Extract text from Lotus 2 worksheets (WKI)
To convert WKI worksheets to another format, you need Lotus 1-2-3 or other Spreadsheet software.
To convert other file formats to the "Legacy Spreadsheet" file type, you need software like Lotus 1-2-3 or a similar tool.
The .WKI file extension represents a legacy Lotus 2 Worksheet. These files were primarily used by early versions of Lotus 1-2-3 to store spreadsheet data, including cells, formulas, and raw financial records. Originally, these files were opened by Lotus 1-2-3, a software suite eventually acquired by IBM and officially discontinued.
The primary disadvantage of the .WKI format is severe obsolescence. Modern spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel no longer support opening these files natively. This creates a hard block for users trying to access decades-old accounting or historical business data. Relying on this format guarantees lock-in to software that cannot run on modern operating systems without emulation.
We recommend converting .WKI files to XLSX or CSV. While raw cell data and text usually survive conversion, complex legacy macros or early graphical features will be permanently lost.
Because this is a closed, proprietary, and highly outdated binary format, standard online converters often fail to process it properly. If our analysis detects a supported underlying structure or extractable text, viewing or converting the core data may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your WKI file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert WKI file to XLS, XLSX, XLSM, XLSB, ODS, CSV, TSV, TAB, DIF, SLK, WK1 or WK3, you can use Lotus 1-2-3 or similar software from the "Spreadsheet Data Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert WQ1, XLSM, NOTES, QPW, WK3, WB2, WKS, XLSB, 123, XLS, WB1 or XLSX files to WKI, try Lotus 1-2-3 or another comparable tool in the "Spreadsheet Data Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our WKI converter.