Extract text from Works spreadsheets (XLR)
To convert XLR spreadsheets to another format, you need Microsoft Works or other Spreadsheet software.
To convert other file formats to the "Works Spreadsheet File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Works or a similar tool.
The .XLR file is a legacy spreadsheet document created by Microsoft Works, a discontinued productivity suite aimed at home users. These files store tabular data organized in rows and columns, along with basic charts and formulas. Historically, they were managed using Microsoft Works or older versions of Microsoft Excel.
Users urgently need to convert this file because it is completely obsolete. Microsoft discontinued the Works suite in 2009. The proprietary format is not supported by modern web browsers, cannot be opened natively on mobile devices, and often triggers security warnings in modern spreadsheet applications. Relying on .XLR files traps your data in a dead ecosystem.
We strongly recommend converting .XLR to XLSX, CSV, or ODS. Migrating to these modern formats guarantees long-term accessibility across all platforms. While raw data and basic mathematical formulas typically transfer perfectly, obscure Works-specific charts or complex macros may be lost during the conversion process.
Because .XLR relies on the legacy binary Microsoft Compound structure, it is incredibly difficult for standard tools to open or convert safely. Often, only the original legacy software can accurately interpret the layout. Our analyzer can inspect the internal file structure, show underlying text, and if it detects compatible spreadsheet data, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XLR file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted WKS, WPS, WDB, UPS, BDB, BCM, XLS, USB and PDF files.
If you want to convert XLR file to XLS, USB, PDF, XLSX, XLSM, XLSB, ODS, CSV, TSV, TAB, DIF or SLK, you can use Microsoft Works or similar software from the "Legacy 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 XLR, try Microsoft Works or another comparable tool in the "Legacy 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 XLR converter.