Opening SLK Files

The SLK file type is primarily associated with Excel.

SLK	File extension: SLK
	File type:	symbolic link file

What is an SLK file?

SLK files mostly belong to Excel by Microsoft. SLK files are symbolic link files, which use a format developed by Microsoft and primarily used by Excel. The file format stores data using only displayable ANSI characters and allows other applications to easily process its contents.

Main Usage: The SLK file format is primarily used to transfer data between programs. As the files use only displayable ANSI characters, they are very easy for both programs and users to interpret and can be viewed or modified with a simple text editor, such as Notepad.
Other Programs: Though the format is primarily used by Microsoft Excel, other programs, such as OpenOffice, LibreOffice, and Gnumeric, also have support for variants of this file format.
File Structure: Data in a SLK file is stored as plaintext, organized as semicolon-separated values. To include a literal semicolon in a cell, it can be escaped with a preceding semicolon, which will result in the characters being considered as part of the cell, rather than part of the file structure.

How can I open an SLK file?

You need a suitable software like Excel to open an SLK file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your SLK file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a SLK file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online SLK File Viewer

Choose your .slk file to view

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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How to convert SLK files to JPG, PDF, HTML, DOC, ...

If you want to convert or edit an SLK file, you can use our free Online SLK File Converter (powered by Convert.Guru):

To do this, click the button "Choose your .slk file to view" on this page.
Your SLK file will then be displayed in the browser.
Now click on "Save as..." at the top of the page.
Then click the file format (e.g. PDF, JPG, DOCX, TXT, ...) you want.
Download the converted file.

Programs that open and convert SLK files:

Excel by Microsoft
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. SLK files are often referred to as Excel simple text files because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Calc (symbolic link file) by The Document Foundation
Calc is the spreadsheet application in the LibreOffice suite of productivity software. The SLK extension is associated with the symbolic link (SYLK) format. It was developed by Microsoft for data exchange and is supported by many spreadsheet and database software, including Calc. SLK is a simple text format with semicolon-separated values. This file format is classified as Simple text file. Related links: Calc on Wikipedia, SLK Files in LibreOffice Documentation, Forum Discussion About SLK Files in Calc, LibreOffice Repository
Calc (symbolic link file) by Apache
Calc is the spreadsheet application in the OpenOffice suite of productivity software. OpenOffice is open-source and was previously developed by Oracle, which donated it to Apache. The SLK extension is associated with the symbolic link (SYLK) format. It was developed by Microsoft for data exchange and is supported by many spreadsheet and database software, including Calc. SLK is a simple text format with semicolon-separated values. This file format is classified as Simple text file. Related links: Calc on Wikipedia, OpenOffice Supported File Extensions Manual, SLK Files in OpenOffice User Guide, Calc in OpenOffice Wiki, OpenOffice Repository
Gnumeric (symbolic link file) by The GNOME Project
Gnumeric is an open-source spreadsheet software. The SLK extension is associated with the symbolic link (SYLK) format. It was developed by Microsoft for data exchange and is supported by many spreadsheet and database software, including Gnumeric. SLK is a simple text format with semicolon-separated values. This file format is classified as Simple text file. Related links: Gnumeric on Wikipedia, Gnumeric Manual, File Formats in Gnumeric, Gnumeric Repository, Gnumeric Video Tutorial
Timeslips (Timeslips lock data file) by Sage
Timeslips is a time tracking and billing software from Sage. The SLK file is used by Timeslips and may store Timeslips lock data. This file format is classified as Data. Related links: Timeslips User Guide, Timeslips Basics Video, Timeslips Brochure

SLK file format details:

Each file has a definite file format, that is, how the stored data is arranged in the file. The first characters in a file identify the file format, for example, HTML files start with the bytes <html>. However, different programs can use the same file extension, and file extensions can be assigned incorrectly. So a detailed analysis of a file is vital in order to determine the format and the associated program. Our evaluation of the SLK files looks like this:

SLK is not that commonly used as a file extension. This file type is mainly used by one program with a specific format. The two most popular formats are as follows:

85% of all SLK files belong to SYLK - SYmbolic LinK data. The contents of these files are easily readable with a text editor. A typical file size is 32 KB. The file type is relatively new. The files contain the following words: ID;PWXL;N;E, P;P#,##0, P;PGeneral, P;P#,##0.00 and P;P0.00. Such SLK files store data about data, borderou, ability, ucmlist, randogps, item, unit, lightning, econea and export.

The remaining 15% of all SLK files are files with no common format. If you want to find out what your SLK file contains, drag and drop it onto this page.

Technical Data for SLK File Extension

File classification:

Simple text file

Related files:

brw, xls, silk, skl, txt, dat, sol, csv, tsv

Mime type:

application/x-sylk

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office 2003\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE /e

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office10\EXCEL.EXE /e

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE /e

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office\Office\EXCEL.EXE /e

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office_XP\Office10\EXCEL.EXE /e

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\office97\Office\excel.exe /e

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\OfficeXP\Office10\EXCEL.EXE /e

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: F:\office97\Office\excel.exe /e

ProgramID: onlineTV.Smartlink
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\onlineTV\onlineTV.exe /smartlink %1

ProgramID: onlineTV.Smartlink
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\concept design\onlineTV 2\onlineTV.exe /smartlink %1

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office 2007\Office12\EXCEL.EXE /e

ProgramID: onlineTV3.Smartlink
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\concept design\onlineTV 3\onlineTV.exe /smartlink

ProgramID: Excel.SLK
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office2007\Office12\EXCEL.EXE /e

Show all 13 listings To Top

an slk symbolic link file is a special file format by Microsoft and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with SLK files

Associate the SLK file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open symbolic link files. Because only the current version supports the latest SLK file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the Microsoft manufacturer website after an available Excel update.
To make sure that your SLK file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .SLK file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.