computer related queries 2013

[Gerry Webster]

Just added to  Archibald Plants and Botanic Gardens

Archibald living Accessions - RBGE

Alan Elliott has kindly done the research to provide a record of  all Archibald accessions, those  living now and of databased photographs and these can now be downloaded  from this page :

www.srgc.net/site/index.php/features-mainmenu-47/srgc-information/41-resources/271-srgc

We are grateful to Alan for his help.

Maggi - With Safari I get pages of what I assume is computer code. With my ancient version of Firefox I get Zip files which will not open with Mac 10.4.1

[Maggi Young]

Hello Gerry -  that Microsoft Excel  file has a .xlsm  suffix - I'm afraid I have no idea what you might need to do  to access it on your Mac. I have had no reports this far of anyone else having the same difficulty so perhaps other Mac users may be able to advise you.

I'll move this to a computer question page.

[Lori S.]

The newer version of Microsoft Excel uses the .xlsm suffix (rather than the old .xls suffix). 
You can open Excel files on a Mac with either iWorks (see Apple site) which reads all Microsoft files, or you can do it by buying and installing Microsoft Office for Mac (which gives you versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint* that run on a Mac).
There might be free software out there... I wouldn't know anything about that.

*And also a program for e-mail.  My version of Microsoft Office for Mac is from 2008; don't know anything about later versions.

[brianw]

If I click on the "click here" on that link above I get a downloaded file, which I then double click and it  gives me code too. I have up todate Win Office 2010 so it may not be that which is the problem.

Should have said I am on Windows I guess.

[ArnoldT]

My version of Excel for Mac give me an option to save a file in different versions of Excel.  I've used it to send to folks who use a PC and the earlier version of Excel seems to work on their machines.

[Lori S.]

The file called Herbarium_sheets_at_RBGE.xlsm opens properly for me... (after downloading, I mean) so nothing wrong with the file.

[Alan_b]

I have Microsoft Office 2003 and I have installed the Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office System (which is a free download from here http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3).  If I click on the link my browser downloads the file.  I can then open it in Excel and read the contents.

You would need the compatibility pack if you have the 2000, 2002('XP') or 2003 versions of Excel

[Arda Takan]

before Office 2007 all excel files were .xls
now normal files are .xlsx and macro enabled files are .xlsm
macro enabled file contains some vba(Visual basic for applications) code which work as a program working inside excel

[Lori S.]

before Office 2007 all excel files were .xls
now normal files are .xlsx and macro enabled files are .xlsm
macro enabled file contains some vba(Visual basic for applications) code which work as a program working inside excel

Ah, there's a full explanation.  Thanks!

[Gerry Webster]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post. Since I'm not willing to set foot in the murky waters of Microsoft, I'll stick with my ancient Mac setup which does (almost) everything I want to do. Incidentally, I discover that although I can write Excel files I cannot read them. Bizarre!

[Maggi Young]

Gerry, if you can write an  Excel file then you are already ankle deep in Microsoft waters -  it must be some simple adjustment to your machine that you require.

I'm told that Apache Open Office does all that Microsoft Office does- and it's free. www.openoffice.org

[Gerry Webster]

I'm told that Apache Open Office does all that Microsoft Office does- and it's free. www.openoffice.org

Thanks Maggi,  I'll investigate.

Gerry, if you can write an  Excel file then you are already ankle deep in Microsoft waters -  it must be some simple adjustment to your machine that you require.

Simple adjustment? Is there any such thing in the world of computers? When I say I can write Excel files what I mean is that I can click on "Save as Excel" & a new file appears. Since I cannot read it, it may well be complete gibberish.

[Alan_b]

it must be some simple adjustment to your machine that you require.

Such as this one, if you are running an earlier version of Microsoft Office on a Mac http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=27334