Many historical tables are still saved in .xls format, and may need to be uniformly converted to .xlsx for collaboration, archiving, or system import. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to batch add multiple Excel files and complete the format conversion using the "Convert Excel to Xlsx" feature, suitable for scenarios such as financial reports, business ledgers, and historical table organization.
In daily office work, many Excel spreadsheet files may come from different years, departments, or business systems, and quite a few are still in the older .xls format. Manually opening a single file and saving it as .xlsx is not complicated, but if there are dozens, hundreds, or even more Excel files on the desktop that need unified format conversion, the repetitive process of opening, saving as, and closing can be very time-consuming and is prone to issues like missed processing, naming confusion, or saving to the wrong location.
The problem this article aims to solve is clear: batch converting many Excel spreadsheet files from XLS format to XLSX format. The following will combine screenshots, using the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " as an example, to explain how to enter the Excel tool module, select the "Excel to Xlsx" function, batch import files, and complete the processing according to the interface workflow. Through this method, the Excel format conversion task that originally required individual operations can be organized into a single batch process, reducing repetitive labor and improving file organization efficiency.
Applicable Scenarios: When Do You Need to Batch Convert XLS to XLSX
XLS is an older workbook format commonly used by Excel, while XLSX is the newer Office Open XML format. Many enterprises tend to prefer using .xlsx files for document management, data exchange, and system import because it aligns better with the current Excel office environment and facilitates subsequent sharing, archiving, and processing.
The following scenarios are particularly suitable for using batch conversion tools:
- Financial Report Archiving: Historical annual financial statements, budget sheets, and reconciliation sheets are still in .xls and need to be uniformly changed to .xlsx before archiving.
- Business Ledger Organization: Sales ledgers, customer lists, inventory sheets, etc., from different personnel have inconsistent formats and need batch standardization of file formats.
- Preparation Before System Import: Some systems require uploading .xlsx files, so older .xls files need to be converted first.
- File Migration and Backup: When a company changes office standards or migrates to a new document library, they may want to unify old Excel files into XLSX format.
- Multi-person Collaboration: To reduce compatibility issues, converting old format spreadsheets to the commonly used new format makes it easier for colleagues to open and edit.
If there are only a few files, manually saving them as another format works; but when the number of files reaches dozens or more, using office software like " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " for batch processing will be more suitable for actual office needs.
Preview of Results: XLS Before Processing, Unified as XLSX After
Before Processing: Many Excel files with .xls extension
From the screenshot before processing, you can see a batch of Excel spreadsheet files named from "Financial Statements 1.xls" to "Financial Statements 30.xls" in the folder. Their file extensions are all .xls, which belongs to the older Excel workbook format. If you open and save each one as .xlsx individually, you would need to repeat the same action 30 times for 30 files.
This situation is very common in office work: files have similar naming rules, a large quantity, and consistent extensions, making it perfect for batch processing tools to uniformly complete the format conversion.
After Processing: File extensions uniformly changed to .xlsx
The screenshot after processing shows that the same batch of files has become "Financial Statements 1.xlsx" to "Financial Statements 30.xlsx". That is, the original .xls spreadsheets have been batch converted to .xlsx format, with the main filenames remaining unchanged and the extensions updated.
This conversion result facilitates subsequent organizing, sending, uploading to systems, or storing in enterprise document libraries. Compared to manual individual saving-as, batch conversion can significantly reduce repetitive operations and lower the risk of missing files.
Operation Steps: Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to Batch Convert Excel Format
Step 1: Enter Excel Tools, Select "Excel to Xlsx"
After opening " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", you can see multiple office document-related modules in the left function category, such as Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, etc. Since the objects to be processed this time are Excel spreadsheet files, first click Excel Tools on the left.
After entering the Excel Tools page, the interface will display multiple function cards related to Excel batch processing, such as Excel Add Password Protection, Excel Remove Password Protection, Excel to PDF, Excel to Csv, etc. Based on this time's goal, you need to find and click the "Excel to Xlsx" function. In the screenshot, this function is located in the right area of the list with a clear label, indicating it is for "Batch convert Excel files to Xlsx format".
The purpose of this step is to tell the software what specific task to perform next: not exporting images, not converting to PDF, but converting Excel files to XLSX format. After selecting the correct function, the subsequently imported files will be processed according to the XLSX format conversion workflow.
Step 2: Add Excel Files That Need Conversion
After entering the "Excel to Xlsx" function page, the interface top displays the current function name, and the workflow area shows Step 1 as "Select records to process". In the upper right, you can see two main import entries: "Add File" and "Import Files from Folder".
If you only need to process some Excel files, you can click "Add File" to manually select the specified .xls files; if the files are all concentrated in the same folder, like the batch of Financial Statements spreadsheets in the screenshot, it is more suitable to click "Import Files from Folder" to add all files from the folder into the processing list at once.
After importing, a file list will appear at the bottom of the page. The list in the screenshot includes columns for sequence number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, actions, and more. Through these fields, you can check: whether the file names are correct, whether the paths are from the target folder, and whether the extensions are xls. If you find a file that does not need processing, you can remove it through the delete icon in the action column; if the import is incorrect, you can also use the "Clear" button on the page to reselect.
Step 3: Confirm the Pending List to Avoid Missing or Wrong Selections
Before batch conversion, it is recommended to quickly check the pending list. For tasks like batch Excel to XLSX conversion, the most critical points to confirm are three things:
- Is the quantity correct: For example, in this case, 30 Financial Statements files need conversion; the imported quantity should roughly match the number of files in the folder.
- Does the extension meet expectations: The extension shown in the list is xls, indicating the currently imported files are the older version Excel files that need conversion.
- Is the path correct: If there are multiple folders with the same name on the computer, confirm that the path comes from the target directory for this processing session.
The page also provides list viewing capabilities such as pagination, items per page, filtering, and sorting. For situations with a large number of files, these list functions can assist in checking to avoid adding unrelated files to the conversion task.
Step 4: Click "Next" to Set the Save Location
After confirming there are no problems with the file list, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. In the interface workflow prompt, Step 2 is "Set save location". The purpose of this step is to determine where the converted .xlsx files will be saved.
When batch processing files, the save location is very important. It is recommended to choose a clear output directory based on office habits, such as creating a new "XLSX Conversion Results" folder to distinguish them from the original .xls files. This way, even if you need to check the files before and after processing later, you won't confuse the original and new files.
Since the screenshot does not show the detailed options on the specific save location page, in actual operation, follow the software interface prompts to complete the save path setting and then continue to the next workflow step.
Step 5: Start Processing, Wait for Batch Conversion to Complete
Step 3 in the workflow prompt is "Start processing". After setting the save location, follow the interface prompts to initiate processing. The software will batch convert the Excel files in the imported list based on the previously selected "Excel to Xlsx" function.
After processing is complete, open the output folder for inspection. The expected result is: files originally with the .xls extension have generated corresponding .xlsx files; the main part of the filename typically remains consistent, with only the extension changed to .xlsx. This completes the format unification of many Excel spreadsheet files.
Common Problems and Notes
1. What is the difference between XLS and XLSX?
.xls is the workbook format used by earlier versions of Excel, while .xlsx is the newer Excel workbook format. For daily office use, .xlsx is more common and more suitable for current versions of Excel, WPS Spreadsheets, and many enterprise systems. Batch converting XLS to XLSX can help standardize file specifications.
2. Is it necessary to back up the original files before conversion?
It is recommended to keep the original .xls files, especially for important files like financial statements, contract lists, and business data. Batch conversion is a file processing operation, and backing up beforehand can reduce the risk of operational errors and facilitate subsequent verification.
3. Can I import an entire folder at once?
As seen from the screenshot, the function page provides an "Import Files from Folder" button. Therefore, when needing to process many Excel files in the same folder, this entry can be used to improve import efficiency and avoid selecting files one by one.
4. What if I import files that don't need conversion?
A delete icon can be seen in the action column of the file list. If only a few files don't need processing, they can be removed from the list; if the overall import is wrong, you can use "Clear" and then re-add the files.
5. How to check the results after batch conversion?
After processing is complete, it's recommended to check based on three dimensions: file count, file name, and extension. For example, if there were 30 .xls files before processing, you should see a corresponding number of .xlsx files afterward; the main filenames should correspond to the originals, and the extensions should have become .xlsx.
Summary: Use Batch Processing Tools to Reduce Repetitive Save-As Operations
Batch converting Excel XLS files to XLSX format is essentially a high-frequency but repetitive office task. While manually processing a small number of files is acceptable, facing dozens or more spreadsheets, doing them one by one—opening, saving as, closing—is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions.
Through the Excel tool module of " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", you can directly select "Excel to Xlsx", then use "Add File" or "Import Files from Folder" to batch add the spreadsheets to be processed, and subsequently follow the workflow to set the save location and start processing. For positions like finance, administration, HR, and operations that frequently organize spreadsheet files, this batch conversion method can significantly reduce repetitive labor and simplify the process of standardizing file formats.
If you currently have many .xls spreadsheets that need to be converted to .xlsx, it is recommended to first gather the files into one folder, confirm the file quantity and naming rules, and then follow the steps in this article to use the office software for batch processing, quickly completing Excel format unification.