What is an XLSX file & How to open XLSX File?

What Is an XLSX File? XLSX file extension belongs to Microsoft Excel sheets. Microsoft Excel is used to create data files wherein it stores data in text and numerical forms in cells. There are several mathematical formulas that you can use to get your data processed and create your file.

What is an XLSX file & How to open XLSX File

How to Define an XLSX file?

These files used in MS Excel, a spreadsheet app that is used to organize and store data in cells. The data stored could be in text or numerical which can further be processed with mathematical formulas.

This new file extension introduced in 2007 in the office open XLS standard. Now XLSX is the default file extension for creating a spreadsheet. This file extension has replaced the previously used XLS file extension. In a layman language, MS Excel files are called XLSX files. Every spreadsheet that you create in MS Excel is saved with this file extension only.

How to Open an XLSX file?

The best way to open an XLSX file is to have Microsoft Office installed which has Microsoft Excel using which you can open & edit the xlsx file. But if you do not want to purchase the Microsoft Office then you can install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack on your system to open, edit, and save the XLSX files using an older version of Microsoft Excel.

If you do not want to edit the excel file, and only want to view, you can download Microsoft Excel Viewer. It can help you to view, print and copy the data from the xlsx file format. Although, Excel Viewer is free but there are obviously a few things it cannot do, such as:

  • You can’t edit data within the spreadsheet
  • You can’t save changes to a workbook
  • You can’t create a new workbook either

Note: The Microsoft Excel Viewer was retired in April 2018. Although, third-party websites still have the Excel Viewer but it is not recommended to download the setup from third-party websites.

What if you do not have an MS excel app on your system? How will you open and edit the excel file? Can we open this file with MS Excel? Yes, there are several online tools that you can use to open this file. Here are some of them – Apache OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Spreadsheets, Apple Numbers, Google Sheets, Zoho Docs, MS Excel Online. These online tools enable you to open, read and edit the xlsx file without MS Excel.

Google Sheets

If you are using Google sheets, you need to first upload the MS Excel file in Google drive then you can open & edit the .xlsx file easily. Another advantage associated with this is that you can share this one directly with other people on the drive. Moreover, your files are stored in the drive which you can access from anywhere and anytime. Isn’t cool?

Prerequisites: You must have a Gmail account for accessing the Google drive and its features.

Step 1 – Navigate to doc.google.com or drive.google.com where you need to upload the xlsx file first.

Upload the xlsx file on Google Drive or Google Docs

Step 2  – Now you simply need to double click the uploaded file or right-click on the file and open with the appropriate application.

Right-click on the xlsx file and open it with Google Sheets

Note: If you are browsing through Google Chrome, you can download Office Editing for Docs, Sheets and Slides extension (official extension by Google) which enables you to directly open, edit the XLSX file in the browser.

Open XLSX file online with ZOHO

This is another online platform where you just need to upload the file on Zoho docs to open & edit the xlsx file. All you need to do is navigate the docs.zoho.com. Here you will find an option to upload the file and open it.

Open XLSX file online with ZOHO

You need to have a Zoho account for accessing all these features. If you have, you can proceed or else you need to create a new Zoho account. This one also gives you an intuitive user interface where you can easily open and edit your XLSX file. Moreover, you can store your files on the cloud and easily edit them on the go.

How to Convert XLSX file

Now in order to convert the XLSX file in any other format, you need to open the .xlsx file in the same program which you use to open & edit the xlsx file. Once the file is opened, you need to save the file with a different format (extension) that you wish to convert the file to.

For example, if you are using Microsoft Excel then first open the file then from the menu click on File > Save As. Now browse to the location where you want to save the file and then from the “Save as typedrop-down select the format like CSV, XLS, TXT, XML, etc in order to convert the file to a different format and then click Save.

How to convert XLSX file

But sometimes it is easier to use third-party applications to convert the XLSX file online. Some of such free file conversion tools are Zamzar, Convert Files, Online-Convert, etc.

Conclusion

It is more effective to use Drive options to open and edit the excel files because it gives you interactive user-interface, multiple features and most important storage of the file in the cloud. Don’t you think that accessing your files from anywhere and anytime is the best advantage that you can get by opting for the Google drive option to open, edit and format your XLSX files? Yes, it is. Therefore, you need to choose the one option that you find is secure and convenient for your purpose.

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That’s if you have successfully learned about What is an XLSX file and How you can open XLSX File on your system, but if you still have any queries regarding this guide then please feel free to ask them in the comment section.

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