Graphics, object, or ActiveX control compatibility issues

The Compatibility Checker found one or more compatibility issues related to graphics, objects, or
ActiveX controls.

Important Before you continue saving the workbook to an earlier file format, you should address
issues that cause a significant loss of functionality so that you can prevent permanent loss of data or
incorrect functionality.

Issues that cause a minor loss of fide lity might or might not have to be resolved before you continue
saving the workbook — data or functionality is not lost, but the workbook might not look or work
exactly the same way when you open it in an earlier version of Microsoft Excel.

For more information about the Compatibility Checker, see Use Office Excel 2010 with earlier versions of
Excel.

In this article

Issues that cause a significant loss of functionality

Issues that cause a minor loss of fidelity

Issues that cause a significant loss of functionality

Issue Solution

What it means In Excel 2010 and Excel 2007, you can use
special effects, such as transparent shadows that are not
supported in Excel 97-2003. The special effects will be removed.

Also, in Excel 2010 and Excel 2007, when you insert text in a
Any effects on this object will be
shape that is wider than the shape, the text displays across the
removed. Any text that overflows the
boundaries of the shape. In Excel 97-2003, this text is truncated.
boundaries of this graphic will appear
To avoid truncated text, you can adjust the size of the shape for
clipped.
a better fit.

What to do In the Compatibility Checker, click Find to locate

the objects that have special effects applied so that you can
remove those effects as needed.

What it means Embedded objects that are created in Excel

2010 and Excel 2007 cannot be edited in Excel 97-2003.
This object will no longer be editable.
What to do In the Compatibility Checker, click Find to locate
the objects that contain text that will not be editable, and then
Issue Solution

make the necessary changes.

What it means If a workbook contains ActiveX controls that

are considered to be Unsafe for Initialization (UFI), they are lost
Uninitialized ActiveX controls cannot when you save the workbook to an earlier Excel file format. You
be transferred to the selected file may want to mark those controls as Safe for Initialization (SFI).
format. The controls will be lost if you What to do If you open a workbook that contains uninitialized
continue. ActiveX controls, and the workbook is set to high security, you
must first use the Message Bar to enable them before they can
be initialized.

What it means In Excel 2010, you can display text boxes on

objects such as shapes and display the text beyond the
boundaries of those objects. In Excel 2007 and Excel 97-2003,
One or more objects in this workbook text that overflows the boundaries of an object will not be
such as shapes, WordArt, or text boxes visible.
may allow text to overflow the object
boundaries. Earlier versions of Excel do What to do In the Compatibility Checker, click Find to locate
not recognize this option and will hide the text box that contains text that overflows the boundaries of
overflowing text. the shape, and then make the necessary changes to keep the
text within the boundaries, and then turn the option to overflow
text off (Right-click the shape, Format Shape, Text Box category,
Allow text to overflow shape check box).

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Issues that cause a minor loss of fidelity

Issue Solution

This workbook contains Textboxes with
text formatting not available in earlier
versions of Excel. The text in the
Textboxes will appear differently in the
earlier versions of Excel.
What it means In Excel 2010, you can use use a text box on
objects such as shapes that displays more than one column of
text. In Excel 97-2003, the text will be displayed but in a
different format.
What to do In the Compatibility Checker, click Find to locate
the text box that displays more than one columns of text, and
then make the necessary changes to display the text in one
column only (Right-click the shape, Format Shape, Text Box
category, Columns button).
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Applies To: Excel 2010