We have a file that we are trying to open (we have access to several versions
of OFFICE,n ie 2003, 2004 mac, 97...etc). The file was created in office 97,
and now, when we select the file, a Text Conversion dialog box opens. Each
version of office acts like it is a text file we are trying to import into
excel, which it is not. It is an excel originated file, .xls. It seems like
the file is curropt in some way. Any ideas on how to recover this file would
be greatly appreciated.

Try this against a copy of your file--just in case.

Try opening the file in MSWord.

I'm guessing that someone opened the .xls file in MSWord and saved it as an
MSWord file (although with a .xls extension--instead of .doc).

If that happened and you can open it in MSWord, you can copy what you see and
paste into excel--but it may be easier to find that backup and use that.

If that wasn't the problem, lots of people have said that OpenOffice has saved
their, er, files.

http://www.openoffice.org, a 60-65 meg download or a CD

David wrote:

We have a file that we are trying to open (we have access to several versions
of OFFICE,n ie 2003, 2004 mac, 97...etc). The file was created in office 97,
and now, when we select the file, a Text Conversion dialog box opens. Each
version of office acts like it is a text file we are trying to import into
excel, which it is not. It is an excel originated file, .xls. It seems like
the file is curropt in some way. Any ideas on how to recover this file would
be greatly appreciated.

--

Dave Peterson