Help Line: Old Excel doesn't work with the new
By JAY LEE
Q: I recently bought a new Dell computer. I am running Windows XP Home Edition as the operating system.
I installed Excel 5.0 but can't open Excel files sent to me over the Internet that contain sales data from my branch office.
Each time I try to open a file followed by .xls, I get an error message that says, "File format is not valid." Can you help me with this problem?
A: Excel 5.0 is a very old version of the application. Chances are your office is using a newer version of Excel to generate spreadsheets. Documents created in the newer versions are usually not compatible with older versions.
The reason for this is that the newer versions compose documents with features that did not exist previously.
You will need to upgrade your version of Microsoft Excel.
Q: Before downloading the very large Windows upgrade file last year, we enjoyed seeing our grandchildren live online using Net Meeting and a Logitech camera. We are no longer able to make a connection. Can anything be done?
A: I have to assume that the very large Windows upgrade you installed was XP SP2.
Many computer users do not realize that Windows XP SP2 comes with security software known as a firewall and that when SP2 is installed, this firewall is automatically turned on.
In order to use Net Meeting with SP2 you must go into the firewall settings and make an exception for Net Meeting.
This will allow you to hook up with your camera and see your grandchildren again using this program.
The step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish this are outlined in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 878451 at support.microsoft.com.
Another option would be to disable the XP firewall altogether. If you are using some other security software or have a router in place, this should be acceptable. To turn off the firewall in XP SP2 go to the Control Panel and open the Security Center icon. Click on the Windows Firewall icon and select "Off (not recom-
mended)," and then click OK.
Microsoft is really downplaying Net Meeting these days. It is fairly outdated and lacking in features.
Look into using the new Yahoo Instant Messenger or some other mainstream chat client. They all seem to support video and audio these days.
Q: My computer is running Windows XP. I cannot seem to open zip files. On other computers I have worked with that have XP installed, a zip file shows up as a folder with a zipper on it. I can double-click that folder and see the files in the archive. How can I make this happen on my own PC?
A: Windows XP has the ability to manage compressed files known as zip files, and this ability is built into the operating system. This alleviates the need to use programs like WinZip or other third-party applications.
I have seen many XP machines that seem to have a problem with this capability. I have corrected this by restoring the compressed file association with XP.
Click on Start and then Run. In the Run box type in regsvr32 %windir%\system32\zipfldr.dll and you will then be able
to work with zip files just like on the other XP machines you use.
HoustonChronicle.com - Help Line: Old Excel doesn't work with the newHoustonChronicle.com - Help Line: Old Excel doesn't work with the new
Q: I recently bought a new Dell computer. I am running Windows XP Home Edition as the operating system.
I installed Excel 5.0 but can't open Excel files sent to me over the Internet that contain sales data from my branch office.
Each time I try to open a file followed by .xls, I get an error message that says, "File format is not valid." Can you help me with this problem?
A: Excel 5.0 is a very old version of the application. Chances are your office is using a newer version of Excel to generate spreadsheets. Documents created in the newer versions are usually not compatible with older versions.
The reason for this is that the newer versions compose documents with features that did not exist previously.
You will need to upgrade your version of Microsoft Excel.
Q: Before downloading the very large Windows upgrade file last year, we enjoyed seeing our grandchildren live online using Net Meeting and a Logitech camera. We are no longer able to make a connection. Can anything be done?
A: I have to assume that the very large Windows upgrade you installed was XP SP2.
Many computer users do not realize that Windows XP SP2 comes with security software known as a firewall and that when SP2 is installed, this firewall is automatically turned on.
In order to use Net Meeting with SP2 you must go into the firewall settings and make an exception for Net Meeting.
This will allow you to hook up with your camera and see your grandchildren again using this program.
The step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish this are outlined in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 878451 at support.microsoft.com.
Another option would be to disable the XP firewall altogether. If you are using some other security software or have a router in place, this should be acceptable. To turn off the firewall in XP SP2 go to the Control Panel and open the Security Center icon. Click on the Windows Firewall icon and select "Off (not recom-
mended)," and then click OK.
Microsoft is really downplaying Net Meeting these days. It is fairly outdated and lacking in features.
Look into using the new Yahoo Instant Messenger or some other mainstream chat client. They all seem to support video and audio these days.
Q: My computer is running Windows XP. I cannot seem to open zip files. On other computers I have worked with that have XP installed, a zip file shows up as a folder with a zipper on it. I can double-click that folder and see the files in the archive. How can I make this happen on my own PC?
A: Windows XP has the ability to manage compressed files known as zip files, and this ability is built into the operating system. This alleviates the need to use programs like WinZip or other third-party applications.
I have seen many XP machines that seem to have a problem with this capability. I have corrected this by restoring the compressed file association with XP.
Click on Start and then Run. In the Run box type in regsvr32 %windir%\system32\zipfldr.dll and you will then be able
to work with zip files just like on the other XP machines you use.
HoustonChronicle.com - Help Line: Old Excel doesn't work with the newHoustonChronicle.com - Help Line: Old Excel doesn't work with the new
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