3/30/25, 1:27 PM Convert Excel XML files to Excel XLS files via command line - Microsoft Community

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AN AntheaD_66 Created on February 19, 2021 Question Info

Convert Excel XML files to Excel XLS files via command

Last updated March 29, 2025
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Views 1,731
We generate reports using Excel and with the new versions of Excel it creates a XML file. However
if a user has an older version of Excel and tries to open the file it fails. Is there a way to convert Applies to:
an EXCEL XML file to EXCEL XLS file via the command line, we have tried just renaming the file
from XML to XLS and this doesn't always work Microsoft 365 and Office / Excel /
For home / Windows
Thanks

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NikolinoDE
Replied on February 20, 2021

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Excel: import XML file - this is how it works

External data can be easily imported into Excel. You can find the import function of
Excel as follows:

Switch to the "Data" tab in the Excel menu.

In the "Retrieve external data" area, click on the "From other sources" button.
In the selection menu, click on "From XML data import".
Select the XML file.
Click on "Open".

The XML file is now imported and is available for further processing.

additional infos
Import XML data
(click on header for more info)

If you previously created an XML Map, you can use it to import XML data into cells
that are mapped, but there also are several methods and commands for importing
XML data without an XML Map.
If you have an XML Map, do this to import XML data into mapped cells:
1. In the XML Map, select one of the mapped cells.
2. Click Developer > Import.
If you don't see the Developer tab, see Show the Developer tab.
3. In the Import XML dialog box, locate and select the XML data file (.xml) you
want to import, and click Import.

I would be happy to know if I could help.

Nikolino
I know I don't know anything (Socrates)

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Andreas Killer
Volunteer Moderator
Replied on February 21, 2021

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We cannot understand why this is happening, can you please share such a XML
report?

Then we can look at the file and try to reproduce the issue. Which version of Excel is
causing the issue?

IMPORTANT: Zip your file!

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/zip-and-unzip-files-8d28fa72-f2f9-
712f-67df-f80cf89fd4e5

Login to https://onedrive.live.com (Use the same Login ID and password as for this
forum).
Click Upload in the top and choose your file.
After uploading, right click the file and choose Share.
Click Copy Link in the lower left edge (no need to enter an email).
Copy the link and paste it here.

Andreas.

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AN
AntheaD_66
Replied on February 22, 2021

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In reply to NikolinoDE's post on February 20, 2021

Thank you for your reply but i want to be able to convert it at the command line

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AN
AntheaD_66
Replied on February 22, 2021

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In reply to Andreas Killer's post on February 21, 2021

We use a 3rd party reporting tool which generates excel XML code reports. However if
a user has an older version of Excel it creates an error when trying to open the report
in excel.

For these users to be able to open this in excel, we have to open it in the new version
of excel and do a save as Excel 97-2003 Workbook, which then saves the file to .XLS
format and all users no matter the version of excel can open the file.

I am looking for a DLL or some function within Excel that I can perform this save as
function at the command line, so that if the reports are emailed to users with older
version of excel they dont have issues.

Thanks

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Andreas Killer
Volunteer Moderator
Replied on February 23, 2021

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In reply to AntheaD_66's post on February 22, 2021

I am looking for a DLL or some function within Excel that I can perform this save as
function at the command line, so that if the reports are emailed to users with older
version of excel they dont have issues.

IMHO you will search in vain.

Andreas.

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