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You save it as a .xls file instead. Older versions of Office generally can't open the new x-ending files (.xlsx .docx .pptx).
 
If the file is already saved as xlsx can i just change it to .xls?

There is an export option in Excel 2008 to save in a compatible format. There are also third-party programs you can google for that convert between the two. Just changing the filename on a file you already have won't be enough.
 
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