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Format

Microsoft Excel for Windows

Summary

Name
Microsoft Excel for Windows
Version
2007 onwards
Identifiers
  • MIME: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
  • PUID: fmt/214
Format type
Spreadsheet
Description
From Microsoft Office 2007 onwards, the core output format of MS Excel has been based on the Office Open XML (OOXML) file format. The ISO standard for OOXML is ISO/IEC DIS 29500. An OOXML file format consists of a compressed zip archive that is designated according to which file type it is. Further detail on OOXML can be found within fmt/189 - Microsoft Office Open XML.
File extensions
xlsx
Source
Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives
Developed by
Microsoft Corporation
Supported by
Microsoft Corporation

Relationships

Has lower priority than
Is supertype of

Container signatures

Type: ZIP

2030 - Microsoft Excel OOXML

File path
[Content_Types].xml

Byte sequence reference

BOFoffset

Sub sequences
Min Frag Length
Position
1
Sub sequence min offset
0
Sub sequence max offset
40000
Sequence
'ContentType="application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet.main+xml"'

Type: ZIP

2040 - Microsoft Excel OOXML (little endian)

File path
[Content_Types].xml

Byte sequence reference

BOFoffset

Sub sequences
Min Frag Length
Position
1
Sub sequence min offset
0
Sub sequence max offset
32768
Sequence
'C'00 'o'00 'n'00 't'00 'e'00 'n'00 't'00 'T'00 'y'00 'p'00 'e'00 '='00 '"'00 'a'00 'p'00 'p'00 'l'00 'i'00 'c'00 'a'00 't'00 'i'00 'o'00 'n'00 '/'00 'v'00 'n'00 'd'00 '.'00 'o'00 'p'00 'e'00 'n'00 'x'00 'm'00 'l'00 'f'00 'o'00 'r'00 'm'00 'a'00 't'00 's'00 '-'00 'o'00 'f'00 'f'00 'i'00 'c'00 'e'00 'd'00 'o'00 'c'00 'u'00 'm'00 'e'00 'n'00 't'00 '.'00 's'00 'p'00 'r'00 'e'00 'a'00 'd'00 's'00 'h'00 'e'00 'e'00 't'00 'm'00 'l'00 '.'00 's'00 'h'00 'e'00 'e'00 't'00 '.'00 'm'00 'a'00 'i'00 'n'00 '+'00 'x'00 'm'00 'l'00 '"'00

Type: ZIP

2050 - Microsoft Excel OOXML (big endian)

File path
[Content_Types].xml

Byte sequence reference

BOFoffset

Sub sequences
Min Frag Length
Position
1
Sub sequence min offset
0
Sub sequence max offset
32768
Sequence
00'C' 00'o' 00'n' 00't' 00'e' 00'n' 00't' 00'T' 00'y' 00'p' 00'e' 00'=' 00'"' 00'a' 00'p' 00'p' 00'l' 00'i' 00'c' 00'a' 00't' 00'i' 00'o' 00'n' 00'/' 00'v' 00'n' 00'd' 00'.' 00'o' 00'p' 00'e' 00'n' 00'x' 00'm' 00'l' 00'f' 00'o' 00'r' 00'm' 00'a' 00't' 00's' 00'-' 00'o' 00'f' 00'f' 00'i' 00'c' 00'e' 00'd' 00'o' 00'c' 00'u' 00'm' 00'e' 00'n' 00't' 00'.' 00's' 00'p' 00'r' 00'e' 00'a' 00'd' 00's' 00'h' 00'e' 00'e' 00't' 00'm' 00'l' 00'.' 00's' 00'h' 00'e' 00'e' 00't' 00'.' 00'm' 00'a' 00'i' 00'n' 00'+' 00'x' 00'm' 00'l' 00'"'

Changelog

  • Updated in V89

    Release date
    8 March 2017

    Microsoft Excel for Windows: Adjusted container signature due to findings found through PRONOM Research.

  • Updated in V72

    Release date
    12 November 2013

    Microsoft Excel for Windows: Corrected MIME type information provided by the Central Digital Archive of Slovakia.

  • Updated in V70

    Release date
    28 August 2013

    Microsoft Excel for Windows 2007 onwards: Added MIME type.

  • Updated in V67

    Release date
    26 February 2013

    Microsoft Excel for Windows 2007 Onwards: Improved descriptive information at suggestion of Chris Rusbridge, linking this entry explicitly to fmt/189 - Microsoft Office Open XML.

  • Updated in V62

    Release date
    28 August 2012

    Microsoft Excel 2007 onwards: Renamed as Office 2010 files use same OOXML structure as 2007.

  • Updated in V60

    Release date
    11 June 2012

    Excel for Windows 2007: Container signature statement added to record notes.