Appendix A – Interacting with Various Excel Versions – Intro to Excel 2016



Workbook Specifications and Limits

You do this: Excel does this: Further action to take:
You open a workbook that was created with Excel 97-2003 *Excel opens the workbook in compatibility mode and keeps it in Excel 97-2003 file format (*.xls) Keep working in compatibility mode if you’re sharing the workbook with people who don’t have Excel 2016. **If you’re not sharing the workbook, convert it to the Excel 2007-2016 file format (*.xlsx) to take advantage of Excel 2016 features (Using the Backstage View)
You save your workbook as an Excel 2016 file Excel saves the workbook in the Excel 2007-2016 file format (*.xlsx) so you can take advantage of Excel 2016 features. If you plan to share this workbook with people who use an earlier version of Excel, check the workbook for compatibility issues(click File>Info>Check for issues
You save your workbook as an Excel 97-2003 file. Excel automatically checks the file for compatibility issues and shows them for any new Excel 2016 features you used. Assess any compatibility issues and resolve them before you share the workbook