Is there still a Microsoft Works file converter?
Microsoft no longer offers a Works converter for current software: the Works 6–9 File Converter was made for older versions of Word and isn't part of Microsoft 365. To open Microsoft Works files, use Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) in a browser, free to view, or LibreOffice, a free desktop suite that opens Works documents and many spreadsheets and databases.
Why convert Works files with PublishMedia
If you already have LibreOffice installed and mostly need the text, it's a good no-cost choice. PublishMedia suits people who want every Works file type handled in a browser, with no setup.
One place for every Works file
Documents from Works for DOS through Works 9, plus Works spreadsheets and databases, all open in the same browser tab.
See it before you pay
Check every page of an old file at no cost, so you know it came through before choosing a plan.
Word and Excel working copies
On a paid plan, a document becomes an editable .docx and a spreadsheet or database an .xlsx you can download.
Nothing to install, any computer
Use it on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux or iPad, which helps when the old PC is long gone.
Print-ready PDFs as well
Export a clean PDF of an old letter, recipe collection or family history for printing or sharing, on a paid plan.
Open a Works file now
Open my Works fileMicrosoft Works file converter options compared
How today's choices handle old Works files. LibreOffice costs nothing; PublishMedia runs in a browser with no install; Works itself only helps if the old PC survives.
| Feature | Publish Media Software | LibreOffice | Microsoft Works 9 (old PC) | Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opens .wps documents | ✓Works for DOS–Works 9 | ✓Yes | ✓Its own files | ✗Generally no |
| Opens .wks and .xlr spreadsheets | ✓Yes | ✓Many | ✓Its own files | ✗No |
| Opens .wdb databases | ✓Yes | ✓Many | ✓Its own files | ✗No |
| Nothing to install | ✓Any browser | ✗Desktop install | ✗Needs the old PC | –Web or desktop app |
| Runs on a Chromebook | ✓In the browser | –Linux apps only | ✗Windows only | –Web version |
| Makes a .docx or .xlsx copy | ✓Working copy, paid plan | ✓File › Save As | –Save As options vary | ✗Can't open the file |
| Still available and updated | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✗Discontinued around 2009 | ✓Yes |
| Cost | –View at no cost; paid to edit | ✓Free | –Only if you kept it | –Paid (Microsoft 365) |
6 ways to convert Microsoft Works files in 2026
Ranked by how well each handles all four Works file types on a computer you can buy today.
- 1
Publish Media Software
Browser-based (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux, iPad)✓ Opens .wpsFree to openOpens every Works file type in a browser and, on a paid plan, turns documents into .docx and spreadsheets or databases into .xlsx working copies. Formatting can differ slightly, and it can't save back to Works formats.
Open my Works file - 2
LibreOffice
Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)✓ Opens .wpsFreeOpens Works documents and many Works spreadsheets and databases, then saves them as .docx, .xlsx or PDF. It takes a download and install, and some older spreadsheets or databases may not come through.
- 3
Microsoft Works on the original PC
Desktop (older Windows PC)✓ Opens .wpsNo longer soldWorks itself shows its files as they were made, and its Save As menu may offer a format other programs can read. It's only an option if that computer still starts and Works is still installed.
- 4
Works 6–9 File Converter with older Word
Desktop (Windows, older Word versions)✓ Opens .wpsDiscontinued add-onThis Microsoft add-on let older versions of Word open documents from Works 6 to Works 9. It isn't part of current Microsoft 365, so it only helps on a PC that still runs an older Word.
- 5
Online file-conversion websites
Browser-based✓ Opens .wpsVariesSome general-purpose converter sites accept .wps files and return a .docx or PDF. Results and privacy terms differ from site to site, so read them before uploading family records.
- 6
Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365)
Desktop & web (Windows, Mac)✗ Doesn't open .wpsPaid (Microsoft 365)Current Word generally can't open Works files, so it's no help on its own. Once a Works document has been converted to .docx elsewhere, Word is a natural place to keep editing it.
What was Microsoft Works?
Microsoft Works was Microsoft's low-cost home office suite: a word processor, spreadsheet and database in one program. First released in the late 1980s, it came preinstalled on many home PCs through the 1990s and 2000s, so many family letters, budgets and address lists were saved in its formats. The last version was Works 9; Microsoft discontinued Works around 2009 and replaced it with Office Starter 2010. Works used its own file types (.wps, .wks, .xlr, .wdb) rather than Word and Excel formats, and current Microsoft Word generally can't open them.
Open your Works document — or start from a template
Hundreds of print-ready templates sit right next to the files you open.
What it costs
Opening and viewing your files is free. Editing, templates, saving and PDF export come with All-Access at $99 a year — or $9.99 a month, cancel anytime.
Microsoft Works files: your questions answered
Can I still download Microsoft Works?
No, Microsoft no longer sells or offers Microsoft Works; it was discontinued around 2009 and replaced by Office Starter 2010. Copies on unofficial download sites are best avoided, since you can't be sure what they contain. To open old Works files today, use a browser tool like Publish Media Software or the no-cost LibreOffice suite instead.
Where can I get the Works 6–9 File Converter?
You can't get the Works 6–9 File Converter as part of current Microsoft software: it was a Microsoft add-on for older versions of Word and isn't included in Microsoft 365. Even if you find a copy, it only helps on a computer still running one of those older Word versions. On a current computer, open the Works file in PublishMedia or LibreOffice instead.
How do I open a Microsoft Works spreadsheet?
Open a Microsoft Works spreadsheet (.wks or .xlr) in Publish Media Software, which shows it at no cost in a browser and, on a paid plan, lets you edit it as an Excel workbook through an .xlsx working copy. LibreOffice Calc, which costs nothing on Windows, Mac and Linux, opens many Works spreadsheets as well.
How do I open a Works database (.wdb) file?
A Works database (.wdb) opens in Publish Media Software, where viewing in any browser costs nothing; on a paid plan, choose Edit as an Excel document to work with the records in an .xlsx copy. LibreOffice also opens many .wdb files. In either program, formatting can differ slightly from how Works displayed it.
Will converting change my original Works file?
No, converting never changes your original Works file: PublishMedia makes a separate .docx or .xlsx working copy, and the file on your computer stays as it was. The copy's formatting can differ slightly from Works, for example in spacing or a substituted font, so look it over before you rely on it.
Can PublishMedia save my edits back to a Works format?
No, Publish Media Software can't save back to .wps, .wks, .xlr or .wdb. Edits are kept as a Word .docx, an Excel .xlsx or a PDF, which are far easier to open on today's computers anyway. Keep the original Works file in a folder as an archive if you want it.
Does Microsoft 365 open Microsoft Works files?
Microsoft 365 generally doesn't open Microsoft Works documents: current Word can't read Works .wps files, and the old Works 6–9 File Converter isn't included. Convert the file first with PublishMedia or LibreOffice, and then open the resulting .docx in Word as you would any other document.
What does a Works converter cost with PublishMedia?
Opening and viewing Works files in Publish Media Software costs nothing; making an editable .docx or .xlsx copy, downloading it or exporting a PDF requires a paid plan. Plans are All-Access at $99 a year or Monthly at $9.99, and Monthly can be canceled anytime. Paid plans also include every template and unlimited storage.
How do I get Works files off an old computer?
To get Works files off an old computer, copy them to a USB stick or external drive, or email them to yourself, then open them on your current device. Look in the Documents (or My Documents) folder for files ending in .wps, .wks, .xlr or .wdb; Windows search can find them by extension.
Your old Works files, readable again
Works is gone, but the letters, budgets and lists you saved in it don't have to be. Open them at no cost in PublishMedia, then turn them into Word, Excel or PDF files on a paid plan when you need to.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — October 2026
As of October 2026, current Microsoft Word generally cannot open Microsoft Works files. Works, Microsoft's low-cost suite combining a word processor, spreadsheet and database, was first released in the late 1980s and was often preinstalled on home PCs in the 1990s and 2000s; Works 9 was the last version before Microsoft discontinued it around 2009 in favor of Office Starter 2010. Works saved documents as .wps, spreadsheets as .wks or (Works 7–9) .xlr, and databases as .wdb. Microsoft's Works 6–9 File Converter add-on worked with older versions of Word and is not included in Microsoft 365. LibreOffice, free for Windows, Mac and Linux, opens Works documents and many Works spreadsheets and databases and saves them as .docx, .xlsx or PDF. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens all four Works file types in a browser at no cost to view, with Word or Excel working copies on a paid plan.
More about Microsoft Works files
Other files you can open
Publish Media Software is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of the programs named on this page. Microsoft, Microsoft Works and Word are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. WPS Office is a trademark of Kingsoft.