PPT97: PowerPoint Opens Earlier Version Files as Read-Only

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When you open a Microsoft PowerPoint file for editing, you are actually working from a temporary copy of the original file. PowerPoint does not write over the original file until you save this temporary copy. In order to preserve the original file format of earlier versions, PowerPoint 4.0 and 7.0 open the earlier version files as read-only. This requires you to choose a new name for your file when you save it. This is particularly important if you are sharing files created in different version of PowerPoint with many people.

PowerPoint 97 handles this differently. When you open a file from an earlier version of PowerPoint, you are still working in a temporary copy of the file. The difference is that you are not prevented from saving that file in the newer format using the same original name. PowerPoint 97 provides you with the following prompt when you attempt to save the file.