What Is an XLX File?

The file is used by either Crystal Reports or the XoloX download manager

By
Tim Fisher
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Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on August 3, 2023

What to Know

  • Some XLX files are associated with Crystal Reports.
  • Others are incomplete downloads saved from the XoloX download manager.
  • XLX files are not Excel files, despite looking similar to the XLK and XLS file extensions.

This article explains what an XLX file is and how to open one on your computer.

What Is an XLX File?

A file with the XLX file extension is most likely associated with the Crystal Reports software.

Incomplete download files saved from the XoloX download manager also use this extension.

XLX Files

XLX is the abbreviation for some terms that have nothing to do with the file formats described on this page. These include Xillix Techologies Corporation and Extreme e-Learning Experience.

XLX Files and Microsoft Excel

There's some confusion regarding XLX. While it might sound like a Microsoft Excel-based format, it's not. Excel doesn't support XLX files, and XLX files aren't typical spreadsheet files.

Excel is the primary program that supports XLSX files (the newer format) and XLS files (the older format). Other formats used in Excel include XLTX, XLK, and XLL, but these are different from XLX.

How to Open an XLX File

SAP Crystal Reports can open and work with XLX files. Xcelsius will work, too, and is most likely how XLX add-on files are used.

XLX files that are used with your download manager might be able to open in the same download manager by double-clicking it, but more often than not, the file extension is there to tell you that the file isn't yet finished downloading. Wait for it to finish, or delete it and start over. Another option is to "convert" it; see below.

How to Convert an XLX File

A Crystal Reports file can most likely be exported or saved to a different format using the software mentioned above. However, if the file is used as an add-on, like most add-on files, you probably can't convert it to any other format.

Incomplete downloads are just that: files that aren't totally done downloading yet. If this is the situation you're in, and your XLX file is used by a download manager, a conversion isn't necessary. Just rename the file extension so that it matches the file you were trying to download (e.g., .XLX to .MP4 for a video), and see if doing that lets you open it.

A file conversion tool is needed to convert a file from one format to another. However, because of how some download managers work (by attaching a temporary file extension to the file during the download), renaming the temporary file extension to what the program should have renamed it to, is all you really need to do for a "conversion."

Still Can't Open It?

If your file doesn't open with the programs mentioned above, double-check the file extension. You might be confusing another file type for one that ends in XLX. Just like how Excel files could be mixed up for an XLX file, other similar file extensions also exist.

XLF is one example. The first two letters are the same, making it appear at first glance to have something to do with XLX files. But these files are in the XLIFF document file format and can be viewed with any text editor.

Another example is the LXK file extension used for Lexicon Link-up files that open with COREX.

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