Microsoft Office 2007 natively saves files in a format not readable by older versions of Microsoft Office applications.

Windows computers managed by ITS currently have Office 2003 installed, which can make sharing Microsoft Office 2007 documents challenging.

To deal with the issue, here are a few recommendations depending on your version of Microsoft Office. If you're using...

• Office 2007: save any documents you are likely to share and any documents you need to open on a smart classroom computer in an Office format earlier than Office 2007. This will allow almost all versions of Office, including those installed on Macs, to be able to open your documents without a problem. To save a document in an earlier file format, look for the "Save as type:" dropdown and choose a file format for Office 97 through Office 2003. (To make a separate copy of a file in an earlier format, choose "Save as..." from the File menu.)
• Office 2003 or Office XP: Download and install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats. This will allow you to use Office XP/2003 applications to open, edit, and save Office 2007 files.
• Office 2004 for Mac: a Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack is not available.