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If your organization works with several versions of Office, use the Compatibility Checker to make sure your files can be opened in older versions.

  1. Open the file that you want to be compatible with older versions of Office.

  2. Select File > Info.

  3. Select Check for Issues > Check Compatibility.

  4. Review the list of issues found in the compatibility check.

    To open a web browser and find an explanation of an issue, select Help, if available.

    Tip: To have the Office app check for compatibility issues whenever you save the file as an earlier version, select Check compatibility when saving documents.

  5. To return to the document and fix the compatibility issues, select OK.

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Check file compatibility with earlier versions

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If you work with business partners who use an older version of Office, make sure the files you share with them are compatible.

In your app, select File.

Select Check for Issues, and then select Check Compatibility.

Office searches the file to see whether formatting, editing, and other features you’ve used will work properly in earlier versions.

The Compatibility Checker found an issue that needs to be addressed.

Some graphics in the file can’t be edited in earlier versions of the app.

Here, the summary helps you find the graphics in question.

For more details, select Help.

On this web page, you see information about how the Compatibility Checker works with the app along with your specific compatibility issue.

To fix it, follow the step-by-step solution.

Return to the file, and to the place that has the compatibility issue.

Then, follow the recommended steps.

And when you’re done, the file is ready to share with others who use an older version of Office.

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