Excel Spreadsheet

Carlton Harris 0 Reputation points
2026-11-09T22:58:10.5533333+00:00

cannot open excel spreadsheet with the tag .xls in Onedrive

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
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John Jefferson Doyon 90,730 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-11-09T23:40:09.94+00:00

Hi, @Carlton Harris

The .xls format is an older Excel file format. Please try downloading the file and opening it using the Excel desktop app.

If it opens successfully, use "File" > "Save As" and save a copy in .xlsx format. Then upload the converted file to OneDrive and check if it opens.

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-09T23:00:41.4266667+00:00

    Convert the .xls workbook to .xlsx and upload the converted copy to OneDrive; Excel for the web can view .xls files but converts them to .xlsx for editing.^1^

    Convert the file

    1. In OneDrive on the web, select the file, then choose Download.
    2. Keep the original .xls file as a backup.
    3. Open the downloaded file in the Excel desktop application.
    4. Select File → Save As.
    5. For Save as type, select Excel Workbook (.xlsx) and use a new filename.
    6. Upload the new .xlsx file to OneDrive and open it in the browser.

    Important: If the workbook contains macros, saving it as .xlsx removes them. Preserve the original and use a macro-enabled format if the macros are required.

    If the downloaded file will not open

    That points to a problem with this workbook rather than the OneDrive webpage. In desktop Excel:

    1. Select File → Open → Browse.
    2. Select the downloaded .xls file.
    3. Select the arrow beside Open, then choose Open and Repair.
    4. Choose Repair first.
    5. If repair fails, repeat the process and choose Extract Data to recover available values and formulas.^2^
    6. Save the recovered workbook under a new .xlsx filename and upload it to OneDrive.

    Do not simply rename .xls to .xlsx; changing the filename extension does not convert the underlying workbook format and can produce a format-mismatch error.^3^

    If only the browser fails

    Test another known-good Excel file in the same OneDrive account:

    • Other files open: the affected .xls file likely needs conversion or repair.
    • No Excel files open: try an InPrivate/Incognito window or another current browser. If that works, disable browser extensions for OneDrive or clear the browser’s cached data and cookies; browser cache and extensions can interfere with Excel for the web loading.^4^
    • The converted .xlsx still fails in multiple browsers: use OneDrive’s support option and provide the filename, approximate file size, browser name, and the exact “Sorry, an error has occurred” message.

    References

    1. Office for the web service description
    2. Repairing a corrupted workbook
    3. A file is in a different format than its extension indicates in Excel
    4. Failed to open a file on web Excel which has no previous version. - Microsoft Q&A
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Carlton Harris 0 Reputation points
    2026-11-11T09:55:05.62+00:00

    I still cannot open file with the .xsl tag in my Microsoft 365 one drive. it wont allow me to copy or convert it to another type file that I can open

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