How to save files in other formats in Excel 2002

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This article was previously published under Q291064

Summary

This article explains how to save Microsoft Excel files in different formats, and provides additional information to consider when you save files.

How to Save a File in a Different Format

By default, Excel saves files in the Microsoft Excel Workbook format. Files saved in this format cannot be opened in versions of Excel earlier than Microsoft Excel 97 or in other spreadsheet programs.

NOTE: Excel 97 can open workbooks saved in Excel 2002; however, any features that are exclusive to Excel 2002 may not function or be available in Excel 97.

To save a file in a different format, follow these steps:

Open the workbook that you want to save.
On the File menu, click Save As.
In the Save as type list, select the file format that you want to use.
If necessary, change the name of the file, and then click Save.

NOTE: If the file format does not support multiple sheets, you may receive the following warning message:

The selected file type does not support workbooks that contain multiple sheets.

If the file format does not support multiple sheets, make sure that you save the other sheets in your workbook before you close it. Otherwise, some of your work may be lost. The easiest way to save your entire workbook is to save it in the Microsoft Excel Workbook format.

What File Formats Are Available?

You can save files in any of the following formats:

   Format                                 Extension    Notes
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   Microsoft Excel Workbook               .xls         1
   Web Page                               .htm, .html  2
   Template                               .xlt         2
   Formatted Text (Space delimited)       .prn         3
   Text (Tab delimited)                   .txt         3
   Unicode Text                           .txt         3
   Microsoft Excel 97-2002&5.0/95 Workbook.xls         5
   CSV (Comma delimited)                  .csv         3
   WK4 (1-2-3)                            .wk4         7
   WK3,FM3 (1-2-3)                        .wk3, .fm3   7
   WK3 (1-2-3)                            .wk3         7
   WK1,FMT (1-2-3)                        .wk1, .fmt   8
   WK1,ALL (1-2-3)                        .wk1, .all   8
   WK1 (1-2-3)                            .wk1         8
   WKS (1-2-3)                            .wks         8
   WQ1 (Quattro Pro/DOS)                  .wq1         8
   DBF 4 (dBASE IV)                       .dbf         8
   DBF 3 (dBASE III)                      .dbf         8
   DBF 2 (dBASE II)                       .dbf         8
   Text (Macintosh)                       .txt         9
   Text (MS-DOS)                          .txt         9
   CSV (Macintosh)                        .csv         9
   CSV (MS-DOS)                           .csv         9
   DIF (Data Interchange Format)          .dif         3
   SYLK (Symbolic Link)                   .slk         3
   Microsoft Excel Add-In                 .xla         10
   Microsoft Excel Workspace              .xlw         11
   Web Archive                            .mht, .mhtml 12
   XML Spreadsheet                        .xml         13

Explanation of Notes Column in Preceding Table

The default file format. The entire workbook is saved in this format.
The entire workbook is saved in this format.
Only the active sheet is saved. This format is available only for worksheets and macro sheets.
The entire workbook, except for UserForms, class modules, and code behind sheets is saved.
The entire workbook is saved, twice, into a single file.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
214237� Using Excel 2000 files with earlier versions of Excel
211483� Read-onlyrecommended when you open Excel 97-2000 & 5.0/95 file format
All worksheets, macro sheets, and charts are saved into the file. Modules, dialog sheets, UserForms, class modules, and code behind sheets are not saved in this format.
All worksheets and charts are saved into the file. All other types of sheets are not saved in this format.
Only the active worksheet is saved. This format is available only for worksheets.
Only the active sheet is saved. Choose the appropriate operating system (Macintosh, OS/2, MS-DOS) to ensure that the text file uses the correct combination of tab characters, line breaks, carriage returns, and other characters.
The entire workbook is saved.

For more information about how to create add-ins, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
211563� How to create an add-in file in Excel 2000
To save an Excel Workspace, click Save Workspace on the File menu.
The entire workbook is saved in this format. Must have Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later to view Web Archive file.
For a list of features and limitations of the XML Spreadsheet Format in Excel 2002, see the following Microsoft Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/articles/xlFeaturesLimitationXmlSpread.aspx

How to Set a Different Default File Format

Although the default file format is Microsoft Excel Workbook, you can set a different default file format. To do this, follow these steps:

On the Tools menu, click Options.
Click the Transition tab.
In the Save Excel files as list, select the default file format that you want.
Click OK.

When you save a file by using the Save As command, the new default file format is selected. Note that you can override this new default by selecting another file format in the Save as type list.

How Can I See this Information in Help?

To see the preceding information in Excel Help, follow these steps:

Click the Office Assistant if it is visible. Otherwise, click the Office Assistant tool on the standard toolbar.
Type the following question, and then press ENTER:How can I save a file in a different format?

In the Help balloon that appears, there are a number of buttons:

Click File format converters supplied with Microsoft Excel to read about the different file formats included with Excel.

For more information about file format converters supplied with Excel, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type file format converters supplied with Microsoft Excel in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.
Click Change the default file format for saving workbooks for information about changing the default file format.

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