Free online WQ2 to XLS converter

A current spreadsheet program, reporting system, or recipient may accept Excel’s .xls format but not the legacy .wq2 format. Converting the file makes its worksheet data easier to edit, exchange, and archive, provided the exported workbook is checked for changes.

What the WQ2 format is

WQ2 is the native spreadsheet format associated with Borland Quattro Pro 2.0 for DOS. It can contain cell values, text, formulas, and period-specific formatting, and is found mainly in DOS-era business, accounting, and personal records. WQ2 is a binary application format, not a text file or CSV file, so changing its filename extension does not make it an Excel workbook.

What the XLS format is

XLS is Microsoft Excel’s binary workbook format used by Excel 97–2003 and supported for compatibility by many current office suites. It preserves worksheet structure, formulas, values, and much of the formatting during normal exports, and is suitable when an older business application specifically requires Excel 97–2003 files.

XLS is less capable than the newer XLSX format. It is limited to 65,536 rows and 256 columns per worksheet, and does not support some newer Excel features. Use XLSX instead when the receiving system accepts it and the workbook contains larger data sets or modern spreadsheet features.

How to convert WQ2 to XLS

Using 101convert.com

1. Open the WQ2-to-XLS converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select the source .wq2 file from the computer.
3. Start the conversion and wait for processing to finish.
4. Download the resulting .xls file.
5. Open it in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or another application that supports XLS, then verify the contents.

This option requires no installed spreadsheet software. Do not upload confidential records unless the service’s handling of uploaded files meets the applicable privacy requirements, and retain the original WQ2 file until validation is complete.

Using Quattro Pro

1. Open the WQ2 file in Corel Quattro Pro or another Quattro Pro release that supports DOS-era WQ files. A current release may open the file directly; some files require an older Quattro Pro version as an intermediate step.
2. Use File → Save As or the program’s export command.
3. Choose Microsoft Excel 97–2003, Excel 97–2003 Workbook, or the equivalent .xls output type.
4. Save the file, then open the exported workbook in the application that will receive it.

If the installed Quattro Pro version can open WQ2 but cannot write XLS, save an intermediate Quattro Pro format and open that copy in a version with Excel export support. Exporting to CSV is a fallback for cell values and plain text, but it discards formulas, formatting, multiple sheets, and other workbook features.

LibreOffice Calc may open some Quattro Pro files, but support for the DOS-era WQ2 variant is not consistent. Test the specific file; if Calc reports an unknown format or imports incomplete data, use Quattro Pro or 101convert.com instead.

Quality and compatibility checks

Compare the converted workbook with the source, checking formulas, calculated results, dates, decimal separators, text encoding, column widths, merged cells, hidden rows or columns, page settings, charts, and every worksheet or notebook page. Quattro Pro-specific functions may be rewritten, displayed as errors, or converted to fixed values. Macros, external database links, password protection, print settings, charts, and unusual formatting may be omitted or altered because they have no direct XLS equivalent.

Open the saved file in the target program rather than relying only on the conversion result’s filename. A file named report.xls is not necessarily an XLS workbook: renaming report.wq2 to report.xls changes only the name, not the internal format.