is going on?

Simple.  The sender has Microsoft Office 2007, while the recipient is on version 2003. But it doesn’t have to be a problem.

2007’s default document format is not readable in 2003. Even file exensions are different.

App                  File Extensions
                          2003               2007

Word                 .doc                 .docx
Excel                 .xls                   .xlsx
PowerPoint         .ppt                 .pptx

To save a file in a format readable in both versions, you have two options: Saving indiviual files in the older format as needed or you can change the SAVE settings to save all files in the older format by default.

To save in the older format on a file-by-file basis:

1. Office button > Save As…
2. Select the Word 97-2003 format.
3. Name the file as you normally would.

To save ALL files by default in the 2003 format:

1. Office button > Word Options…
2. Click the Save category (at left).
   Under Save documents, click on the drop-down box for Save Files in this Format:
3. Select Word 97-2003 Document .doc
4. Click [OK].

All future documents will automatically save in a format that both versions can read.

NOTE:  Saving documents in the older version makes the newer formatting features unavailable in the document.