Using Microsoft 2016 on One PC and Microsoft 365 on Another...

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Using Microsoft 2016 on One PC and Microsoft 365 on Another...

Rachel 25

Two of my files were corrupted yesterday after I worked on them on my Microsoft 365 Word and Excel programs on my work laptop and I tried to open the files later on my Microsoft 2016 Word and Excel programs on my PC. Help!

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Answer 1

Marcin Policht 90,970 MVP Volunteer Moderator

It looks like the corruption may have occurred due to compatibility differences between Microsoft 365 and Microsoft 2016. Microsoft 365 uses a more recent file format and may include features that aren't fully supported in 2016, especially for complex formatting, macros, or data connections in Excel. When a newer version saves a file, it can sometimes embed metadata or structures that the older version cannot interpret, leading to errors or apparent corruption.

For Word, try opening the file in 365 again, then saving it as a Word 97-2003 Document (.doc) or using the "Save As" option to explicitly choose .docx with compatibility checked. For Excel, you can try saving the file in a .xlsx format compatible with 2016: go to File > Save As, then choose Excel Workbook (*.xlsx) and check "Maintain compatibility with previous versions."

If the files are already showing corruption and won't open normally, you can attempt Word's built-in repair function by opening Word 2016, choosing File > Open, selecting the file, clicking the dropdown arrow next to Open, and selecting Open and Repair. For Excel, you can use the "Open and Repair" option similarly: File > Open > select the file > click the arrow next to Open > Open and Repair.

For Excel, if the workbook opens but formulas or formatting are broken, you can try extracting the data into a new workbook with:

=IFERROR([CorruptedWorkbook.xlsx]Sheet1!A1, "")

copied across your sheet to pull whatever cells are still readable.

If the corruption is extensive, you might need to open the files in Microsoft 365, remove any unsupported features (like dynamic arrays, new chart types, or SmartArt), and save in a strictly compatible 2016 format.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Rachel 25 Reputation points

2026-05-15T00:38:27.66+00:00

I am unable to open the files again, so I cannot save them as advised. I do not like saving documents to the cloud, so I will buy the Microsoft Office perpetual license. Do you think I will be okay with that and my Office 365 at work?
Rachel 25 Reputation points

2026-05-15T00:42:31.65+00:00

I am unable to open the files again, so I cannot save them as advised. I do not like saving documents to the cloud, so I will buy the Microsoft Office perpetual license. Do you think I will be okay with that and my Office 365 at work?
Marcin Policht 90,970 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-05-15T03:38:11.1633333+00:00

Yep - you can use a perpetual license version of Microsoft Office on your personal PC while still using Microsoft 365 at work. They are separate installations and should not interfere with each other, as long as you keep them on different machines. Microsoft 365 is subscription-based and tied to your work account, whereas a perpetual license is a one-time purchase tied to your personal machine. You just need to keep in mind that features available in 365, like real-time collaboration, dynamic arrays in Excel, or new AI-assisted tools, might not be available in the perpetual version, depending on which year of Office you buy.

The main challenge is file compatibility if you need to transfer documents between your PC and work. Files created or heavily edited in 365 might include features that are not recognized in older perpetual versions, which could lead to errors or formatting issues. If you mainly create documents that don’t rely on the newest features, a perpetual license will be fine.

To reduce problems, you can save new files in a compatibility mode in Office 365: File > Save As > Word/Excel 97-2003 Document or ensure you save as .docx or .xlsx without using features marked as unsupported for older versions. This way, switching between the two environments should be work.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Rachel 25 Reputation points

2026-05-15T13:25:08.24+00:00

Thank you! I really appreciate your help!
Marcin Policht 90,970 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-05-15T14:17:24.5+00:00

You're welcome. Remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Rachel 25 Reputation points

2026-05-15T15:29:14.8133333+00:00

Thank you so much for your help! I bought the 2024 perpetual license. :)

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Using Microsoft 2016 on One PC and Microsoft 365 on Another...

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