Thanks so much for trying, JLatham.

To troubleshoot this issue, I have an old computer that I just installed
Office 2007 Beta 1 on. It also produced the same error. So we can assume that
the file was not created using Beta 1. This also confirms the chart below
that Ron posted- Beta 1 files can only be read by Beta 1 system.

Then I removed Beta 1 and installed what I think is Beta 2, before the
technical refresh (12.4017.-- Excel.exe dated 4/30/06) and I was able to
successfully load the one non-corrupted file. I saved it as .xls and all is
well.

The file was created in May 2006, which was before the TR for Beta 2- so we
can assume that it was created under Beta 2 (or possibly Beta 1TR). The only
variable that I cannot test is if the file was created using a Beta 1 TR-- I
do not have a copy of Beta 1 TR-- in fact, I do not remember a TR being
issued to the public. Can anyone confirm when a TR for Beta 1 was issued? And
when Beta 2 was issued?

Hopefully this may help the next person- I am getting the final product
tomorrow by attending the launch event here in Seattle.

Posted by Ron:

Files created in B1 only open in B1 & B1TR.
B1TR files only open B1TR & B2
B2 files only open in B2, B2TR & RTM
B2TR files only open in B2TR & RTM
RTM files only open in RTM

Thanks again for everyone's input.

"JLatham" wrote:

Sadly I was not able to assist with this. Hopefully someone else will come
up with another possible solution.

Burger23 sent me the two files and I attempted to open them with the current
retail version of Excel 2007.

One of the two files appears to actually be corrupted, and Excel 2007 says
it is corrupted and there is no hope of opening it.

The second file gives me the same "go back and use Beta 2 to open and save
the file" message that Burger23 is getting. Since I never had Beta 2, no
help from me there either.

I've recommended possibly setting up a VirtualPC on his machine with the
Beta 2 Excel software on it long enough to open the file, save it again,
perhaps even saving to the older .xls (excel 97-2003) format and then reading
it with his current version of Excel 2007.

If anyone else has any other recommendations or a better solution, I'm sure
he would love to hear about it.

"Burger23" wrote:

I am using Office 2007 Beta 2 with the Technical redresh installed (
version 12.0.4407.1005). I am trying to open 2 files created in 05/06 and
saved in the .xlsx format. I am getting the following error message:

"The wordbook was created in an earlier beta version of Excel 2007, and it
cannot be opned in the current version of Excel. To open the workbook, you
must first open and save it in Excel 2007 Beta 2, and then you can opn it in
the current version of Excel."

Other xlsx workbooks created after this time open fine.

Ideas...