How to Save to the Old Excel Format (.xls) From Excel

In this tutorial, you will learn how to save to the old .xls format from Excel.

save xlsx file as xls final

Save to Old Excel Format

To save an Excel file with the .xlsx extension as the old Excel format (.xls), follow these steps:

1. In the Ribbon, go to File > Save a Copy (Save as).

excel save as

2. Choose format Excel 97-2003 Workbook (.xls) and click Save.

save xlsx file as xls

As a result, the .xlsx file is saved in the old Excel format (.xls).

save xlsx file as xls final

Note: You can also use VBA code to convert a file to .xls format.