File format converters and Excel

Excel uses XML-based file formats. Other formats such as PDF and XPS are also supported. Read an article or try Office 2010!

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).

Whenever you convert to a different file format, some of the formatting, data, and other features might be lost. For more information, see Formatting and features that are not transferred in Excel file format conversions.

File formats supported with converters in Excel

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 97-2003 & 5.0/95 Workbook format. This format saves two versions of a workbook (one with the Microsoft Excel 97-2003 file format and one with the Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 file format) in the same .xls file. Users of Excel 2003 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 (read-only: A setting that allows a file to be read or copied but not changed or saved.). If the workbook is saved in the earlier version of Microsoft Excel, features and formatting unique to the current version will be lost.

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.

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.

Other spreadsheet and database formats

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:

 Note   If you do not see one of these supported file formats in the Open or Save As dialog boxes, you may need to install the converter for it. To find downloadable add-ins and converters, see Downloads on Microsoft Office Online.

Tips for file formats not supported by Excel

If the file format converter you want is not supplied by Excel, you can try the following:

• Search the World Wide Web (WWW) for a company that makes file format converters not supplied by Excel.
• Save to a file format that another program supports. For example, you may want to import your spreadsheet into another program that does not support the Excel file format. But the other program may be able to import another supported file format, such as XML spreadsheet, dBASE IV, or a text file format. In this case, you can save your workbook to the XML spreadsheet format, and then from the other program, import the XML file.