What is xlsx file in excel

xlsx file extension is a Microsoft Excel Open XML Spreadsheet (XLSX) file created by Microsoft Excel. You can also open this format in other spreadsheet apps, such as Apple Numbers, Google Docs, and OpenOffice. They are stored as a compressed Zip file, which contains a bunch of other files used to open the document.

How do I open an XLSX file in Excel?

Opening XLSX files with Excel

1. Step 1: Double click on the XLSX file.
2. Step 2: Drag and drop the XLSX file onto an Excel window to open it.
3. Step 3: “Open with” – open the XLSX file in Excel using the right-click menu.

What is difference between XLS and XLSX files?

XLS files are based on the Binary Interchange File Format (BIFF) and store information in binary format as per XLS File Format Specifications.In contrast, an XLSX file is based on Office Open XML format that stores data in compressed XML files in ZIP format.

Is Excel workbook the same as Xlsx?

The “default” file extension is XLSX. The large majority of Excel workbooks uses this format these days. Microsoft says in the Excel help text about the XLSX file format: The default XML-based file format for Excel 2007-2013.

How do I view xlsx files?

Although Microsoft Excel (version 2007 and newer) is the primary software program used to both open XLSX files and edit XLSX files, you can install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack to open, edit, and save XLSX files using an older version of Excel.

Are xlsx files safe?

xlsx file may briefly contain a macro virus while that file is open in Excel. However, saved copies of that file are rendered “safe” because all VBA code (including the macro virus) will be removed automatically as part of the “save” operation.

What is difference between xlsx and CSV?

CSV files are commonly used for data exchange between platforms, making the data “raw” again so it can be processed by different applications. This is the most flexible data format. XLSX is the file extension for a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet.This makes the data easy to re-group, combine, and re-format.

How many records does xlsx hold?

1048576 rows
There are different number of rows and columns supported by Excel formats. For example, XLS supports 65536 rows and 256 columns while XLSX supports 1048576 rows and 16384 columns.

What is XLSM vs xlsx?

xlsm” is basically the same as “. xlsx” and can be opened with Excel 2007 and above. The only difference is that “. xlsm” starts the macro.

How do I convert Excel to xlsx?

Click on the Office button, then Convert. You can also try opening the . xls file in Excel > then use the Save As command to save as an “Excel Workbook”. Once you select that file type, the file extension will be xlsx and you can delete the old xls version.

How do I create an xlsx file?

Create a Table in Excel XLSX File in C#

1. Load an Excel workbook or create a new one using Workbook class.
2. Add data to the cells of the worksheet.
3. Add a new ListObject to the worksheet.
4. Set ListObject. ShowTotals property to true.
5. Calculate the total and save the workbook as an Excel . xlsx file.

If you have tasks in Microsoft Excel that you do repeatedly, you can record a macro to automate those tasks. A macro is an action or a set of actions that you can run as many times as you want. When you create a macro, you are recording your mouse clicks and keystrokes.

What is XLSM extension?

Files with XLSM extension is a type of Spreadsheet files that support Macros.XLSM files are similar to XLM file formats but are based on the Open XML format introduced in Microsoft Office 2007. In other words, XLSM are XLSX files but with support of macros.

Why can’t I open XLSX files?

When the Excel file is corrupted, not compatible with the Excel version, infected by the virus, or received by email, these are the common causes of the “Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid” problem. If any of these problems appear, you can’t open your XLSX file.

Is Microsoft Excel free?

Microsoft Office Is Now Free for iPhones, iPads and Android
Office users will now be able to create and edit documents in Word, Excel and PowerPoint on iPhone, iPad and Android devices at no cost. Making full use of the apps previously required a subscription to Office 365, which starts at $70 per year.

Can Xlsx have a virus?

Microsoft Office files, especially Word documents (DOC, DOCX), Excel spreadsheets (XLS, XLSX, XLSM), presentations, and templates, are also popular with cybercriminals. These files can contain embedded macros — small programs that run inside the file. Cybercriminals use macros as scripts for downloading malware.

Can an Excel file carry a virus?

The infected Excel documents contain a malicious macro virus, which can infect a computer’s system when a document is opened or closed.

Can Xlsx contain macros?

xlsx)—does not support macros.xlsx file, Excel displays a message indicating that you can’t include the macro. To include macros in a workbook, you must save the workbook in the Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (. xlsm) format or as a macro-enabled template (.

What is .CSV used for?

A CSV file is a commonly used file extension when it comes to spreadsheets. Even software programs that don’t look and feel like a spreadsheet application will frequently offer a CSV as an output file for downloading a data set, such as a report of results, actions, or contacts.

Is CSV faster than XLSX?

Comparing CSV vs Xlsx, CSV files are faster and also consumes less memory whereas Excel consumes more memory while importing data. Comparing CSV vs Excel, CSV files can be opened with any text editor in windows while Excel files can’t be opened with text editors.

How do I convert XLSX to XLS?

To get started, kindly perform the following steps:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Go to the View Tab.
3. Tick File name extensions under Show/Hide.
4. Go to the folder where you Excel file is stored.
5. Right-click on the Excel File.
6. Select Rename.
7. Rename “. XLSX” to “. XLS”.
8. Click Enter once done.

Probably 99% of all Excel workbooks are saved in the XLSX file type these days. But there are various other file extensions available: For example XLSM, XLSB or “older” Excel users might still remember the XLS file type. What are the differences of these file types? And even more important: Which one should you use?

When you save an Excel workbook for the first time or use the “Save As” function, you are asked for a folder, file name as well as the file type. By default, Excel suggests the XLSX file type (unless your file has VBA macros). The window looks similar to the screenshot on the right side.

So which file type are you going to use? The answer – like so often: It depends. Before we conclude in a decision tree, we we take a look at the most important file extensions in Excel with their advantages and disadvantages first.

XLSX

The “default” file extension is XLSX. The large majority of Excel workbooks uses this format these days. Microsoft says in the Excel help text about the XLSX file format:

The default XML-based file format for Excel 2007-2013. Cannot store Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro code […].

Most of the time you use the XLSX format: It’s save (can’t store malicious code), has the maximum number of rows and columns and is best known. XLSX is available since Excel 2007 and replaces the old XLS file type. It uses the open XML standard so which is documented well.

Knowing these quick facts, there are the following advantages and disadvantages for the XLSX file format:

Advantages	Disadvantages
The default file format and because of that the best known and widest spread file type. Can use up to 2^20 (1048576) rows and 2^14 (=16384) columns. Uses the open file format and is in general accessible with other applications. Secure because it can’t save VBA macros. Can use and save all the functions available in Excel.	A little bit contradicting: But not being able to include VBA macros can be an advantage and disadvantage at the same time. Needs more disk space than other file formats (e.g. XLSB). Can’t be opened with Excel versions before 2003 (e.g. 2003, at least without any further conversion of Excel extension/ add-in).

XLS

The XLS file type has been the default Excel file extension and format before Excel 2007. In Excel 2007, XLSX replaced the XLS format. Therefore, XLS is kind of outdated right now. In the daily life you won’t find it often any more. But some data base tools still export data as XLS files.

The XLS file type has some disadvantages towards the newer file types XLSX or XLSM: It’s rather unsafe as it can contain VBA macros with malicious code. Also, it needs more disk space than the other file types and at the same time has less rows and columns.

On the other side the only advantage: You can easily open XLS files with older versions of Excel.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Can be opened with Excel versions before 2007 (e.g. 2003).	Unsafe as it can contain VBA macros. Needs more disk space than most of the other file formats (e.g. XLSX, XLSB). Can’t use all newer Excel functions, e.g. formulas or functionality (you will be warned when saving an XLS file though). Can only use up to 65,536 (2^16) rows and 256 (2^8) rows. Outdated…

XLSM

If you include VBA macros in your XLSX file, you will be asked to change the file extension to XLSM. Only that way you can save your macro within the Excel file (there are other file types possible, e.g. XLSB – but you can’t use XLSX for VBA macros). Therefore, it has most of the advantages and disadvantages of the XLSX file type. Positive: You can immediately identify Excel files with VBA macros.

Advantages	Disadvantages
The default Excel file type for workbooks with VBA macros. Can use up to 2^20 (1048576) rows and 2^14 (=16384) columns. Uses the open file format and is therefore accessible with other applications. Can use and save all the functions available in Excel. Uses the open XML standard.	Unsafe: Can contain malicious code within the VBA part. Needs more disk space than other file formats (e.g. XLSB). Can’t be opened with Excel versions before 2003 (e.g. 2003, at least without any further conversion of Excel extension/ add-in).

XLSB

Many people don’t know that there is an actual alternative to the XLSX and XLSM file type: The XLSB file extension. XLSB files store the data a little bit different than the XLSX or XLSM file types: They don’t use the XLM file structure. Instead, XLSB files try to save disk space because the data is stored in the binary structure. The main difference: Binary files are computer- but not human-readable. For more information on binary files in general, please refer to this Wikipedia entry.

The main disadvantage: Binary Excel files can contain VBA macros. So unless you don’t know the origin of a file, please consider well before opening them. Besides that: All the other disadvantages seem minor.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Smaller file size. Faster opening and closing of files. Formulas with more than 8192 characters allowed. Can use and save all the functions available in Excel.	Security: Files can contain VBA code whereas XLSX files can’t. You can’t change the Excel ribbon. Some third party tools (e.g. OpenOffice) might not be able to open your file. You can’t open your files with Excel 2003 or earlier (which nowadays should not be a problem any more…). Not very well known. So people might get confused receiving XLSB files from you.

CSV

CSV stands for comma separated values. These files are basically plain text – so there are no formulas or formatting. CSV is often used for data exchange. Excel provides the functionality to import or even directly open CSV files.

The basic application for CSV files: Import or export data. Data base programs often export data as CSV files. Also if you want to transport Excel data into a database program, often the CSV file type works.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Smaller file size. Faster opening and closing of files. Unlimited rows and columns. No code or macros possible and therefore save to open.	CSV files are basically text documents and therefore can’t contain formulas or formatting, pure data. No more than one “worksheet”.

ODS

ODS stands for Open Document Spreadsheet. The file type is designed to work on both Excel and other applications, e.g. LibreOffice. From the Excel point of view, ODS doesn’t support all the features. Text and data is usually saved well though. But formatting and many other features (for example charts, tables, conditional formatting) might run into problems.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Can be opened in Excel and LibreOffice.	You might lose formatting or features which are not supported. For a detailed lists of the features supported, please refer to this website.

XLSX (Strict)

Besides the regular XLSX format, Excel offers to save your Excel workbook as “Strict Open XML Spreadsheet”. So what is the difference between those two? Basically, the two file types use the same structure. But:

The Strict variant has less support for backwards compatibility when converting documents from older formats.

Furthermore:

The Strict variant of XLSX disallows a variety of elements and attributes that are permitted in the more common Transitional variant […]

Advantages	Disadvantages
Same as XLSX. Additionally: Opening in other applications than Excel might work better.	Some backward compatibility problems might occur.

PDF

As you’ve probably heard of PDF files, we won’t go much into detail here. PDF stands for portable document format and has the reputation of not easily being manipulated. Also, it’s quite save to say that how a PDF file looks on your computer, it will most probably look like this on most other computers.

And that’s it for the advantages. I recommend using it when you present your final results in the following cases:

• The recipient of your file should not edit it any more.
• Formatting should be exactly preserved.
• There is no database included, just the summarized results.

That could be the case if somebody wants to check your results on an iPad or a similar device. But: In many cases it would be professional (and nice) to also send at least parts of your Excel file. That way, your recipient could at least take a look at the calculation process.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Static, therefore contents can not (easily) be manipulated. The document always look the same. No macros.	Formulas etc. will be lost. Difficult (and troublesome) to further edit the file. (Depending on the contents) large file size.

XLAM

XLAM is the file extension for Excel add-ins. Also our add-ins (for example the popular “Professor Excel Tools“) are XLAM files. They can contain VBA macros, worksheets as well as forms, images and individual ribbons. If you double click on such file, it will open in Excel and you can use the funcationality of the add-in. But next time you open Excel again, it won’t be available any longer. You rather have to enable the add-in within the options (File –> Options –> Add-Ins).

As the XLAM file type is not really an alternative for all the other file extensions above, we skip the advantages and disadvantages.

Comparison of file types

So if we put all the advantages, disadvantages and facts from above together, we come to the following comparison:

Which file type should you use?

Decision Tree

In order to define the best file type for your Excel workbook, please follow the decision tree.

• The first question: Do you just want to display your results only? Then you could also consider the PDF format. But if the recipient of your work wants to edit or follow up your calculations, you shouldn’t use PDF.
• Does your file contain VBA macros?
  • If yes, choose XLSB if you have a large file. Choose XLSM for a file size smaller than app. 10 MB.
  • If no and you got a large file (larger than app. 10 MB), also choose XLSB.
  • If no (you don’t have macros) and your file small, follow the tree on the right hand side.
• The lower two levels of the decision tree are just about compatibility: If you want to open and edit your workbook with another software, choose the strict XLSX or ODF format.
• If you want to make sure that you can open it with versions of Excel 2003 or earlier, go for XLS.

Summary

In conclusion, you can distill a quite short table (if you don’t need to consider old file types and other applications as LibreOffice). You just have to answer two questions: Do you need VBA macros and do you work with a large amount of data?

This article explains what XLSX files are, how to open them, and which programs are able to convert them to other spreadsheet formats like CSV or ODS.

What Is an XLSX File?

A file with the XLSX file extension is a Microsoft Excel Open XML Format Spreadsheet file. It’s a ZIP-compressed, XML-based spreadsheet file created by Microsoft Excel version 2007 and later.

XLSX files organize data in cells that are stored in worksheets, which are in turn stored in workbooks (files that contain multiple worksheets). The cells of a spreadsheet are positioned by rows and columns and can contain styles, formatting, math functions, and more.

Spreadsheet files made in earlier versions of Excel are saved in the XLS format. Excel files that support macros are XLSM files.

How to Open an XLSX File

Unless you’ve purposely installed a program to your computer that can open XLSX files, then double-clicking on one won’t do anything useful. Instead, you need to have a specific program on your computer that can recognize the XLSX file.

Although Microsoft Excel (version 2007 and newer) is the primary software program used to both open XLSX files and edit XLSX files, you can install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack to open, edit, and save XLSX files using an older version of Excel.

If you have no intention to edit the XLSX file, and you just want to view it, you can install the free Microsoft Excel Viewer. It supports printing and copying data out of the XLSX file, too, which might be all you need to do.

You can also open and edit XLSX files without Excel, completely free, using WPS Office Spreadsheets, OpenOffice Calc, or LibreOffice Calc. If you’re on a Mac, Apple Numbers supports XLSX files, too (but not all features will work).

Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel Online, and Zoho Docs are a few other ways you can open and edit XLSX files for free. Going this route requires you to upload the XLSX file to the website before you can make any changes.

If you use the Chrome web browser, you can install Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides as an extension, which lets you open and edit XLSX files directly in the browser, either by dragging a local XLSX file into Chrome or opening one from the internet without having to download it first.

How to Convert an XLSX File

If you have one of the applications we’ve already mentioned installed on your computer, it’s recommended to use that same program to save whatever XLSX you’re working with to the specific format you’re interested in. This is normally done through the File > Save as menu option.

For example, if you’re using Excel, go through its FILE > Save As > Browse menu and choose CSV, XLS, TXT, XML, etc. The F12 key should also work to get to the Save As window.

Sometimes the quickest solution to convert an XLSX file isn’t with a tool you have installed, but instead via a free file conversion software program or online service like Zamzar.

Just looking at the capabilities of those two services, you can convert whatever Excel file you have to many different file types, like XLSX to CSV, XML, DOC, PDF, ODS, RTF, XLS, MDB, and even image and web file formats like JPG, PNG, and HTML.

TinyWow can split an Excel file if you want the XLSX file to end up as multiple files. That same site has an Excel to XML converter, and others that can save the file to PDF or CSV.

Still Can’t Open the File?

The most likely reason for why the file won’t open at this point, if you’ve tried all the suggestions above, is that you’re not really dealing with an XLSX file. This might happen if you’ve only briefly looked at the file extension and are confusing it for an Excel file.

For example, maybe your file really ends in .LSX, in which case it’s a Streaming Media Shortcut file and has nothing to do with Excel. Windows Media Player opens LSX files.

Similarly, it’d be easy to confuse an SLX file for one that has the Excel XLSX suffix, but SLX files are also unrelated to Excel and are instead used by programs like Simulink and SpectraLayers.

XLR is another one that’s easy to mix up for an Excel file.

If you can’t open the file, re-read the extension and research it online. It should be fairly easy to find more information about the format and learn which programs are able to open and convert it. We may even have a description of it here on Lifewire—use the search box at the top of this page to check.

Thanks for letting us know!

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

What is an XLSX file?

An XLSX file is an Excel spreadsheet created by Microsoft Excel or exported by another spreadsheet program, such as OpenOffice Calc or Apple Numbers. It stores data in worksheets, which contain cells arranged in a grid of rows and columns, and may also contain charts, mathematical functions, styles, and formatting. XLSX files are commonly used to store financial data and to save simple or complex mathematical models.

More Information

Microsoft introduced the Excel Open XML Spreadsheet (XLSX) format when it released Excel 2007. Since then, XLSX files have become one of the most common file types for saving data in spreadsheets, and as such, are now typically referred to as just Excel spreadsheets.

In Excel 2007, XLSX files replaced .XLS files as the standard file for saving spreadsheets in Excel. Unlike XLS files, which store spreadsheet data in a single binary file, XLSX files are saved in the Open XML format, which stores data as separate files and folders in a compressed Zip package. The archive includes the [Content_Types].xml file, which describes the spreadsheet, and an .XML file for each worksheet within the spreadsheet.

Each cell in an XLSX spreadsheet may be formatted individually. For example, cells may have a number, text, currency, or another format, as well as color, border style, custom font, and size. Cells may also reference other cells to compute a resulting value.

NOTE: To explore the contents of an XLSX file, you can change the .xlsx extension to .zip and then decompress the resulting file with any Zip decompression utility.

Common XLSX Filenames

Workbook1.xlsx — The default filename Microsoft Excel gives to new workbooks beginning with Excel 2007.

How to open an XLSX file

You can open XLSX files with Microsoft Excel in Windows and macOS. Excel is the best option for opening XLSX files because it fully supports the formatting of Excel spreadsheets, which includes images, graphs, and spacing of data fields. Excel is also available for Android and iOS devices.

Many other spreadsheet programs can open and edit XLSX files, but they may not fully support the formatting of the original spreadsheets. Alternative programs include Corel Quattro Pro (Windows), Apple Numbers (Mac), and OpenOffice Calc (multiplatform).

You can also open XLSX files with various web programs. Google Sheets is a great free option that allows you to upload an XLSX file and view, edit, save, and convert the spreadsheet.

How to convert an XLSX file

Several spreadsheet applications, including Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, and LibreOffice Calc, can convert XLSX files to other formats.

For example, you can select File → Save As in the Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft Excel to convert XLSX files to one of the following formats:

• .XLS — Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (Legacy)
• .XLSB — Microsoft Excel Binary Spreadsheet
• .ODS — OpenDocument Spreadsheet
• .CSV — Comma-Separated Values
• .DIF — Data Interchange Format
• .PDF — Portable Document Format
• .XPS — XML Paper Specification (Windows only)
• .RTF — Rich Text Format
• .TXT — Plain Text
• .HTM, .HTML — HTML Webpage
• .XML — Extensible Markup Language
• .MHT, .MHTML — MIME HTML Archive

Open and view .XLSX files with File Viewer Plus.Free Download

Programs that open XLSX files