The file extension WKS is associated with multiple programs and applications which include Microsoft Works Spreadsheet, DeskMate, and XLISP WorkSpace. WKS files contain data related to the specific program that created them.
If the file is associated with Microsoft Works, it is a spreadsheet file type that contains data related to worksheets, including cell data, formulas, graphs, charts, font styles, colors, calculations, and other components which are used for spreadsheets. MS Works Spreadsheet is an older program by Microsoft which preceded the Microsoft Office suite of applications.
WKS files created by DeskMate are a spreadsheet file type that contains data used with spreadsheets and workbooks, including cell data, formulas, calculations, graphs, charts, font styles, colors, spreadsheet structures, and more. DeskMate was originally designed for the TRS-DOS operating system and is an earlier software application that provided desktop applications such as a drawing program, word processor, spreadsheet, and a fundamental database application. DeskMate provided an environment that was a competitor to the Windows operating system.
If the file extension WKS is created by XLISP, this file type contains information related to different software applications. XLISP is an older operating system created with a series of programming languages developed in the late 1950s and still widely used in today’s applications. XLISP had its own WorkSpace which created files with the WKS extension.
How to Open WKS Files
If you are unsure what program created a WKS file, double click on the file to see if it will automatically open in a default application. Depending upon the file type, you may have a program installed on your PC that is capable of opening and reading it.
If the WKS file is associated with Microsoft Works and you use Windows, you can open it using Microsoft Works if you happen to have this program installed on your PC. You can also use Microsoft Excel, which is backwards compatible with Works. For Mac OS X, you can use Microsoft Excel 2011, which is compatible with Mac PCs and will open WKS files.
The files created with DeskMate will require conversion in order to be opened. In this case, you can open the file using any conversion program capable of converting spreadsheet files to another format such as XLS or XLSX. Once the file is converted, you can open it using an open source program such as OpenOffice, which is available as a free download from OpenOffice.org and is compatible with Windows and Mac PCs.
WKS files created by XLISP require XLISP to open and view the contents of this file type. XLISP is a superset application that supports object-oriented programming languages with the dialect of LISP. The application can be downloaded from the XLISP website.
