Extract text from XEL files
To convert your XEL file to another format, you need Microsoft SQL Server or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "Event Log File" file type, you need software like Microsoft SQL Server or a similar tool.
The .XEL file extension is primarily associated with Extended Events Logs generated by Microsoft SQL Server. These files are the modern, lightweight successor to the older SQL Trace (TRC) format, designed to capture complex database system events for performance tuning and troubleshooting. Unlike standard text logs, .XEL files are stored in a proprietary binary format to minimize the performance impact on the server during recording.
Because they are binary, .XEL files cannot be read in standard text editors like Notepad++ or Microsoft Word. Users typically must install the resource-heavy SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) just to view the content. This creates a significant barrier for data analysts, auditors, or developers who need to review logs but lack access to a running SQL environment. Sharing raw .XEL files is often impractical due to these compatibility constraints.
To overcome this, users should convert .XEL logs to universally accessible formats. For manual analysis and filtering, converting to CSV or XLSX allows for easy viewing in Microsoft Excel. For archiving or importing data into third-party monitoring tools, converting to XML or JSON preserves the structured nature of the event data without the proprietary lock-in. Note: A small percentage of .XEL files may belong to XIGNCODE3 (an anti-cheat system); these are executable modules and should not be converted.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XEL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted XLSX, LDF, TRN and DSV files.
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 XEL converter.