I get a file conversion error when I try to open a document

Symptoms

When you try to open a document, your document won't open and you get a file conversion error.

The document that you are trying to open was created in a more recent version of Office with features that are not supported in the version of Office you are using. If you try to open this document in your version of Office, some features won't be available even if you are using a file converter.

Cause

Some features in the document that you are opening are not available because the features cannot be converted. Depending on the contents of the document, this might affect the following:

• Document features that do not exist in the version of Microsoft Office that you are using, because these features are not supported in that version.
• Layout and the ability to edit certain features, because these features have been changed.
• ActiveX controls with properties stored as XML, because these controls have been removed.

Elements that are not converted

Microsoft Office Excel See Open an Excel workbook in an earlier version of Excel.

Microsoft Office PowerPoint See Open a PowerPoint presentation in an earlier version of PowerPoint.

Microsoft Office Word See Open a Word document in an earlier version of Word.

Resolution

Ask the owner of the document to save the document in a format that is compatible with your version of Office. For example, ask the owner to send you a .doc file instead of a .docx or .docm file, and then open the file in your version of Office.