Using xp templates in older versions (xp and lower)

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I have created a set of Excel templates in Excel XP. Some of the folk who need to use the template have older versions of Excel. When they open the template to enter data, some of the formatting does not work. Specifically, there is a ‘tick’ [check] from the character map that is needed to indicate completion for some cells. In older versions of Excel, this shows as a ‘1’ instead of the tick.
I thought that I could just open the templates and then save them as older version templates, but the only option is to save them as workbooks, not templates.

Any ideas?

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It sounds like the people that have the older versions of Excel do not have the same fonts available. You will either need to install the font needed for the ‘tick’ on those machines, or use a ‘tick’ from another font that everyone has.

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I thought about the fonts issue, but we are using arial, so I assumed that we would be ok.

What I am thinking I will need to do is open the templates using an older version, and saving them as templates in that version. XP will read backwards, and the older ones will be ok.

I was hoping that it would be easier than that.

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I don’t think the “tick” is a character in the Arial Font Set.

Are you sure you didn’t pick a different font set?

Steve

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Steve,
It is (if you use the square root symbol) in the Arial Unicode character set, but I suspect that is an OS issue rather than an Excel one.

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I stand (or more properly, sit in front of my computer) corrected. A square root could indeed be used as a “tick” and it is in the arial set.

Steve

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Thanks for the input.

Yes, I am using the square root symbol – it looked like a tick to me, and suited the purpose.

I don’t know what operating systems the others are using, so I’ll follow that thought when I am troubleshooting further.

Thanks for the pointers.

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Thanks for the input.

Yes, I am using the square root symbol – it looked like a tick to me, and suited the purpose.

I don’t know what operating systems the others are using, so I’ll follow that thought when I am troubleshooting further.

Thanks for the pointers.

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I stand (or more properly, sit in front of my computer) corrected. A square root could indeed be used as a “tick” and it is in the arial set.

Steve

Reply | Quote

Steve,
It is (if you use the square root symbol) in the Arial Unicode character set, but I suspect that is an OS issue rather than an Excel one.

Reply | Quote

I don’t think the “tick” is a character in the Arial Font Set.

Are you sure you didn’t pick a different font set?

Steve

Reply | Quote

I thought about the fonts issue, but we are using arial, so I assumed that we would be ok.

What I am thinking I will need to do is open the templates using an older version, and saving them as templates in that version. XP will read backwards, and the older ones will be ok.

I was hoping that it would be easier than that.

Reply | Quote

It sounds like the people that have the older versions of Excel do not have the same fonts available. You will either need to install the font needed for the ‘tick’ on those machines, or use a ‘tick’ from another font that everyone has.

Reply | Quote