In this Excel tutorial, you’ll learn how to open, recover and convert XLB files in a way that matches what real users actually need: getting their work back, moving custom toolbars between computers, and understanding what this strange file type really is.
What is an XLB File?
An XLB file is an Excel binary file that stores certain Excel settings. In practice, it is used mainly in two ways:
- as a file that keeps custom toolbars, menus and ribbon customizations, and
- as an AutoRecover backup created by Excel when something goes wrong (crash, power cut, forced close).
That second case is where most people panic and start searching: they see an odd XLB file and hope it contains the workbook they just lost. Very often, they’re right – it is exactly the file that can help them recover their work.
Why Would You Want to Open an XLB File?
People usually land on this topic in one of a few situations:
- They want to recover unsaved work after Excel crashed or was closed by mistake.
- They are moving to a new computer and would like to take their custom toolbars or ribbon setup with them.
- They found a strange XLB file in some folder and are trying to check what’s inside and whether it can be converted to a normal Excel file.
- They are trying to open an old backup of a workbook that Excel stored automatically.
So even though XLB sounds technical and confusing, for most users it simply means: Is there any chance this file can help me get my data or layout back?
The good news is: often, yes.
Method 1 – Open XLB Files with Custom Toolbar Settings
If your XLB file comes from exporting ribbon or toolbar customizations, you don’t open it like a normal workbook. Instead, you import those settings into Excel.
The idea is simple: start Excel, go to the Options area, and from there import your customization file. After doing that, the custom menus, commands or toolbars stored in the XLB file appear in your Excel interface.
This method is focused entirely on layout and UI – it doesn’t give you cells, formulas or data. It’s perfect when:
- you’ve switched to a new computer,
- you reinstalled Office and lost your old custom toolbar, or
- someone shared an XLB file with their favorite setup and you want to use it too.
Method 2 – Use XLB Files as AutoRecover Backups
This is the scenario where most users are desperate: Excel crashed, the file wasn’t saved recently, and now there’s an XLB file somewhere that might contain the unsaved work.
Excel stores these AutoRecover files in a special folder. You can find the path directly from Excel:
- Open Excel and go to the Options area (under the File menu).
- In the Save section, Excel shows the AutoRecover file location.
If you copy this path, open it in your file explorer and press Enter, you’ll land in the folder where Excel keeps its temporary backups. On Windows it usually looks something like:
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles
On macOS, the path will be different, typically inside your Library folder, under the Excel or Office preferences/AutoRecovery directories.
Once you’re in that folder, you may see files with the .xlb extension. Those are potential backups. When you open such a file in Excel:
- Excel tries to reconstruct the workbook from it.
- If the data is intact, you’ll see a version of your file as it was shortly before the crash.
At that point, don’t just keep working in the temporary file. Immediately save it properly as a normal workbook (for example, XLSX) so you don’t lose it again.
Method 3 – Recover Unsaved Workbooks from Inside Excel
Sometimes you don’t need to hunt for folders at all. Excel itself offers a “Recover Unsaved Workbooks” option.
When you go to the Open area in Excel, there’s usually a link or button that lets you open unsaved files. Clicking it shows a list of files Excel has kept as temporary backups. Many of those are exactly the same type of AutoRecover data that might otherwise appear as XLB files.
You simply choose the file that matches what you were working on, open it, and then save it in a normal format. This is often the quickest way to get your work back, especially if you’re not comfortable exploring system folders.
Converting an XLB File to XLSX or Another Format
If you have an XLB file that actually contains workbook data (for example, an AutoRecover backup), your goal is usually to end up with a standard Excel file – XLSX, XLS, or perhaps even CSV.
The process is straightforward:
- You open the XLB file in Excel, just like you would open any other file.
- If Excel manages to read it and displays a worksheet, treat it as a recovered version.
- Then you use Save As and choose the format you want – most likely Excel Workbook (.xlsx).
You can also re-save it as an older XLS file or as CSV if you only care about the values and not about formulas or formatting. The main thing is: once Excel can open it, you are no longer stuck with the strange extension. You convert it into a “normal” workbook format and work with it from there.
Common Problems with XLB Files and How to Handle Them
Because these files are often created in stressful situations, it’s common to run into issues. Here are a few of the most frequent ones, along with practical suggestions.
The XLB file doesn’t open at all
Sometimes you double‑click an XLB file and Excel either refuses to open it or shows an error.
In this case:
- First, make sure Excel is fully up to date. Older builds can be less forgiving with recovery files.
- Instead of double‑clicking the file from the file system, start Excel first and then use Open from within Excel to select the file.
- If Excel still can’t open it, the file may be badly corrupted. There are third‑party recovery tools that specialize in damaged Excel files – they’re not perfect, but worth a try if the data is very important.
You can’t find any AutoRecover or XLB files
If you followed the paths and there’s nothing there, there are a few possible reasons:
- AutoRecover might have been turned off.
- The AutoRecover path might have been changed to another location.
- Not enough time passed for Excel to create an AutoRecover version before it crashed.
It’s a good idea to check your settings (in the Save section of Excel Options) and make sure that AutoRecover is enabled and saving often enough for you.
Excel never offered to recover anything
Even when AutoRecover is active, Excel doesn’t keep those temporary files forever. If you wait too long, they can be cleaned up automatically.
Also, if the file was never saved at all (not even once under any name) and AutoRecover was disabled, there may simply be nothing for Excel to restore. That’s painful, but it’s also a strong argument for making sure AutoRecover is properly configured for the future.
How to Configure AutoRecover to Protect Your Work
To avoid relying on luck next time, it’s worth spending a minute in Excel’s settings.
Inside Excel’s Options, under the Save settings, you’ll find a couple of important checkboxes:
- one that tells Excel to save AutoRecover information every X minutes, and
- another that tells it to keep the last autosaved version if a file is closed without saving.
Setting the interval to a low number – for example, one or two minutes – greatly reduces the risk of losing lots of work. Checking the option to keep the last autosaved version means that if you accidentally close a file, Excel can still offer to bring it back the next time you open the program.
Once these are enabled, Excel will quietly keep more frequent backups in the background, which can later appear as XLB or other temporary backup files when you need them most.
Creating and Sharing Custom Toolbars with XLB Files
Not every XLB story is a disaster recovery. Some people use these files deliberately to move their favorite setup between machines.
When you customize the ribbon or add your own toolbar, Excel can export those settings into a file. That file is typically XLB or another customization format, depending on your Excel version.
The flow is simple:
- You adjust the ribbon, quick access toolbar, or other interface elements the way you like them.
- From the customization area, you use Excel’s export option to save those customizations to a file.
- On another computer, you use the import option to bring those settings in.
Instead of rebuilding all your buttons and menus from memory, you just point Excel to the existing XLB file, and your environment looks familiar again. This is especially handy for people who work in multiple environments or help set up Excel for colleagues.
FAQ: XLB Files in Everyday Excel Use
What’s the difference between an XLB file and an XLSX file?
XLSX is the standard file format for normal Excel workbooks – the files you open and save every day with sheets, formulas and charts. XLB, on the other hand, is more of a technical helper format. It’s used for internal backups and UI configurations. You usually want to convert an XLB into XLSX once you’ve successfully opened it and confirmed it holds your data.
Can I work with XLB files on a Mac as well?
Yes. Excel on macOS also uses AutoRecover files and configuration files. The exact folder path is different from Windows, but the idea is the same: Excel keeps temporary backups and uses them for recovery. Once you open the file in Excel for Mac, you can save it as a normal workbook, just like on Windows.
How long does Excel keep these backup files?
By default, Excel doesn’t treat AutoRecover files as permanent archives. They’re meant to be short‑term safety nets. If you don’t act on them, they can be removed automatically after a while, or overwritten by newer sessions. That’s why, once you find an XLB that contains your work, you should save it immediately in a stable format.
Is it safe to delete XLB files?
If you’re sure that all your important workbooks have been saved as regular Excel files (XLSX, XLS, etc.), then old AutoRecover and customization files are not strictly needed. Still, before deleting anything, it’s wise to quickly open suspicious XLB files to check whether they contain something useful.
Can an XLB file bring back a workbook that was never saved at all?
It depends entirely on whether AutoRecover was enabled and had time to create a backup version. If AutoRecover was on and the file was open for a while, there’s a chance the XLB or another temporary file will contain at least part of your work. If everything was disabled and Excel crashed very quickly, there may not be any recoverable data.
Summary
XLB files look mysterious, but they usually fall into one of two roles:
- they either store your custom Excel interface setup or
- they act as temporary backups that can sometimes save you when a workbook is lost.
Once you understand that, they become much less intimidating. Whether you are trying to restore unsaved work, move your favorite toolbar to a new machine, or simply convert an odd backup file into a normal XLSX workbook, Excel gives you ways to work with XLB files and turn them back into real, usable spreadsheets.
