Is there a compatibility issue between macros written for XLS, XLSX and XLSM?

calendar_today Asked Nov 10, 2011
thumb_up 7 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

There are significant differences between these formats : .XLS is intended to be used for Excel 2003 and above, so your VBA code needs to be backwards compatible for earlier…. This is an advisory response with reference links, ranked #85th of 95 by community upvote score, from 2011.


The Problem (Q-score 4, ranked #85th of 95 in the VBA Core archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2011

Is there a compatibility issue between macros written for XLS, XLSX and XLSM? Will the same macro work for all workbooks?

Why this Range / Worksheet targeting trips people up

The question centers on reaching a specific cell, range, or workbook object. In VBA Core, this is the #1 source of failures after activation events: every property (.Value, .Formula, .Address) behaves differently depending on whether the parent Workbook is explicit or implicit.


The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+7)

Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links

Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.

There are significant differences between these formats :

  • .XLS is intended to be used for Excel 2003 and above, so your VBA code needs to be backwards compatible for earlier versions of Excel (<2007)
  • .XLSX is the Excel 2007 format that cannot store VBA code.
  • .XLSM or .XLSB are the Excel 2007 format that allow you to save VBA code with the workbook. As Sydenam said, the differences between these two is the way the workbook is stored.

In short: .XLSB is the binary format (equivalent to .XLS for 2007+ version) whereas .XLSM is the OOXML format.

See In which case should we use the xlsm or the xlsb format? for more information.

Addendum for backward compatibility

I can’t see any easy way to tell you how it can be backwards compatible, we can’t be that generic. You can see on Ozgrid the new methods and properties that were added in Excel 2007. You can also find here some tips on how to develop on Excel 2007.

The Ozgrid page will give you the new elements of Excel 2007 and then will tell you what you shouldn’t use if you wanted to be backwards compatible.


When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)

Ranked #85th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 94% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the VBA Core archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2011 and 2026

The answer is 15 years old. The VBA Core object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This is a below-median answer — when does it still fit?
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Answer score +7 vs the VBA Core archive median ~4; this entry is niche. The score plus 4 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+4) means the asker and 6 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

This answer links out — what are the reference links worth following?
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Read the first external link for the canonical reference, then search this archive for a top-10 entry in the same category — advisory answers are best paired with a ranked code snippet to close the loop.

This answer is 15 years old. Is it still relevant in 2026?
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Published 2011, which is 15 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The VBA Core object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which VBA Core pattern ranks just above this one at #84?
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The pattern one rank above is “Office add-in ribbons: same tab with 2 addins”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 4, Answer-score 7, original post 2011, ranked #85th of 95 in the VBA Core archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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