Exchanging files between previous releases of Microsoft Office and the 2007 Microsoft Office release

Microsoft has added new file formats to Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 to reduce file size, improve security and reliability, and enhance integration with external sources. To help ensure that you can exchange documents between Microsoft Office releases, Microsoft has developed a Compatibility Pack for the Office Word, Office Excel, and Office PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.

The Open XML Formats usher in a new era of openness and transparency for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Solution developers can take advantage of a host of new integration opportunities to connect documents to important sources of information. Learn more about the Open XML Formats.

Installing the Compatibility Pack

By installing the Compatibility Pack along side of Microsoft Office XP, or Office 2003, you will be able open, edit, save, and create files using the Open XML Formats new to the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Office 2000 users, as well as users of Windows 2000 SP4 and later, can convert Open XML Formats to binary file formats from within Windows Explorer.

• Windows users, Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003 users: Download the Compatibility Pack.

Resources

Open XML Formats Developer Community
OpenXMLDeveloper.org is a free community to discuss and exchange ideas regarding the development of solutions for the Open XML Formats.

MSDN Online
Learn about XML in Microsoft Office on MSDN. At this site, you will find technical articles, code samples, developer documentation, and multimedia presentations on working with XML in Microsoft Office.

TechNet
IT Professionals can learn about the 2007 Microsoft Office system, as well as discover resources and communities for Microsoft Office applications.