Compatibility with Various Versions of MS Excel

MITCalc supports a range of versions of Microsoft Excel. Although Microsoft claims that documents saved in various versions of Excel are mutually compatible, this is not entirely true. In the cases of some Excel versions (mainly Excel 2010), damage may occur to the control elements located in hidden areas (buttons, lists, drop-down lists, graphs, etc.) when saving the calculation. Moreover, everything is dependant upon the version of the operating system, the Excel version, the presence of multiple Office versions or Office upgrades, and whether you are opening a calculation saved in a different Excel version (e.g. submission of the calculation to a colleague, transfer of one calculation between different computers, etc.).

Luckily, this damage does not affect formulas and calculated values. The results of calculations are still correct!. However, inserted control elements in hidden areas (buttons, lists, select lists, graphs etc.) may be slightly shifted and dimensionally modified during saving.

This is why we have prepared two installations. The first contains calculations in the *.xls format and is intended for Excel 2000/XP/2003 and 2007 (can also be used in Excel 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel 365). The second installation contains calculations in the *.xlsb format and is intended for Excel 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel 365. You should use the installation package which works for your version of Excel.

Caution: The combination of Excel 2010 and the *.xls format is worth mentioning. This combination results in irreparable damage to the control elements. For Excel 2010, we therefore strongly recommend use of an installation that includes *.xlsb format calculations.

Useful hint: If you transfer calculations between various Excel versions (e.g. submission to a colleague), we recommend using the function 'Save a copy for a different version of Office', which you can find in the Settings list.