Install that copy of Windows in the VM and you can run software on that older version of Windows in a window on your Windows 10 desktop. Using a virtual machine is a somewhat more involved solution, but it will work well unless the app needs to interface with hardware directly.
Spreadsheet software is important for homes, students and businesses, so we’ve put together a lineup with something for all these arenas. We chose good-quality spreadsheet software, with a solid mix of paid-for and free products. To avoid oversimplifying things, we opted not to include very basic models that don’t provide anything other than a basic grid, and we haven’t included programs that aren’t secure, as spreadsheets often deal with sensitive or important data.
We looked at compatibility, versatility, features and available support to determine which spreadsheets deserved a spot on our lineup. If you need a complete office suite, take a look at our office software guide, where you’ll find a nice mix of free and priced options. On this site you will find articles related to spreadsheets as well as reviews of spreadsheet software.
Best Spreadsheet Software for Businesses
Microsoft Excel is our choice for the best spreadsheet software for businesses because of its versatility and functionality. Businesses need software they can rely on, and Excel fits the bill, helping you stay on track with simple or complex spreadsheets. There is an extensive range of formulas that you can use to make calculations or perform specific functions, and you can filter data according to your business needs.
This professional-grade software isn’t free, but it is available with a reasonable monthly subscription, and even after several decades, it’s still the most respected office spreadsheet solution. This software works across PC, Mac and mobile devices. With OneDrive, you can share and access your spreadsheets in the cloud from anywhere and work on them collaboratively. The majority of other file formats are compatible with Excel files, so should someone send you a file in another file format, Excel should be able to open it and render the contents correctly.
Microsoft Excel
Excel is part of the Microsoft Office suite and works well in conjunction with the other programs in the bundle. You can purchase Excel as a stand-alone product, as part of a desktop suite or as part of Office 365. It’s most functional and most cost-effective as part of the Microsoft Office desktop suite or as part of Office 365.
Read more hereWindows Vista Upgrade To Windows 10
Best Spreadsheet Software for Students
Many of these spreadsheet programs would serve schools and students well. However, LibreOffice Calc stands out because it’s free and open source, so there are no licensing restrictions. This means that schools can provide students with copies of the software and install the software across multiple PCs and laptops without significant expense, and without breaching any licensing terms that may be associated with similar software. Choosing a well-rounded free program also means that any student with a computer can access the software, so it puts every student on a level playing field. Additionally, because it’s open source, LibreOffice, including its Calc software, is a great educational tool for students working on digital and programming skills.
This spreadsheet software has plenty of features and is versatile enough to equal its biggest premium-cost rivals. It has an impressive selection of templates and allows students to create their own or import them from third-party sources. Students and teachers can also use extensions or add-ons designed to increase Calc’s versatility as an educational tool.
LibreOffice Calc
Calc is the spreadsheet software included with LibreOffice. It’s a popular choice for academic, home and business users looking for an inexpensive spreadsheet program because it’s open source. The whole office suite it comes in is free and doesn’t have any licensing restrictions.
Read more hereBest Spreadsheet Software for Home Users
For home users, Google Sheets is our first choice. Part of the Google Apps suite and connected to Google Drive, this spreadsheet software is versatile, free to use and user-friendly. You can easily create to-do lists, schedules and holiday shopping lists, then access them from any computer or mobile device with the Google Drive app. Because it has an array of formulas ready for use, along with a huge number of commonly used templates, this spreadsheet application makes it easy to keep track of home or business finances and to create budgets, calendars, planners, invoices and time sheets.
This is a web-based spreadsheet application, making it easy to access, and you get a generous amount of free cloud storage when you sign up. With its free, easy accessibility and simple usage, Google Sheets is attractive to all kinds of users. It’s easy to share your spreadsheets via email invitation or a link, as well as to set read-only, comment or edit permissions for each person you share with.
Google Sheets
Google Sheets is part of the Google Apps suite. Like the rest of the suite's productivity applications, it has a focus on easy collaboration and a simple, user-friendly interface. While it’s not available as a stand-alone application, you’ll likely find yourself using at least some of the other apps on a regular basis.
Read more hereCompatibility
Compatibility with Microsoft Excel files is key for any spreadsheet software, simply because so many people use that program to create spreadsheets. Therefore, the spreadsheet software you choose should be able to read and write XLS and XLSX files and render them correctly. Choose software that allows you to easily convert your files into PDF format if you want to ensure your spreadsheets cannot be easily altered without leaving an electronic footprint. Creating PDF files also reduces file sizes and lets you easily add password protection. If you create spreadsheets that you want to publish online, choose a program that lets you easily convert spreadsheets into HTML.
Versatility
How versatile your spreadsheet software should be depends entirely on what you want to use it for. If you’re a student or a professional wanting to impress with your presentation or data collation, you need to be able to integrate graphics and alter the fonts, colors and other aesthetic qualities. If you want simple visual representations of your collected data, you need to be able to easily create charts from your entries.
Consider whether you need remote or mobile access to your spreadsheets. If so, you need an easily shareable or cloud-compatible application. For those who work collaboratively, it’s important to have spreadsheet software that allows simultaneous editing and multi-user functionality. If all you want to do is save, email and print spreadsheets, a desktop-only program will suffice.
Features
The best spreadsheet software programs have extensive formula selections that are easily accessible. Your software should also have a variety of templates on hand for common spreadsheets so you don’t have to lay out budget sheets, calendars and planners from scratch every time. If you’re sharing or collaborating with other people, make sure you can lock or freeze specific columns so others can’t accidentally edit or overwrite them.
Also note how many rows and columns a spreadsheet can accommodate. Some are unlimited, while others restrict you to just 250. If you deal with complex or large quantities of data, choosing a spreadsheet application that features pivot tables makes sense, as they provide an easy way of summarizing data.
Support
Whether you’re an advanced user or a novice, it's invaluable for your software to have a solid support system, including plenty of tutorials, step-by-step instructions and FAQs pages. Having email, phone and forum support at your disposal helps to ensure you don’t get stuck without a solution.
Beginning from Windows Vista, Windows operating system underwent drastic changes at its code, likewise for the jump from Windows 7 to Windows 8 and later. As the result, Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 are different from Windows 7 and Windows Vista, while all of them is very much different from Windows XP in kernel design, graphics, security control, and many other aspects. Although most programs previously works properly in Windows XP should run smoothly in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 too. However, some old programs or legacy applications may have compatibility problems and issues when running in newer Windows operating systems, making the program unable to run, distort display, cannot right click and etc. In this case, Program Compatibility mode can come to a rescue.
Windows Vista Compatibility Tool
Windows OS offers Program Compatibility mode that allows users to run programs not compatible or not compliant with newer version of Windows, such as those written specifically for earlier versions of Windows or using features that no longer exists.
To run a program or executable in Windows compatibility mode, follow theses steps:
- Right click on the .exe or .com executable file for the program that needs to be run in compatible mode. It’s also possible to right click on the shortcut to the program instead of actual executable itself, which is more accessible on Desktop, Quick Launch bar or Start Menu.
- On the right click contextual menu, select Properties.
- Click on the Compatibility tab.
- In “Compatibility mode” section, check the Run this program in compatibility mode for: option’s checkbox. Then, in the drop down list, select the operating system that you want Vista to emulate in the compatibility mode. In most cases, Windows XP (Service Pack 2) will work.
- In some really old programs, there may be a need to configure other settings if simple Windows XP compatibility mode doesn’t work. The additional settings mainly related to display issues. Under the “Settings” section, tick any additional settings such as Disable Visual Themes and Disable Desktop Composition check boxes to try if the program now run properly.
- Click OK button.
Program Compatibility mode is not the guarantee way to make old programs work in later Windows operating systems. It’s wise to ensure that an application is compliant and certified to support newer version of Windows before commit a purchase. Always check for updates with developers as there may be upgrades available. And also, Program Compatibility mode feature should not be used with certain applications such as anti-virus, disk management utilities, or system utilities as it may cause data loss.
In newer Windows operating system such as Windows 10, there is Program Compatibility Troubleshooter available (in Control Panel or Settings app) that can be used to help diagnose compatibility issue and determine what settings should be set in Compatibility Mode.