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You may have noticed that Microsoft Office 2007 is saving in a different format than the previous versions. This may cause compatibility issues with users of older versions of office. I believe that the new XML format is part of the :initiative to move towards Office Live, which is Microsoft’s online version of Office. Older versions of office are becoming very scarce, Dell is no longer offering OEM copies of Office bundled with their systems and retail versions are being pulled from the shelves and replaced with Office 2007. Open license copies of Office 2003 can still be purchased for now, but companies are going to have to start moving forward.

To switch Office 2007 into compatibility mode
This needs to be done for each office application.

1. Open the Office 2007 application.

2. Click the Office Button.

3. At the bottom of the menu select “Word Options” or it’s equivalent depending on which application you’re running.

4. On the left hand side of the options menu select “Save”

5. Next to “Save files in this format” click the drop down and choose Word 97-2003 or equivalent.

And your all set.

This article explains how Office switches itself out of compatibility mode.

This article explains how to set Office into compatibility mode using a registry key, which can be very useful.

There are some tips posted here on TechRepublic.