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Convert DBF to XLS - Open Legacy Databases in Excel

Transform dBase and FoxPro databases into Excel spreadsheets. Access your data anywhere.

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format
Step 3: Convert files

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Legacy Database Files Locked Away?

You have data trapped in DBF files from an old dBase or FoxPro system. Maybe it is customer records, inventory data, or historical reports from a legacy application. Modern computers do not natively open these database files, and the software that created them is long discontinued.

Converting DBF to XLS gives you immediate access to that data in Microsoft Excel. The XLS format is universally supported across spreadsheet applications, making your legacy information usable again. In our testing, DBF files from systems dating back to the 1990s converted cleanly with all records intact.

How to Convert DBF to XLS

  1. Upload your DBF file - Drag and drop or click to select your database file
  2. Confirm XLS output - Excel format is selected for maximum compatibility
  3. Download your spreadsheet - Open immediately in Excel, LibreOffice, or Google Sheets

The conversion preserves your data structure. Column names become headers, and each database record becomes a spreadsheet row. No technical knowledge required.

What is a DBF File?

DBF (Database File) is a data storage format that originated with dBase in 1983. It was the standard database format for DOS-era business applications and continued through FoxPro, Visual FoxPro, and Clipper. While the format is technically simple, modern applications rarely support it directly.

DBF files store tabular data with defined field types: text, numbers, dates, and logical values. The format handles up to 255 columns and millions of rows, though most legacy files are much smaller. If you have multiple DBF files to modernize, batch conversion saves significant time.

Why XLS Format?

XLS is the classic Excel format supported since Excel 97. It offers broader compatibility than newer XLSX files, especially with older systems and specialized industry software. Key advantages:

  • Universal Excel support - Opens in every Excel version from 97 onward
  • Cross-platform compatibility - Works in LibreOffice, Google Sheets, and Numbers
  • Legacy system integration - Many older business applications import XLS but not XLSX
  • Smaller learning curve - Familiar format for anyone who has used spreadsheets

For the absolute newest features and larger files, consider DBF to XLSX instead. XLSX supports over one million rows compared to XLS limit of 65,536 rows.

Common Use Cases

Recovering Business Records

Companies that used dBase or FoxPro for accounting, inventory, or customer management often have years of historical data in DBF format. Converting to XLS makes this data accessible for audits, analysis, or migration to modern systems.

GIS and Mapping Data

Shapefiles (used in geographic information systems) store attribute data in DBF format. Converting to XLS lets you analyze location data in Excel without specialized GIS software.

Data Migration Projects

Moving from legacy systems to modern databases often requires DBF as an intermediate step. XLS provides a format that data analysts can verify and clean before importing elsewhere.

What Gets Preserved

Our converter maintains your data integrity throughout the process:

  • Field names - Become column headers in row one
  • Data types - Numbers stay as numbers, dates as dates
  • Record order - Rows appear in the same sequence
  • All records - Including deleted records marked for removal

Character encoding is handled automatically. Files created in different regional settings convert correctly to Unicode-compatible XLS output.

Works in Any Browser

Convert DBF to XLS directly in your web browser:

  • Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
  • No software installation required
  • No account or registration needed

Your files process locally for privacy. The conversion happens without uploading data to remote servers.

Pro Tip

Before converting large DBF files, check if your data exceeds 65,536 rows. If so, use XLSX format instead to avoid data truncation. You can check row count by attempting to open the DBF in a text editor and scrolling to the end.

Common Mistake

Forgetting to include associated DBT (memo) or MDX (index) files when converting. While the main data converts fine, memo field content stored in DBT files needs the DBT file present for complete conversion.

Best For

Recovering data from legacy dBase and FoxPro applications, extracting shapefile attributes for analysis, and migrating historical business records to modern spreadsheet workflows.

Not Recommended

If you need to preserve database relationships or plan to import back into a database system, consider keeping the DBF format or converting to CSV. XLS is best for human analysis and reporting, not database operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

DBF files were created by dBase (versions II through IV), FoxPro, Visual FoxPro, Clipper, and many DOS-era business applications. Some GIS software like ArcGIS and QGIS also uses DBF for shapefile attributes.

Yes. The conversion preserves all your data values, field names, and record order. Column headers in XLS match your original DBF field names. Number and date formatting may differ slightly based on Excel settings.

Older Excel versions (up to 2003) could open DBF files directly. Modern Excel versions have limited or no DBF support. Converting to XLS ensures compatibility with any Excel version.

XLS is the older Excel format (1997-2003) with a 65,536 row limit. XLSX is the newer format supporting over one million rows. XLS has broader compatibility with legacy software and older systems.

Our converter handles DBF files of any size. However, XLS format has a 65,536 row limit. If your DBF contains more records, consider converting to XLSX instead which supports over one million rows.

Standard DBF fields convert completely. Memo fields stored in separate DBT files may require the DBT file to be present. Text content from memo fields converts to regular spreadsheet cells.

Yes. Upload multiple DBF files and convert them all to XLS in one batch. Each file becomes a separate XLS spreadsheet maintaining its original data structure.

DBF format has remained remarkably consistent since the 1980s. Files from dBase II, III, and IV, as well as FoxPro 2.x and Visual FoxPro, all convert successfully. The format was designed for long-term data portability.

Yes. The conversion processes locally in your browser. Your database files are not uploaded to external servers. This is especially important for business records containing sensitive information.

Absolutely. The XLS output is a standard Excel spreadsheet. You can add formulas, create charts, sort and filter data, or save in any other format Excel supports.

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