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File format converters supplied with Excel
You can convert a file from Microsoft Excel to another file
format by saving it with the Save As command (File menu) in
Excel. The file formats available in the Save As dialog box
vary, depending what type of sheet is active (a worksheet,
chart sheet, or other type of sheet). For most file formats,
Excel converts only the active sheet. To convert the other
sheets, switch to each sheet and save it separately.
You can convert a file from another program to Microsoft
Excel by opening it in Excel with the Open command (File
menu).
If you do not see the file format you want in the Open or
Save As dialog box, you can install the converter. For more
information about installing add-ins and converters, you can
go to the Microsoft Office Web site.
Note The hyperlink in this topic goes to the Web. You can
switch back to Help at any time.
Microsoft Excel formats
If you plan to share your workbook with users who have
different versions of Excel, and you don't mind a larger
file size, the most versatile Excel file format is the
Microsoft Excel 97-2002 & 5.0/95 Workbook format. This
format saves two versions of a workbook (one with the
Microsoft Excel 97-2002 file format and one with the
Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 file format) in the same .xls file.
Users of Excel 2002 can continue to work in the workbook and
use any of the features or formatting unique to this
version. Users of Microsoft Excel version 5.0 or Microsoft
Excel 95 can open and use the workbook without having to
convert the file.
It is recommended that users with older versions use the
workbook read-only. If the workbook is saved in the earlier
version of Microsoft Excel, features and formatting unique
to the current version will be lost.
Formats that save the entire workbook File name
extension (Windows only)
Microsoft Excel Workbook (Microsoft Excel 2002) .xls
Template (Microsoft Excel 2002) .xlt
Workspace (Microsoft Excel 2002) .xlw
Microsoft Excel 97-2002 & 5.0/95 Workbook .xls
Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook .xls
Microsoft Excel version 4.0 workbook
(saves only worksheets, chart sheets, and macro
sheets) .xlw
HTML .htm
Web Archive .mht
XML Spreadsheet .xml
Formats that save only the active sheet File name
extension (Windows only)
Microsoft Excel version 4.0 sheet formats
(including Microsoft Excel macro or international
macro sheets) .xls, .xlc, .xlm
Microsoft Excel version 3.0 formats .xls, .xlc, .xlm
Microsoft Excel version 2.x formats .xls, .xlc, .xlm
Lotus 1-2-3 formats
When you open a .wk1 or .wk3 file in Excel, Excel applies
the formatting in the associated .fmt, .fm3, or .all file.
If you save a Lotus 1-2-3 file in Excel format, Excel saves
the spreadsheet data and formatting in a single workbook
file.
The WK1 (1-2-3) (*.wk1) and WK3 (1-2-3) (*.wk3) formats save
only limited worksheet formatting. To save an Excel workbook
in Lotus 1-2-3 format and retain borders, cell shading,
fonts, and other formatting, select a Lotus 1-2-3 file
format that stores formatting in a separate .fmt, .fm3, or
..all file.
Lotus 1-2-3 file format Release Notes
WK4 (*.wk4) 4.0 Saves the entire workbook
WK3 (*.wk3)
WK3, FM3 (*.wk3) 3.x and Lotus 1-2-3/W Saves only
worksheets and chart sheets
WK1 (*.wk1)
WK1 (FMT) (*.wk1)
WK1 (ALL) (*.wk1) 2.x Saves only the active sheet
WKS (FMT) (*.wks) 1.0 and 1.0A Saves only the active
sheet
.pic (when included in an .all file) 3.x and Lotus
1-2-3/W Excel can open but cannot save this format
Text formats
You can open and save files in the following text formats.
If you save a workbook in text format, all formatting is
lost.
Format Notes
Formatted Text (Space-delimited) (*.prn) Lotus
space-delimited format
Saves only the active sheet
Text (Tab-delimited) (*.txt) (Windows)
Text (Macintosh)
Text (OS/2 or MS-DOS)
CSV (comma delimited) (*.csv) (Windows)
CSV (Macintosh)
CSV (OS/2 or MS-DOS)
If you are saving a workbook as a tab-delimited or
comma-delimited text file for use on another operating
system, select the appropriate converter to ensure that tab
characters, line breaks, and other characters are
interpreted correctly.
Saves only the active sheet.
DIF (data interchange format) (*.dif) Saves only the
active sheet
SYLK (symbolic link format) (*.slk) Saves only the
active sheet
Other spreadsheet and database formats
Format Program Notes
DBF 2, DBF 3,
DBF 4 (*.dbf) DBASE II, III, and IV Opens and saves
only the active worksheet
WQ1 (*.wq1) Quattro Pro for MS-DOS Opens and saves
only the active worksheet
.wb1 Quattro Pro version 5.0 for Windows Opens only,
only available with converter loaded
.wb3 Quattro Pro version 7.0 for Windows Opens only,
only available with converter loaded.
.wks Microsoft Works version 2.0 for Windows and
Microsoft Works for MS-DOS Opens only Microsoft Works
version 2.0 for Windows or Microsoft Works for MS-DOS
spreadsheets
Clipboard formats
You can paste data from the Microsoft Office Clipboard into
Excel by using the Paste or Paste Special command on the
Edit menu if the Office Clipboard data is in one of the
following formats:
Format Clipboard type identifiers
Picture Picture (Windows enhanced metafile, EMF)
Note If you copy a Windows metafile (WMF) picture
from another program, Microsoft Excel pastes the item as an
enhanced metafile format (EMF) picture.
Bitmap Bitmap (BMP)
Microsoft Excel file formats Binary file formats for
Microsoft Excel versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0/95, Microsoft Excel
97-2000, Microsoft Excel Workbook (BIFF, BIFF3, BIFF4,
BIFF5, and BIFF8)
Symbolic link format SYLK
Lotus 1-2-3 Release 2.x format .wk1
Data interchange format .dif
Text (tab-delimited) format Text
Comma-separated values format .csv
Formatted text (only from Microsoft Excel) Rich Text
Format (RTF)
Embedded object Microsoft Excel objects, objects from
properly registered programs that support OLE 2.0
(OwnerLink), and Picture or another presentation format
Linked object OwnerLink, ObjectLink, Link, Picture, or
other format
Office drawing object Office drawing object format or
Picture (Windows enhanced metafile format, EMF)
Text Display Text, OEM Text
HTML .htm
Note When you copy text from another program,
Microsoft Excel pastes the text in HTML format, regardless
of the format of the original text.
| I have a Microsoft Works Spreadsheet on a floppy disk. I
| want to open it on my computer that has Excel 2002
| Anybody know if/how I can do that....It just does not
| happen automatically.
