Document
What is a .xlw file?
A .xlw file is a Microsoft Excel Workspace File. This is a document format, so it holds text and layout meant to be read. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 5 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
5 different formats have claimed .xlw over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .xlw file
- Try LibreOffice (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) — it opens an enormous range of current and historic document formats.
- Microsoft Word and Google Docs handle most mainstream document types.
- If nothing opens it, open it in a text editor: many older document formats have readable text inside.
The registry records this extension against Microsoft Excel Workspace File, Microsoft Excel 4.0 Workbook (xls), Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (xls) and others, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .xlw file
- Once it opens in LibreOffice or Word, Save As .docx or .pdf to get it into a format you can use anywhere.
MIME type
When a .xlw file travels over the web, servers label it with this MIME type:
application/vnd.ms-excelThe technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .xlw.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel Workspace File | — | — | x-fmt/128 |
| Microsoft Excel 4.0 Workbook (xls) | 4W | application/vnd.ms-excel | fmt/58 |
| Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook (xls) | 5/95 | application/vnd.ms-excel | fmt/59 |
| Microsoft Excel 97-2003 Workbook (xls) | 8 & 8X | application/vnd.ms-excel | fmt/61 |
| Microsoft Excel Workspace File | 5/95 | application/vnd.ms-excel | fmt/1858 |