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Saving files in 97-2003 format in Office 2007 by default
In addition to some great new features, Microsoft introduced
XML based file formats for Word, Excel and Powerpoint 2007. However, the new formats can be the newest annoyance till the time Office 2007 is not deployed and adopted in enterprise and home users. Microsoft Office 2007 saves all the files in the XML formats by default (.docx, .xlsx, pptx extension) which are not readable by the previous versions of Office.
To ensure compatibility with older versions, you have to save the files in 97-2003 format. Trying to remember to do that everytime you create and save a document can be irritating, especially if you create a lot of documents, spreadsheets or presentations.
To avoid remembering to save the document in 97-2003 format, you can setup office so that it saves all new files in the 97-2003 format by default. However, this is not a global setting and this must be done for each of the three office applications, i.e. Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
To change the setting, click on the Office icon in the left hand top corner and click on <Application> Options (Where Application is either Word, Excel or Powerpoint). In the resulting window that is shown above, click on Save to customise the settings and in the Preserve the backup information for your documents section select Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc) from the drop down list next to Save Files in this format: option.
Once you set this option for all office applications, Office will start saving the files you create henceforth in what it calls as Compatibility Mode.
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How long do you think it will take MS to have a "Fix" to enable this on Office 2007. I say within a week of the launch date. No corporation will roll out Office 2007 with out way to set the default save as.
I don't think Microsoft will provide a "fix to enable this by default. XML based document format is the direction in which Microsoft wants (us, the customers) to move. It will be up to the individual IT departments to set this in their desktop images or via policy. If you happen to be a home user, well, just remember to save it in 97-2003 format. Good Luck.
What can I do when these settings are not saved.
I'm able to change te settings as described above. When I close Word en start it again the settings remain. BUT when I logoff from my computer and logon again the setting is back to default.
It appears to me as a Windows profile issue. If you are in an Active Directory domain, your administrator might have set a mandatory profile which will overide all your personal settings on log off.
I want to know how to do that from VBSSCRIPT... i have found how for MSWORD to save in .doc but it's look impossible for EXCEL
This work for MSWORD, i have try many other option for EXCEL... No luck
Set objWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
objWord.DefaultSaveFormat = "doc"
objWord.Quit