Open a file saved in file formats used by previous versions.

X

X

X

Convert a file from 2007 Office system to a previous version using Save As.

X

X

X

Set the application default to save using the file formats from previous versions of Office.

X

X

X

Create a new document based on a .dot template (available in previous versions of Office).

X

Math

Equation building is new to Office Word 2007.

Equations are represented as non-editable images. These images are refreshed when the document is converted. The Equations UI is disabled in compatibility mode.

Themes

Themes are new to Office Word 2007.

Themes are permanently converted to styles. The Themes UI is disabled in compatibility mode.

Colors (Theme Chunk)

Themes are new to Office Word 2007.

Themes are permanently converted to styles. The Themes UI is disabled in compatibility mode.

Font (Theme Chunk)

Themes are new to Office Word 2007.

Themes are permanently converted to styles. The Themes UI is disabled in compatibility mode.

Effects (Theme Chunk)

Themes are new to Office Word 2007.

Themes are permanently converted to styles. The Themes UI is disabled in compatibility mode.

Content Controls

Content controls are new to Office Word 2007.

Content controls are permanently converted to static text. The Content Controls UI is disabled in compatibility mode.

Tracked Moves

Tracked moves are new to Office Word 2007.

Tracked moves are permanently converted to "Insert" and "Delete."

Major/Minor Fonts

Major/minor fonts are new to Office Word 2007.

Major and minor fonts are permanently converted to static formatting.

Relative Text Boxes

The ability to set the position of a text box relative to some part of a document. Relative text boxes are new to Office Word 2007.

Relative positioning of text boxes is permanently converted to absolute positioning.

Margin Tabs

Margin tabs are new to Office Word 2007.

Margin tabs are permanently converted to absolutely defined tabs.

Bibliography

New to Office Word 2007.

Bibiliographies are permanently converted to static text.

Citations

New to Office Word 2007.

Citations are permanently converted to static text.

Placeholder text

New to Office Word 2007..

Placeholder text is permanently converted to static text.

Office Art 2007

Office Art engine is improved upon in the 2007 Office system.

All Office Art 2007 objects are converted to Office 97–2003 objects. These objects are refreshed when the document is converted. When a user selects SmartArt in Office Word 2007, the Diagram Gallery from Word 2003 appears.

SmartArt Diagram

Some diagrams are new to the 2007 Office system.

Diagrams in the 2007 Office system are converted to non-editable images. When the document is converted, these images are refreshed to 2007 Office system again. When a user selects SmartArt in Office Word 2007, the Diagram Gallery from Word 2003 appears.

Custom XML Data store

New to the Open XML Formats, custom-defined XML information can be stored as a separate component within the Open XML Formats, to help organizations include content from their own data sources, using their own languages.

The XML data store is removed during conversion, and XML data and content within XML bindings are permanently converted to text.

Vertical Text Box Alignment

Vertical text box alignment of center or bottom are new to Office Word 2007.

Vertical text box alignment of center or bottom is permanently converted to top vertical text box alignment.

Office Charts

Charts can now exist as native objects in Office Word 2007.

Office charts are converted to Excel OLE objects. These objects are refreshed when the document is converted back to 2007 full functionality mode. When a user selects Charts in Office Word 2007, the Diagram Gallery from Word 2003 appears.

ActiveX

Active X controls can be added to Word documents to deliver enhanced functionality.

Disabled ActiveX controls are converted to their image representation when saved to a downlevel file type or opened in a downlevel application verison through the converter.

Sheet exceeds limit for cross-sheet array formulas.

Excel 2000–2003 allows up to 65,472 cross-sheet array formulas. Excel 2007 removes this limitation.

Formulas over the Excel 2000–2003 limit return #VALUE.

Cell with a formula that exceeds internal length limit

Excel 2000–2003 allows up to 1800 bytes in BIFF8 internal representation. Excel 2007 allows up to 16,384 bytes.

Formulas over the Excel 2000–2003 limit return #VALUE.

Cell with a formula that exceeds nesting level limit

Excel 2000–2003 allows up to 7 levels of nesting. Excel 2007 allows up to 255 levels of nesting.

Formulas over the Excel 2000–2003 limit return #VALUE.

Cell with a formula that exceeds limit for arguments in a function

Excel 2000–2003 allows up to 30 arguments. Excel 2007 allows up to 255 arguments.

Formulas over the Excel 2000–2003 limit return #VALUE.

Cell formula contains more than 40 operands.

Excel 2000–2003 allows up to 40 operands. Excel 2007 allows up to 1024 operands.

Formulas over the Excel 2000–2003 limit return #VALUE.

PivotTable with only intermediate levels hidden

Excel 2000–2003 hides levels all the way up to the top.

Excel 2007 allows hiding just an intermediate level.

Pivot saved as static data.

Workbook contains cells with data outside 256 x 65,536.

Excel 2000–2003 grid size is 256 x 65,536. Excel 2007 grid size is 18,278 x 1,048,576.

Data outside the the Excel 2000–2003 grid size is truncated.

Cell with more than 3 conditional formats

Excel 2000–2003 allows 3 conditions per cell. Excel 2007 allows 20 conditions per cell.

Conditions exceeding the Excel 2000–2003 limit are not displayed.

Cell with a data bar, color scale, or icon set condition type.

Excel 2000–2003 has no data bar, color scale, or icon set conditions. Excel 2007 has these conditions.

Unsupported conditions are not displayed.

Cell with a condition where StopIfTrue=False

Excel 2000–2003 always stops after a condition is true. Excel 2007 does not stop when StopIfTrue = False.

Stop after first true condition.

Cell with a conditional expression that references another sheet

Excel 2000–2003 does not allow cross-sheet cell references in conditional expressions. Excel 2007 allows this.

Condition is not evaluated.

Cell with a Top10 or AboveAverage rule where CalcFor =! AllValues

Excel 2000–2003 has no option to perform multiple calculations per Pivot “block.” Excel 2007 offers these options.

Condition is evaluated as if CalcFor = AllValues.

Workbook contains more than 4050 unique cell formats.

Note: This check looks at the whole workbook, not just the formats used in the 256 x 65,536 range.

Excel 2000–2003 allows up to 4050 unique cell formats/styles. Excel 2007 allows up to 64k unique cell formats/styles.

Unique formats exceeding the Excel 2000–2003 limit are not persisted.

List contains a Total Row with a custom formula.

Excel 2000–2003 Total Rows must contain one of a list of predefined functions. Excel 2007 Total Rows allow user-defined formulas.

List saved as static data.

PivotTable field contains more than 32,500 unique items.

Excel 2000–2003 allows up to 32,500 unique items in a Pivot field. Excel 2007 increases this limit to 1,048,576.

Pivot saved as static data.

PivotTable item has string length greater than 255 characters.

Excel 2000–2003 allows item string length (MDX name in OLAP) up to 255 characters. Excel 2007 increases this limit to 32,767.

Pivot saved as static data.

Refedit contains more than 255 characters.

Excel 2000–2003 refedits allow up to 255 characters. Excel 2007 refedits allow between 2k and 8k characters.

In some cases, refedit works but user cannot see whole formula. In other cases, the feature does not work.

Cell with an array formula that references an entire column

Excel 2000–2003 does not allow column references (returns #NUM). Excel 2007 allows column references.

Formulas evaluate to #NUM.

Sort state with more than 3 sort levels

Excel 2000–2003 only supports 3 sort levels. Excel 2007 supports 64 sort levels.

Sort state will be lost.

User has a custom list sort.

Excel 2000–2003 only supports one custom list filter on the first column only. Excel 2007 supports many custom list sorts on any column.

Sort state will be lost.

User has a sort state that uses formatting.

Excel 2000–2003 only allows sorting on values. Excel 2007 also allows sorting on cell background color, cell foreground color, and cell icons.

Sort state will be lost.

User has a dynamic filter applied.

Excel 2000–2003 only supports value filters. Excel 2007 supports dynamic filters for items such as “today” and “last month.”

Filters will not be viewable, but the filtered rows will remain hidden.

User has a filter that filters by formatting.

Excel 2000–2003 only supports value filters. Excel 2007 supports filtering by cell background color, cell foreground color, and cell icon.

Filters will not be viewable, but the filtered rows will remain hidden.

User selects multiple items from the autofilter listview.

Excel 2000–2003 only supports filtering by 2 conditions. Excel 2007 allows the user to check multiple items from a list view control, which creates multiple sort conditions.

Filters will not be viewable, but the filtered rows will remain hidden.

Strikethrough, Double Strikethrough, and Text Underline

Strikethrough, Double Strikethrough text formatting

Converted to a picture. Since these features were not available in previous versions, any text containing this type of formatting is converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for strikerthrough, double strikethrough, and text underline is disabled in compatibility mode.

Text Warping

The ability to morph the shape of a character or a run of text to a specified shape.

Converted to a picture. Since this feature was not available in previous versions, any text containing this type of formatting is converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode.

Character Spacing

The ability to either condense or expand the space that appears between consecutive characters.

Character spacing on text will not display in Office 2003.

Columns

The ability to have text reflow into multiple columns within a single text body.

Converted to a picture. Since this feature was not available in previous versions, any text organized into columns is converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for columns is disabled in compatibility mode.

Shadow

The ability to add a drop-shadow effect to a shape or object in the presentation.  Soft shadows create the illusion of depth.

New soft shadows will be converted into an equivalent hard-edged shadow when the presentation is opened in a prior release of PowerPoint. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode. 

Presets Gallery

See Bevel Gallery.

Bevel Gallery

The ability to add depth to a shape using 3D Effects.

Converted to a picture. The Bevel Gallery is introduced into PowerPoint for the first time with this release. Any shapes using a Bevel Effect are converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode.

3D Rotation

The ability to add a perspective effect that makes an object appear to be tilted or rotated in 3-dimensional space.

Converted to a picture. Since this feature was not available in previous versions, any object using this type of formatting is converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode.

Soft Edges

The ability to add a soft edges effect that gradually fades the boundaries of a graphic outward. This is a new effect in the 2007 Office system.

Converted to a picture. Since this feature was not available in previous versions, any object using this type of formatting is converted into a static picture when opened in a previous version. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode.

Glow

The ability to add a glow effect that adds a vibrant colored edge to graphics. This is a new effect in the 2007 Office system.

Converted to a picture. Since this feature was not available in previous versions, any object using this type of formatting is converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode.

Reflection

The ability to add a mirror reflection of an object. This is a new effect in Office 2007.

Converted to a picture. Since this feature was not available in previous versions, any object using this type of formatting is converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode.

Text Direction

The ability to lay out characters in a language-specific configuration, such as vertically stacked.

Converted to a picture. Since this feature was not available in previous versions, any text using this type of formatting is converted into a static picture when opened in a prior release. This ensures that the file looks the same in both releases, so that no intended meaning is lost in conversion. The UI for shape styles, 3D effects, and text effects is disabled in compatibility mode.