Q: Can old Lotus files be converted to Excel? If so, how? — Kathy
A: Wow. Lotus. That was the killer app of spreadsheet software back in the ’80s. IBM last year, which meant it stopped making .
Just like aging CDs that best be moved to a newer storage format before the , you need to move files to new formats before old software calls it quits.
Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet files typically end with .wk1 or another number.
If you still have Lotus software on your computer, save the file as a .csv (comma separated value). Data saved though formulas may not be. This will allow other spreadsheets to open the file.
If you only have a version of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft provides a guide on how to open older Lotus files at ” ,” found here: .
Another alternative is to use Apache’s Open-Office, a free suite of office software. Using OpenOffice’s Calc, a spreadsheet program, it opened an easily. You can download the software at .
And if you’re ready to move to the current century, many reliable companies are offering Web-based spreadsheets that allow you to create, save and share spreadsheets. A few prominent ones:
• Microsoft Office Online offers free use of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. at
• Google Drive also offers free spreadsheet software at
Send questions to tchuang@denverpost.com
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