Saving a Workbook in a New Format

You may wish to save a workbook in a different format. For instance, if you know the workbook will be used on a computer with an earlier version of Excel, you should save the file in a file format compatible with that version. In this case, you must change the format of the document before you save it.



To save a workbook with a different format:

  1. Click Save As... on the File menu.
  2. Click the arrow in the Save as type: box below the File name: box.
  3. Scroll down the list of file formats until you find the one you want and select it.
  4. Click the Save button in the Save As dialog box.


Notice that the extension on the file name in the File name: box automatically changes once you change the format. Only files of that type will appear in the large file list box.

The most common file formats to save as are:

  • Text file formats to allow Excel data to be read by a variety of programs. The most common text file format is Text (tab delimited)(*.txt).
  • Previous versions of Excel to allow users with older versions of Excel to read the data. You can save as a worksheet (*.xls) or workbook (*.xlw) for versions of Excel as old as version 2.1.
  • Other spreadsheet program formats including 1-2-3 and Quattro Pro.

You can also use the Save As dialog box to save the workbook with a new name:

  1. Click Save As... on the File menu.
  2. Click in the File name: box.
  3. Type in the new file name.
  4. Click the Save button in the Save As dialog box.