M.S. Publisher Compatability

I made a number of files using Publisher 2003, sent them on to a colleague, who added further information using Publisher 2010 and then returned them to me.

Publisher 2003 now refuses to recognise them, just states "it cannot open them"

They have been saved in the normal .pub format.

I was assuming that both programmes should be compatible.

Does anyone have any info. or experience of this?

Looks like 2003 and 2010 should be compatible (there do seem to be different formats for 98 and 2000 though).

They will only be upward compatible. I.e. 2010 will read files produced with 2003 but not necessarily vica versa.

Unlike other M/S products, like Word and Excel, there appears to be no free Viewer for reading files of a product that you don't have.

Publisher 2010 has under Save As the options of saving as

Publisher files *.pub
Publisher template *.pub
Publisher 98 files *.pub
Publisher 2000 files *.pub

plus a couple more non-*.pub.

The 2010 user needs to 'save down' to 2000 methinks.

Thanks for all your replies.

I now believe that cheshire man has the correct answer to this problem.

It is to save the file as 2000 version.

Hopefully 2003 vers. can read these.