In this article

to identify potential losses of functionality when you save your Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation in the file format of an earlier version of PowerPoint. This document contains messages that the Compatibility Checker generates. Use the information under each message to see what causes the message to appear and suggestions about what action to take.

There are two different types of Compatibility Checker messages. In the more common case, you will lose edit functionality only when opening the file in a earlier version of PowerPoint. For example, if you save a presentation with a SmartArt graphic to a earlier version of PowerPoint format, and then open that file in an earlier version of PowerPoint, the SmartArt graphic will be changed to a picture. However if you open the file again in Office PowerPoint, without making any edits to that SmartArt graphic picture, you can continue editing your SmartArt graphic. These types of messages have "in earlier versions of PowerPoint" in them. In the second case you will permanently lose functionality. For example, if you have modified the placeholder text on a custom layout, that placeholder text will be permanently lost.

You cannot edit some Office PowerPoint content in earlier versions of PowerPoint. For example, shapes and text with new effects are converted to pictures (bitmaps ) in earlier versions of PowerPoint to ensure that they look the same in a presentation. As a result, you cannot change the line width, fill color, or other aspects of the shapes and text. Also, once the text is turned into a bitmap, any animations on that text will not display during the presentation.

Tip If you want to modify a SmartArt graphic, a shape, or other objects in your Office PowerPoint presentation, save a copy of your Office PowerPoint presentation, and then save the copy as a PowerPoint 97-2003 file. By doing so, you can make changes to your original Office PowerPoint presentation if your SmartArt graphics, shapes, or other objects are converted to pictures when you save the presentation in the file format of an earlier version.

"The shape can no longer be edited, although any text in it can be edited when using earlier versions of PowerPoint."

To maintain the visual appearance of your shape, some effects are converted to images that are used as the fill for the shape. You can still edit any text because the text appears on top of these images.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

A shape with one or more of the following effects: reflection, glow, bevel, soft edges, 3-D rotation, or fills (gradient, picture, and texture).

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The shape and any text in it cannot be edited when using earlier versions of PowerPoint."

To maintain the visual appearance of your shape, the shape and any text in that shape is converted to an image that you cannot edit in earlier versions of PowerPoint.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

Text with one or more of the following effects: reflection, glow, bevel, shadow (inner or perspective), warping transform, 3-D rotation, text outlines, or fills (gradient, picture, and texture).

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Strikethrough or double strikethrough text, columns of text, text indented levels 6 - 9, or vertical text.

Remove these by using the buttons in either the Font group or Paragraph group on the Home tab.

A shape with one or more of the following effects: reflection, glow, bevel, soft edges, 3-D rotation, or fills (gradient, picture, and texture).

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"The grouped shapes and any text in it cannot be edited when using earlier versions of PowerPoint."

To maintain the visual appearance of your grouped shapes, your grouped shapes are converted to an image that you cannot edit in earlier versions of PowerPoint.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

Grouped shapes with one or more of the following effects applied to all shapes: reflection, glow, bevel, soft edges, 3-D rotation, or fills (gradient, picture, and texture).

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"The SmartArt graphic and any text in it cannot be edited when using earlier versions of PowerPoint."

To maintain the visual appearance of your SmartArt graphic, your SmartArt graphic is converted to an image that you cannot edit in earlier versions of PowerPoint.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

A SmartArt graphic.

SmartArt graphics are converted to a single object that cannot be edited in versions of PowerPoint earlier than Office PowerPoint. However, you can , which can then be modified by using earlier versions of PowerPoint. Note that once you convert the SmartArt graphic to individual shapes, functionality on the SmartArt Tools tabs is no longer available.

"The table and any text in it cannot be edited when using earlier versions of PowerPoint."

To maintain the visual appearance of your table, your table is converted to an image that you cannot edit in an earlier version of PowerPoint.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

A table with WordArt in the cells.

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A table with one or more of the following effects: reflection, cell bevel, shadow, or fills (gradient, picture, and texture).

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"Any effects on the shape are removed when using earlier versions of PowerPoint."

When you add an effect to a shape that causes the converted image to be larger than 30 megabytes (MB), this message appears.

The message appears because your shape contains Solution to try

A shape with one or more of the following effects: reflection, glow, bevel, soft edges, 3-D rotation, or fills (gradient, picture, and texture).

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"Any effects on the grouped shapes are removed in earlier versions of PowerPoint."

To maintain the visual appearance of your grouped shapes, your grouped shapes are converted to an image that you cannot edit in earlier versions of PowerPoint and any effects are removed.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

Grouped shapes with one or more of the following effects applied to all shapes: reflection, glow, bevel, soft edges, 3-D rotation, or fills (gradient, picture, and texture).

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"Any document-specific customizations added to the Quick Access Toolbar and other custom UI is lost if saved."

You might receive this message if your presentation contains a customized Quick Access Toolbar, custom user interface parts that are not supported in versions of PowerPoint earlier than Office PowerPoint, or both. These custom features will not be available in earlier versions of PowerPoint.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

One or more buttons added to the Quick Access Toolbar specific to this presentation.

A customized interface.

Because the Ribbon user interface in Office PowerPoint is very different from the menus and toolbars in earlier versions of PowerPoint, any customizations that were made in Office PowerPoint are not available in earlier versions of PowerPoint.

In earlier versions of PowerPoint, you can add similar custom commands to toolbars and menus.

"A chart in this document may contain data in cells outside of the row and column limit of the selected file format. Data beyond 256 (IV) columns by 65,536 rows cannot be saved."

In Microsoft Office Excel, the worksheet size is 16,384 columns by 1,048,576 rows, but the worksheet size of earlier versions of Excel is only 256 columns by 65,536 rows. Data in cells outside of this column and row limit is lost in earlier versions of Excel. Formula references to data in this region will return a #REF! error.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

A chart created from data in cells outside of the row and column limit of the selected file format.

In the Office Excel 2007Compatibility Checker, click Find to locate the cells and ranges that fall outside of the row and column limits, select them, and then place them within the column and row limits or on another sheet by using the Cut and Paste commands.

"Code associated with objects on custom layout is removed if saved."

When you save an Office PowerPoint presentation that contains a custom layout with one or more ActiveX controls as a PowerPoint 97-2003 presentation (.ppt), this message appears.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

One or more ActiveX controls added to a custom layout.

If your presentation does not include code, click Continue.

If your presentation includes code, click Cancel.

Notes:

"Customized prompt text in custom layouts is removed in earlier versions of PowerPoint."

When you save a presentation that contains a custom layout with customized prompt text, this message appears.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

A custom layout with customized prompt text.

Delete the customized prompt text from the custom layout.

In Slide Master view, select the custom text inside the placeholder, and then delete it. The default placeholder text will return once the custom text is deleted.

"Animation applied to placeholders on custom layouts is removed if saved."

When you add an animation effect to a placeholder on a custom layout, this message appears.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

An animation effect added to a placeholder on a custom layout.

Delete the animation effect from the placeholder by doing the following:

  1. In Slide Master view, select the placeholder.
  2. On the Animations tab, in the Animations group, click Custom Animation.
  3. In the Custom Animation task pane, click Remove.

"Animations on uneditable shapes may be removed when using earlier versions of PowerPoint."

When you apply certain animation effects to shapes, and then save your presentation in the file format of an earlier version of PowerPoint, your animations may not be seen. This is because the animation is on text or a shape that has been turned into a picture.

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

An animation effect applied to a shape that will become uneditable.

Delete the animation by doing the following:

  1. Click the shape that contains the animation that you want to delete.
  2. On the Animations tab, in the Animations group, in the Animate list, select No Animation.

"Uninitialized ActiveX controls are converted to static objects if saved."

When you save a presentation that contains an uninitialized ActiveX control, this message appears. An uninitialized ActiveX control is a control that has not been enabled. For more information about enabling ActiveX controls, see .

The message appears because your presentation contains Solution to try

An uninitialized ActiveX control.

Delete the ActiveX control from your presentation.