.XLW File Extension

Workbook created by Microsoft Excel version 4, a spreadsheet program; stores a grid of cells in rows and columns; may contain numbers, text, charts, and formatting; similar to a .XLS file.

Excel 4 workbooks only store worksheets, chart sheets, and macro sheets. They are formatted differently than Excel Workspace files, which are saved by other versions of Excel and also use the ".xlw" extension.

Workspace file saved by Microsoft Excel, a program used to create spreadsheets; contains the screen locations of one or more workbooks, as well as references to the workbook files; used to restore the layout when working simultaneously on multiple workbooks.

When XLW files are opened, Excel restores the workbooks back to their saved locations on the screen.

NOTE: XLW files do not include workbook data files. They only store the layout of the workbooks on the screen. You must have all workbook files available to reopen an XLW file properly.