Open Old Files

Microsoft Works spreadsheet

Open a Works spreadsheet (.wks or .xlr)

Household budgets, club accounts, the old car log. Drop the Works spreadsheet here to see every cell, then keep it as a file today's software opens.

  • Nothing is uploaded: files are opened on your computer
  • Free to view, print and save as PDF or CSV
  • Works on Mac, Windows, iPad and Chromebook

Drop your old files here

One file, a whole folder, or a ZIP. They're opened on this computer and never uploaded.

No file to hand? Try , or .

The converter downloads when you add your first file.

Two kinds of Works spreadsheet

Works 2 to 6 saved spreadsheets as .wks (a format related to Lotus 1-2-3's). Works 7, 8 and 9 switched to .xlr, which is close to Excel's own old format but has an ending Excel doesn't recognise. This page opens both.

What you get

Every sheet, with numbers formatted the way Works showed them: currency, percentages, dates and decimals. Cells that held formulas show the value Works last worked out; point at one to see the formula itself.

"Save as CSV" is free. "Excel file" (part of the unlock) keeps every sheet in one workbook, with numbers and dates as real values so sums still work.

Charts

Charts aren't drawn. The numbers behind them are all there, and any spreadsheet program can rebuild a chart in a minute.

Questions about this

Can Excel open .xlr files?

Not directly. Renaming an .xlr to .xls sometimes works for Works 7-9 files, but not always; opening it here and saving as Excel always gives a clean file.

Can Excel open .wks files?

Current versions of Excel don't open Works .wks files.

Free to open. £6 once for the rest.

Opening, reading, printing, PDFs of documents and drawings, and CSVs of spreadsheets are free, one file at a time, for as long as the site runs.

£6 one-time, no account

  • Word files (.docx) of documents, with formatting and pictures
  • Excel files (.xlsx) of spreadsheets and databases, every sheet
  • Whole folders or ZIPs converted into one ZIP

Coming soon. Everything free on this page works now.

Other old files

Microsoft Works databaseOpen a Works database (.wdb) fileWorks .wdb to .xlsx and .csvConvert a Works database to ExcelMicrosoft Works word processorOpen a Microsoft Works .wps documentTwo formats, one extensionIs your .wps file from Works or from WPS Office?AppleWorks and ClarisWorks .cwkOpen AppleWorks files on a modern Mac.cwk to .pdf, .docx and .xlsxConvert AppleWorks files to PDF or Word