XP compatibility with XL3

My old computer ran under Window ME but I now have a new computer running
Windows XP and have installed all my old applications and transfered 100s of
XL3 files. When I try to open one of these files it tells me its an Adobe
file. I have tried open the file with Excel 3 but I can't seem to get XP to
recognise it.

I don't want the later versions of Excel. Is the problem with XP or Adobe?

Pennington wrote:
> My old computer ran under Window ME but I now have a new computer running
> Windows XP and have installed all my old applications and transfered 100s of
> XL3 files. When I try to open one of these files it tells me its an Adobe
> file. I have tried open the file with Excel 3 but I can't seem to get XP to
> recognise it.
>
> I don't want the later versions of Excel. Is the problem with XP or Adobe?

Have you tried going to Excel's .exe properties and set it to run in
compatibility with Win 9x? Right click on the .exe in Program
Files/Properties.

Alias

Yes I tried that but it didn't have any effect. The only way I can get it to
work is if I oopen a file within Excel (File - Open etc) If I click onan
Excel file in Explorer, it thinks its an Adobe file

"Alias" wrote:

> Pennington wrote:
> > My old computer ran under Window ME but I now have a new computer running
> > Windows XP and have installed all my old applications and transfered 100s of
> > XL3 files. When I try to open one of these files it tells me its an Adobe
> > file. I have tried open the file with Excel 3 but I can't seem to get XP to
> > recognise it.
> >
> > I don't want the later versions of Excel. Is the problem with XP or Adobe?
>
> Have you tried going to Excel's .exe properties and set it to run in
> compatibility with Win 9x? Right click on the .exe in Program
> Files/Properties.
>
> Alias
>

Pennington wrote:

> Yes I tried that but it didn't have any effect. The only way I can get it to
> work is if I oopen a file within Excel (File - Open etc) If I click onan
> Excel file in Explorer, it thinks its an Adobe file
>

By convention, *.xl3 is not a registered file extension for anything.
It may be coincidental that Windows thinks that it is an Adobe file.
(Perhaps an Adobe application is the first program by alphabetical
arrangement.) In fact, IIRC, *.xl3 was a Microsoft convenience for the
MS Office apps older than Version 6.0. The normal approach would be to
open such older Excel files from within Excel itself.

Pennington wrote:
> My old computer ran under Window ME but I now have a new computer running
> Windows XP and have installed all my old applications and transfered 100s of
> XL3 files. When I try to open one of these files it tells me its an Adobe
> file. I have tried open the file with Excel 3 but I can't seem to get XP to
> recognise it.
>
> I don't want the later versions of Excel. Is the problem with XP or Adobe?


Actually, the problem is that Excel 3 is not, nor can it be made to be,
WinXP-compatible. Your options are pretty much limited to keeping WinME
& Excel 3, using WinXP and a modern version of Excel (hoping it can
import the ancient files), or kissing those files goodbye.


--

Bruce Chambers

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