Free online POR to XLS converter

Conversion is needed when an SPSS dataset must be edited in Microsoft Excel, shared with someone who does not use SPSS, or imported into a system that accepts only legacy Excel workbooks. The result is an .xls file, which Excel 97–2003 and compatible spreadsheet applications can open.

What the POR format is

POR is the SPSS Portable file format used to exchange statistical datasets between SPSS installations and operating systems. IBM SPSS Statistics and GNU PSPP can read this format, which is commonly found in older research projects, survey-data exchanges, and statistical archives.

A POR file can contain cases, variable names, variable labels, value labels, measurement information, missing-value definitions, date formats, and other statistical metadata. It is not a spreadsheet format, so Excel does not normally open it directly. SPSS's native .sav format is generally preferred for ongoing statistical work, while POR is intended for portability.

What the XLS format is

XLS is Excel's binary workbook format from Excel 97 through Excel 2003. It stores tabular data in worksheets and can include formulas, formatting, charts, filters, and multiple sheets. Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Apache OpenOffice Calc, and many reporting systems can open it.

XLS is useful when a recipient or older application requires an Excel-compatible workbook. Each worksheet is limited to 65,536 rows and 256 columns. Use XLSX, CSV, or a statistical format for larger datasets or newer Excel features.

How to convert POR to XLS

Using 101convert.com

You can convert the file for free on 101convert.com without installing software:

1. Open the POR-to-XLS converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the .por file.
3. Choose XLS as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting workbook and open it in Excel or LibreOffice Calc.

Do not upload medical, financial, confidential research, or personally identifiable data unless your organization's data policy permits transferring it to an online service.

Using IBM SPSS Statistics

1. Start SPSS and select File → Open → Data.
2. Set the file filter to SPSS Portable, or select the POR file manually, and open it.
3. Check the case count, variable names, labels, missing values, dates, and data types in Data View and Variable View.
4. Select File → Save As, choose Excel 97–2003 (*.xls) or the equivalent Excel format, select a destination, and save.
5. If SPSS displays export options, choose whether column headings use variable names or labels and whether cells contain raw values or value labels.

Menu names vary by SPSS release. If the installed version cannot write XLS directly, export the loaded data as .csv through File → Export, open the CSV in LibreOffice Calc, then choose File → Save As and select Excel 97–2003 (.xls).

Using PSPP and LibreOffice

GNU PSPP can open many SPSS Portable files, but its spreadsheet-export options vary by version. Open the POR file with File → Open, then use the available File → Export or File → Save As command to create a CSV file. Open that CSV in LibreOffice Calc and save it as Excel 97–2003 (.xls).

Quality and compatibility limits

Conversion preserves tabular values more reliably than statistical metadata. Variable names and basic labels may become column headings or cell text, but SPSS measurement levels, user-defined missing values, value-label mappings, formats, weighting settings, filters, and other analysis settings may not remain operational in Excel. Keep the original POR file as the authoritative statistical dataset.

After conversion, compare row and column counts with the POR file and inspect dates, decimal separators, negative values, missing-value codes, and identifier columns. Spreadsheet software may display missing values as blanks, convert identifiers with leading zeroes into numbers, or reinterpret date and time values. If the dataset exceeds XLS limits or needs newer Excel features, save it as XLSX instead.