How do I convert an old XLS file to XLSX?
To convert XLS to XLSX, upload your Excel 97-2003 workbook, or an ODS file, to FixDoks's XLS to XLSX tool and click Convert to XLSX. Sheets, live formulas, formats, charts and comments are preserved, while macros are dropped for safety. Your file is uploaded over HTTPS and deleted after the XLSX is returned.
XLS to XLSX at a glance
| Input | XLS, ODS |
|---|---|
| Output | XLSX |
| Processing | On our server over HTTPS; files are deleted right after conversion |
| Max file size | 50 MB per file |
| Price | Free, no watermark |
| Download | Free Google sign-in |
| Works on | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone |
How to use XLS to XLSX Converter
- Click Select XLS files and choose your old Excel workbooks (ODS works too).
- Click Convert to XLSX.
- Download the XLSX files.
Why move from XLS to XLSX?
XLS is the binary spreadsheet format of Excel 97 to 2003. XLSX, introduced with Excel 2007, is the current standard, and it matters for more than tidiness:
- Size limits: XLS sheets stop at 65,536 rows and 256 columns. XLSX allows 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns.
- Smaller files: XLSX is compressed and usually much smaller.
- Compatibility: many web apps, accounting and GST tools, bank upload systems and Python or data tools accept only XLSX.
- No compatibility mode: Excel opens XLS in a restricted mode that disables newer features.
- Safer: XLSX cannot carry macros, a common hiding place for malware in old spreadsheets.
What is kept
- All sheets, in order, with their names
- Formulas, which stay live, plus cell values
- Number, date and currency formats
- Fonts, colours, borders, merged cells and column widths
- Charts, comments, freeze panes and filters
Macros
VBA macros are not included, because the XLSX format cannot hold them. If you need macros, open the file in Excel and save it as XLSM instead.
ODS to XLSX
LibreOffice Calc and OpenOffice spreadsheets (ODS) are accepted too, which is handy when you need to share a Calc workbook with Excel users.
Batch conversion
Select many XLS files at once. Each one is converted in turn, and you can download all of them as a ZIP.
Related
For old Word and PowerPoint files, use DOC to DOCX and PPT to PPTX. To share a spreadsheet read-only, convert it with Excel to PDF.
Before you convert
If the old workbook links to other XLS files, update or break those links after converting, because the linked file names will still end in .xls. Check pivot tables and named ranges in complex workbooks, and recalculate with Ctrl+Alt+F9 in Excel to confirm totals match the original. For simple lists and reports, the converted file is ready to use straight away.
Converting also fixes a common problem with bank and government portals that reject old XLS uploads with a vague error: save as XLSX and try again.
Very large sheets
If you previously split data across several sheets because of the old 65,536 row limit, you can now combine them into one sheet in the XLSX file, which makes filtering, sorting and pivot tables much simpler. Keep the original XLS file until you have checked the converted totals.
Your workbooks are deleted from our server immediately after conversion.