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How to Convert Quattro Pro to XLSX

You have inherited a folder of Quattro Pro spreadsheets — .WQ1 files from the DOS era, .WB1 files from early Windows versions, or .QPW files from Corel WordPerfect Office. None of them open in Excel. Total Excel Converter reads all Quattro Pro formats (WQ1, WB1, WB2, QPW), converts them to XLSX in batch, and preserves cell data, formulas, and formatting so you can work with them in modern Excel or any spreadsheet application that supports the Open XML standard.

Quick answer: To convert Quattro Pro to XLSX, launch Total Excel Converter, open the folder with your WQ1, WB1, or QPW files, check them (or use Check All), click the XLSX button, set the destination folder, then click Start. Total Excel Converter reads every Quattro Pro format and converts whole legacy archives in one offline batch, preserving cell data and formulas.

Quattro Pro vs XLSX: What Is the Difference?

Quattro Pro is a spreadsheet application originally developed by Borland in 1989, later acquired by Novell and then Corel. Over its history, it has used several file formats:

.WQ1 — Quattro Pro for DOS (1989–1993). Binary format, 8.3 filename convention.
.WB1 / .WB2 — Quattro Pro for Windows (1993–2002). Extended format with Windows-era features.
.QPW — Quattro Pro X3 and later (2006+). Part of Corel WordPerfect Office suite.

All three formats are proprietary and not supported by Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice Calc.

XLSX is the default format for Microsoft Excel since 2007. It is based on the Open XML standard (ECMA-376) and supported by virtually every modern spreadsheet application: Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Numbers, and hundreds of third-party tools.

Feature	Quattro Pro (WQ1/WB1/QPW)	XLSX
Developer	Borland → Novell → Corel	Microsoft (Open XML standard)
Current status	Legacy. Corel discontinued Quattro Pro in 2021.	Active. Industry standard since 2007.
Supported by	Corel WordPerfect Office (discontinued)	Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Numbers, etc.
Max rows	WQ1: 8,192. WB1: 65,536. QPW: 1,000,000.	1,048,576 rows per sheet
Max columns	WQ1: 256. QPW: 18,276.	16,384 columns per sheet
File structure	Proprietary binary	ZIP archive with XML files (open standard)

Why Convert Quattro Pro to XLSX?

Quattro Pro is discontinued — Corel stopped shipping Quattro Pro with WordPerfect Office 2021. Existing installations will not receive updates. Converting to XLSX future-proofs your data.
Excel cannot open WQ1, WB1, or QPW — Microsoft Excel has never natively supported Quattro Pro formats. The only way to access these spreadsheets in Excel is to convert them first.
Collaboration requires XLSX — colleagues, clients, and auditors expect Excel files. Sharing a .WQ1 file generates confusion and support requests. XLSX works everywhere.
Data rescue from legacy systems — companies migrating from old Corel-based workflows find hundreds or thousands of Quattro Pro files on file servers. Batch conversion saves weeks of manual work.
Archival in an open format — XLSX is based on an international standard (ECMA-376). Government and corporate archival policies increasingly require open formats for long-term retention.

How to Convert Quattro Pro to XLSX — Step by Step

Step 1. Open the Folder with Quattro Pro Files

Launch Total Excel Converter. The folder tree on the left shows your drives and directories. Navigate to the folder containing your Quattro Pro files. The file list on the right shows every supported spreadsheet — WQ1, WB1, WB2, QPW files appear alongside XLS, ODS, CSV, and other formats.

Step 2. Select Files

Tick the Quattro Pro files you want to convert. Use Check All to select every file in the folder, or filter by extension to show only WQ1 or QPW files.

Step 3. Choose XLSX Format

Click the XLSX button on the toolbar. The settings wizard opens.

Step 4. Configure Output

Set the destination folder. Choose whether to keep the original file names (with .xlsx extension) or apply a naming pattern. Adjust formatting options: sheet names, column widths, cell alignment.

Step 5. Convert

Click Start. Total Excel Converter reads each Quattro Pro file, extracts the spreadsheet data, and saves it as XLSX. A progress bar tracks the operation. The log lists every file with its conversion status.

Total Excel Converter — convert Quattro Pro to XLSX

Command-Line Conversion

Total Excel Converter includes a command-line interface for scripted and automated workflows:

ExcelConverter.exe "C:\Legacy\*.wq1" -oXLSX -d "C:\Converted\"

Parameters: source files (wildcards supported), -oXLSX sets the output format, -d specifies the destination folder. Convert an entire folder of Quattro Pro files with a single command. Add this to a .bat script for one-click migration of legacy archives.

Additional flags: -SubFolders processes subfolders recursively, -log "C:\log.txt" writes a detailed conversion log.

Supported Quattro Pro Formats

Extension	Format Name	Era	Details
.WQ1	Quattro Pro for DOS	1989–1993	Original Borland format. 8,192 rows, 256 columns. Common in legacy DOS archives.
.WQ2	Quattro Pro for DOS (extended)	1990–1993	Extended version with additional functions. Same row/column limits as WQ1.
.WB1 / .WB2	Quattro Pro for Windows	1993–2002	Borland/Novell Windows format. 65,536 rows. Multiple sheets supported.
.QPW	Quattro Pro (Corel)	2006–2021	Corel WordPerfect Office format. Up to 1,000,000 rows. Most feature-rich variant.

Total Excel Converter reads all four format families and converts them to XLSX, XLS, PDF, CSV, HTML, ODS, and 15+ other formats.

Online Converters vs Desktop Converter

Feature	Online Quattro Pro Converters	Total Excel Converter
Quattro Pro support	Most online tools do not recognize WQ1, WB1, or QPW at all.	Full support for all Quattro Pro formats (WQ1, WQ2, WB1, WB2, QPW).
Batch mode	One file at a time, with manual uploads.	Process hundreds of files in one batch.
Privacy	You upload proprietary company data to a third-party server.	Runs locally. No data leaves your computer.
File size	Strict limits (typically 10–50 MB).	No file size limit.
Automation	Not available.	Command-line with scripting and scheduling.
Cost	Free for small files (if the format is even supported).	One-time purchase: $49.90. Free 30-day trial.

Why Use Total Excel Converter?

Reads every Quattro Pro format

WQ1 from 1989, WB1 from 1996, QPW from 2015 — Total Excel Converter opens them all. No need to hunt for old versions of Corel software. One converter handles every generation of Quattro Pro files.

Batch conversion saves days of work

A file server with 500 legacy Quattro Pro spreadsheets is a common scenario after a company acquires another business or migrates from Corel to Microsoft. Total Excel Converter processes the entire folder in one operation. No manual file-by-file conversion.

Preserves cell data and structure

Numeric values, text strings, dates, and formulas are extracted from the Quattro Pro file and mapped to the closest XLSX equivalents. Multi-sheet workbooks (WB1, QPW) retain their sheet structure.

20+ output formats beyond XLSX

XLSX is the most common target, but Total Excel Converter also supports XLS, PDF, CSV, HTML, ODS, TXT, TIFF, JPEG, and more. Convert Quattro Pro to any format your workflow requires.

Built-in file previewer

Preview any Quattro Pro file before conversion. Check the data, verify the sheet count, and confirm that the content looks correct — all without installing Corel software.

Command-line for automation

Migrate entire archives from the command line. Use wildcards to process all WQ1 files in a folder tree. Schedule nightly conversions to keep legacy files in sync with modern formats.

When Do You Need Quattro Pro to XLSX Conversion?

Post-acquisition data migration — your company acquires a business that used Corel WordPerfect Office. Hundreds of QPW files on their file server need to become XLSX for your analysts.
Government or legal compliance — an agency requires spreadsheet submissions in XLSX or ODS. Legacy Quattro Pro files must be converted before submission.
Retiring Corel software — Corel discontinued Quattro Pro. Before uninstalling the last copy, convert all QPW/WB1 files to XLSX so the data remains accessible.
DOS-era data recovery — WQ1 files from the early 1990s surface on old backup tapes. No modern software reads them. Total Excel Converter extracts the data into XLSX.
Auditor requests — an auditor asks for financial records from 15 years ago. The records are in Quattro Pro format. Convert them to XLSX so the auditor can review them in Excel.

Download the free 30-day trial — no email or credit card required. A personal license costs $49.90 and includes one year of free upgrades. Works on Windows 7/8/10/11.

Download Free Trial Buy License — $49.90

Total Excel Converter Customer Reviews 2026

Rate ItRated 4.7/5 based on customer reviews

"When we migrated from Corel WordPerfect Office to Microsoft 365, we discovered 2,400 Quattro Pro files on departmental file shares. Some were QPW, some were WB1 from the late 1990s. Total Excel Converter processed the entire archive in one afternoon. Every file opened correctly in Excel. We avoided weeks of manual re-entry."

5 Star Gerald Whitman IT Director, Cascade County Government

"A client sent us historical financial models in WQ1 format — Quattro Pro for DOS files from 1992. No modern application could open them. Total Excel Converter read every file and produced clean XLSX output with the original cell values intact. The command-line mode let us script the conversion for all 300 files at once."

5 Star Simone Berger Financial Analyst, Zurich Consulting AG

"Our department stores legacy spreadsheet archives that include WQ1, WB1, and QPW files. Auditors require XLSX submissions. Total Excel Converter handles all three Quattro Pro formats from a single interface. The batch mode processes a folder in seconds. Only suggestion: add a column in the file list showing the detected Quattro Pro version."

4 Star Rachel Nguyen Records Management Specialist

FAQ ▼

What Quattro Pro file formats does Total Excel Converter support?

Total Excel Converter reads all Quattro Pro formats: WQ1 and WQ2 (DOS era), WB1 and WB2 (Windows era), and QPW (Corel WordPerfect Office). All versions from 1989 through 2021 are supported.

Can I convert Quattro Pro to XLSX without Corel software installed?

Yes. Total Excel Converter has its own parser for Quattro Pro files. It does not require Corel WordPerfect Office or any other Corel product on the machine.

Are formulas preserved during conversion?

Total Excel Converter extracts cell values, text, dates, and formulas from Quattro Pro files and maps them to XLSX equivalents. Most standard spreadsheet formulas convert correctly. Complex Quattro Pro-specific functions may be converted as calculated values.

Can I batch-convert an entire folder of WQ1 files?

Yes. Select all files in the folder with Check All, choose XLSX as the output format, and click Start. The command-line version supports wildcards (*.wq1) for processing entire folder trees.

What other output formats are available besides XLSX?

Total Excel Converter supports 20+ output formats including XLS, PDF, CSV, HTML, ODS, TXT, TIFF, JPEG, XML, LaTeX, and more. You can convert Quattro Pro to any of these formats.

Is there a command-line version for automation?

Yes. Total Excel Converter includes a command-line interface. Specify source files, output format, and destination in one command. Use wildcards and schedule with Task Scheduler for automated batch conversions.

How much does Total Excel Converter cost?

A personal license costs $49.90 with a free 30-day trial. No email or credit card required for the trial. The license includes one year of free upgrades.

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