Archive
What is a .xlk file?
A .xlk file is a Microsoft Excel Backup. This is an archive — a container holding other files, usually compressed.
How to open a .xlk file
- 7-Zip (Windows) or Keka / The Unarchiver (Mac) extract most archive formats, including old ones.
- On Linux, try `7z x`, `unar` or Ark.
The registry records this extension against Microsoft Excel Backup, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .xlk file
- Extract the contents, then re-compress as .zip if you need to share them widely.
The technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .xlk.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel Backup | — | — | x-fmt/23 |