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GrahamGoring's avatar
GrahamGoring
Copper Contributor
Feb 20, 2025

Excel asking for confirmation EVERY time I save in "XML Spreadsheet 2003" format.

Every time I save a file in "XML Spreadsheet 2003" format (which I need to use because I then parse the file via another application) I get the warning about possible loss of data and asking me to confirm that I want to use this format.

This is regardless of whether there is any possible data loss and it's an annoying bit of added friction. Is there a way to disable the pop-up because I'm darned if I can figure it out.

 

excel

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  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Gold Contributor
    Feb 23, 2025

    Unfortunately, there is no built-in option in Excel to disable this confirmation pop-up when saving in the "XML Spreadsheet 2003" format. Microsoft intentionally includes this warning because the format is considered outdated and may not support some modern Excel features.

    Possible Workarounds:

    Use VBA to Save Without Prompt

    You can use VBA to automate saving the file in XML format and bypass the warning message.

    Sub SaveAsXML()
    Dim FilePath As String
    FilePath = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\" & ThisWorkbook.Name & ".xml"
    Application.DisplayAlerts = False
    ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs FileName:=FilePath, FileFormat:=xlXMLSpreadsheet
    Application.DisplayAlerts = True
End Sub

    This will save the file as XML Spreadsheet 2003 without the confirmation pop-up.

     

    If your other application can accept alternative XML formats, consider saving as XLSX and using a script or another tool to convert it into XML Spreadsheet 2003 outside of Excel.

     

    Older Excel versions (before Excel 2013) may not prompt as aggressively when saving in this format.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

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