A workbook was created using EXCEL 97 using defined
names. When the spreadsheet is opened using EXCEL XP, the
defined names are gone. Is there a workaround for this?
This shouldn't happen, so there may be no workaround if it does.
One possibility: if worksheet-level names were created in some worksheets, but
there were no workbook-level names and the worksheet that was active when the
file was saved contained no defined names itself, then when you open the file in
any version of Excel from XL97 on with that worksheet active it would appear
there were no defined names. Activate other worksheets and see if you see any
defined names in any of them.
Another possibility: if the names were created by macros, it's possible they
were set as hidden. Enter simple reference formulas to check if they're still
there. If you know the file should have FOOBAR as a defined name, enter the
formula =FOOBAR in a blank cell. If it doesn't evaluate to #NAME?, FOOBAR
still exists whether it appears in the Define Name dialog or not.