How to open .XLSM files on Windows
To open .XLSM files on Windows, double-click the .xlsm file to open it in Microsoft Excel, or open Excel and use File > Open.
Step-by-step instructions
- Double-click the .xlsm file to open it in Microsoft Excel, or open Excel and use File > Open.
- If you trust the file source and need the automation, follow Excel’s prompt to enable macros; otherwise keep macros disabled and review the contents first.
Common issues
Macros are blocked or won’t run
Because .xlsm files can contain macros, Excel may open the workbook with macros disabled and require user action before any macro code can run.
- Confirm you trust the file’s source and that you actually need the macro to run.
- In Excel, use the security prompt/notification to enable macros for the workbook if appropriate.
- If you don’t need automation, keep macros disabled and use the workbook as a regular spreadsheet.
Saving removes macros when using the wrong format
If you save a macro-containing workbook to a non-macro-enabled format (such as a standard Office Open XML workbook), the macros may be lost or not preserved.
- In Excel, use Save As and choose the macro-enabled workbook format (*.xlsm).
- Reopen the saved file to confirm the macros are still present and functioning.
- If you must share a macro-free copy, save a separate non-macro version and keep the original .xlsm as the source.
Features don’t transfer when exporting to other formats
Some Excel features, including macros and macro sheets, are preserved in .xlsm but may not transfer to other file formats.
- Keep the master copy as .xlsm when you need macros preserved.
- When exporting or converting, verify that the destination format supports what you need (especially macros).
- Test the exported file in the target application before distributing it.
Security note
.xlsm files can contain macros; the “m” extension indicates macro-capable content, so treat files from unknown sources as potentially unsafe.