Convert XLK files online for free
The converter easily converts your XLK file to various formats - free and online. No Windows Backup or extra software needed.
The converter also works in reverse, so you can convert other Spreadsheet formats to XLK with high quality output.
A .XLK file is a specialized backup archive generated by Microsoft Excel. These files function as an automatic safety net, created only when the "Always create backup" setting is enabled within the "Save As" > "Tools" menu. Technically, an .XLK contains the data state of the workbook immediately prior to the most recent save operation, ensuring that if the current file is corrupted or accidentally overwritten, the previous version remains accessible.
Despite their utility, .XLK files create significant friction in digital workflows. The primary issue is format ambiguity: an .XLK adopts the internal structure of its parent file. If the original was a modern XLSX, the .XLK is a ZIP-compressed XML file; if it was a legacy XLS, the .XLK is a binary OLE Compound file. This inconsistency confuses many third-party viewers, mobile spreadsheet apps, and strict file parsers that expect the extension to define the format. Furthermore, operating systems often lack a default association for .XLK, resulting in "Unknown File Type" errors upon double-clicking.
To ensure data accessibility and compatibility, users should convert .XLK files to standard formats. For continued editing and broad compatibility with tools like Google Sheets, convert to XLSX. For legacy systems, revert to XLS. If the goal is to archive a specific version of a spreadsheet for compliance or records without risk of modification, convert to .PDF/A.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XLK file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted TSV, SLK and XLA files.
If you want to convert XLK file to BAK, BACKUP, OLD, TMP, TEMP, ARC, ZIP, TAR, GZ, 7Z, RAR or ISO, you can use Microsoft Excel or similar software from the "Excel Spreadsheet Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SNAPSHOT, OLD, IMG, RESTORE, ISO, COPY, VMDK, TMP, VHD, BAK, ARCHIVE or BACKUP files to XLK, try Microsoft Excel or another comparable tool in the "Excel Spreadsheet Backup" 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 XLK converter.