Many office scenarios still require the use of the more compatible XLS format, such as older versions of Excel, legacy system import templates, and spreadsheet uploads in finance or HR software. Manually opening each XLSX file one by one and saving it as XLS is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions. This article explains how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch convert multiple Excel spreadsheet files to XLS format in one go, and walks through the complete process with before-and-after screenshots and software interface instructions.
In daily office work, we often encounter this problem: we have a batch of Excel spreadsheet files, mostly with the .xlsx extension, but the business system, older versions of Office, certain financial software, or internal data platforms only support the .xls format. At this point, opening files one by one and then choosing to save them as XLS is not only repetitive, but when there are many files, it’s easy to miss files, create naming confusion, or save them to the wrong location.
This article addresses the high-frequency office problem of "how to batch convert many Excel spreadsheet files to XLS format." As seen in the screenshots, the office software used this time is " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", which is positioned as a batch processing tool for files such as Word, Excel, PDF, and images. Its core value lies in reducing repetitive work, allowing format conversion, organization, and renaming of a large number of files to be completed in one go. The following will detail how to batch convert multiple .xlsx Excel files to .xls files, covering the before processing effect, after processing effect, and actual operation steps.
Applicable Scenarios: When Do You Need to Batch Convert Excel to XLS
XLS is a common workbook format for earlier versions of Excel. Although many files now use .xlsx, XLS is still very common in some office environments. For example, there might be a legacy system within the company that can only recognize .xls; a client requires submitting a spreadsheet compatible with an older Office version; HR, procurement, or finance departments need to upload multiple spreadsheets to a system whose template requires XLS; or team members use inconsistent software versions and need a unified file format.
If there are only one or two files, manual conversion is acceptable. But when the number of files reaches tens or hundreds, manual operation consumes a lot of time. What's more troublesome is that repetitively executing the process of "opening Excel, saving as, choosing the format, confirming save" can easily lead to errors due to fatigue. The advantage of using batch processing office software lies here: import files in one go, uniformly set the output format and save location, and then let the tool process automatically.
Effect Preview: Before Processing are XLSX, After Processing Unified to XLS
Before processing, multiple Excel files can be seen in the folder, with file names including Employee Information 1.xlsx, Image1.xlsx, Local image path test.xlsx, Image1(1).xlsx, etc. From the extensions, it can be determined that these files are currently in the .xlsx format, which is the new Excel workbook format.
After processing is complete, the same batch of files has been converted to the .xls format. In the screenshot after processing, the file extensions can be seen changed to Employee Information 1.xls, Employee Information.xls, Image1(1).xls, Image1(2).xls, Image1.xls, Local image path test.xls. This indicates that the batch conversion result has been achieved: multiple Excel spreadsheet files have been uniformly output in the XLS format.
From the before-and-after comparison, it can be seen that the focus of conversion is not modifying the file name display, but converting the Excel file format from .xlsx to .xls. For office scenarios needing compatibility with legacy systems, older Excel versions, or specified template formats, this batch conversion method can significantly reduce manual operations.
Operation Step 1: Enter the Excel Tool and Select "Excel to Xls"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see different categories of tools on the left side, including Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, etc. Since the processing target this time is Excel spreadsheet files, first select "Excel Tools" on the left side.
After entering the Excel Tools list, the page displays multiple batch functions related to Excel, such as Find and Replace Keywords in Excel, Add Password Protection to Excel, Remove Password Protection from Excel, Export Pictures from Excel Cells, Excel to PDF, Excel to Csv, etc. According to the screenshot, the function to use this time is "Excel to Xls". After clicking this function card, you will enter the task page for batch converting to XLS.
The purpose of this step is to explicitly tell the software that the output format for this task is Xls. That is, regardless of whether multiple .xlsx files are imported, they will eventually be converted to .xls files according to this function's rules. For users unfamiliar with format conversion, as long as they choose the correct function entry, subsequent operations will be simpler.
Operation Step 2: Add the Excel Files to be Converted
After entering the "Excel to Xls" page, you can see buttons like "Add Files", "Import Files from Folder", "Clear", and "More" at the top of the interface. The middle of the page shows Step 1 of the current task: Select records to be processed. The "records" here can be understood as the list of files to be converted.
If the number of Excel files to convert is small, you can click "Add Files" and select the .xlsx files you need to process from your computer. If these files are concentrated in the same folder, you can also use "Import Files from Folder", which adds all the Excel files in the entire folder to the task list more quickly. The arrow in the screenshot points to "Add Files", indicating this is one of the key entry points for importing files.
After files are added, the list will show information like serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, and actions. The screenshot shows that 6 .xlsx files have been added, and the bottom also shows a record count of 6. Through the list, you can check before processing whether all files are imported, if the paths are correct, and if the extensions meet expectations. If you find a file that doesn't need conversion, you can remove it via the delete icon in the action column; if all additions are wrong, you can also use "Clear" to reselect.
Operation Step 3: Verify the File List and Proceed to the Next Step
The most error-prone part of batch conversion is often not the software processing itself, but the user not verifying the file list before starting. It is recommended to check at least three pieces of information before clicking the next step: first, whether the file count is correct; second, whether the file extensions are the Excel files that need converting, such as .xlsx; third, whether the file paths are from the target folder, to avoid mistakenly adding spreadsheets from other projects to the task.
The table in the screenshot lists the full path of each file, such as Employee Information 1.xlsx, Image1.xlsx, etc., located under the desktop test folder. After verifying, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. According to the process prompts at the top of the interface, the subsequent steps will lead to "Set Save Location", and finally "Start Processing".
The purpose of this step is to complete verification before truly starting the batch conversion. For batch processing tasks with office software, the clearer the upfront verification, the lower the probability of subsequent rework.
Operation Step 4: Set Save Location and Start Batch Conversion
In the task flow, Step 2 is "Set Save Location". Although the screenshot doesn't show the specific save location setting page, it is reasonable to infer from the process prompts that the software will ask the user to specify the save method or directory for the converted XLS files. It is recommended to save the output files into a separate folder, such as "XLS Conversion Results" or "Converted XLS", to easily distinguish them from the original .xlsx files.
After setting the save location, proceed to Step 3 "Start Processing". After clicking Start Processing, HeSoft Doc Batch Tool will process the files in sequence according to the imported list, batch converting the original Excel files to .xls format. After conversion is complete, check the results at the specified output location.
If the processed file names remain consistent with the original file names, only changing the extension from .xlsx to .xls, it is more convenient for subsequent identification. For example, Employee Information.xlsx becomes Employee Information.xls after conversion, and Image1.xlsx becomes Image1.xls. This preserves the original file naming logic while meeting the system's requirement for the XLS format.
Common Questions and Precautions
1. What is the difference between XLSX and XLS? .xlsx is the newer Excel workbook format, typically used in newer versions of Office; .xls is the older Excel workbook format, which has greater compatibility but may lag behind .xlsx in row/column limits and support for some newer features. The primary purpose of batch converting to XLS is usually for compatibility with older systems or software.
2. Will batch conversion change the original files? It is recommended to choose a new output directory when setting the save location to avoid mixing them with the original files. This way, even if conversion results need to be reviewed, you can still keep the original .xlsx files as backups.
3. When there are many files, should I use "Add Files" or "Import Files from Folder"? If files are scattered in different locations, you can use "Add Files" to select them batch by batch; if all files are in the same folder, using "Import Files from Folder" is usually more efficient.
4. Should I close Excel files before conversion? It is recommended to close Excel files that are being edited or occupied. When a file is occupied by another program, it might affect reading, saving, or the conversion result.
5. Why verify the extension before conversion? The list in the screenshot displays an "Extension" column, allowing users to confirm that the currently imported files are xlsx. Verifying the extension helps avoid adding irrelevant files to the task.
Summary: Use Batch Processing Tools to Hand Over Repetitive Format Conversion to Software
Batch converting Excel spreadsheets to XLS format is essentially a typical repetitive office task. If processed manually, each file requires opening, saving as, choosing the format, and confirming save; whereas using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you just need to select "Excel to Xls", import files, verify the list, set the save location, and start processing, completing the format conversion for multiple files in one go.
For administrative, HR, finance, operations, and data organization personnel who frequently handle Excel, XLSX, and XLS spreadsheets, this type of batch processing office software can significantly save time and reduce human omissions. It is recommended that the next time you encounter a large number of Excel files that need to be uniformly converted to XLS, directly adopt this batch processing workflow, saving your energy for data checking and business analysis, rather than consuming it on mechanical, repetitive format conversion.