Safest Way to Convert Hundreds of .xls to .ods

Florida Rene · 22 Sep 2019

Hi...

I have successfully used -- and highly recommend -- MultiDoc Converter to convert hundreds of *.doc and *.docx to odt...and now I am searching for a similar product to download so I can convert batches of *.xls and *.xlsx to *.ods.

I'd like to be able to do it by individual directory (folder) so that all *.xls in OldFolder A (for example) can be converted to *.ods in NewFolder A.

Is there a wonderful freeware like MultiDoc Converter that I can download and use per above?

sbh7600 · 22 Sep 2019

Hello,

Maybe this can help you: conversion - Bulk convert xls to csv using LibreOffice - Super User

Code:

for %%f in (*.xls) do "path_to_libreoffice\soffice.exe" --convert-to ods "%%f"

Berton · 22 Sep 2019

And to keep it simpler they can all be converted and saved in the same Folder since the new file extension makes them a different filename.

Florida Rene · 23 Sep 2019

Hello 7600 & Berton...

I tried from within Libre Office and got nowhere. I'll try again when I'm not involved with football Sunday and can concentrate more "devoutly". Any more hints?

- - - Updated - - -

Florida Rene said:

Hello 7600 & Berton...

I tried from within Libre Office and got nowhere. I'll try again when I'm not involved with football Sunday and can concentrate more "devoutly". Any more hints?

Okay, I confess that I'm not a techie and I failed again. This time, I tried

path_to_libreoffice\soffice.exe" --convert-to ods "%%f

from command prompt and got nowhere.

Here's the sequence I used in Command Prompt:

D:\>cd above/fiddle

D:\Above\Fiddle>path_to_libreoffice\soffice.exe" --convert-to ods "%%f
The system cannot find the path specified.

D:\Above\Fiddle>

Any suggestions?

sbh7600 · 23 Sep 2019

You are missing something

You wrote

Code:

path_to_libreoffice\soffice.exe" --convert-to ods "%%f

Code:

for%%f in(*.xls)do"path_to_libreoffice\soffice.exe"--convert-to ods "%%f"

Florida Rene · 23 Sep 2019

7600..

Thanks for your help.

Here's what happened via Elevated Command:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18362.295]
(c) 2019 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>cd/

C:\>cd d:
D:\

C:\>d:

D:\>cd Old XLS - now ODS

D:\Old XLS - now ODS>for%%f in(*.xls)do"path_to_libreoffice\soffice.exe"--convert-to ods "%%f"
'for%%f' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

D:\Old XLS - now ODS>

bro67 · 23 Sep 2019

“Path to Libre Office” means the actual file path not that verbage.

Florida Rene · 23 Sep 2019

bro67 said:

“Path to Libre Office” means the actual file path not that verbage.

Bro67...do you mean my instruction in Elevated Command should be exactly like this:

for%%f in(*.xls)do"c:Program Files\libreoffice\program\soffice.exe"--convert-to ods "%%f"

And can I do this from any drive and any folder? Or, do I have to be in the actual folder with the files I want to convert?

Sorry for being a dummy.

bro67 · 23 Sep 2019

Do it in the folder that you want the files to be in.

sbh7600 · 23 Sep 2019

Here is how :

Lets say you have your files in D:\backup\documents then navigate to ii in CMD

Then you have to do:

Code:

for%%f in (*.xls) do"c:\program files\openoffice\soffice.exe" --convert-to ods "%%f"

Make sense now

?

Safest Way to Convert Hundreds of *.xls to *.ods