How to convert PDF to Excel (XLS)

Extract tables from a PDF file with Solid Converter PDF v3 and save them in Microsoft® Excel format.

Many documents on the internet are in Portable Document Format (PDF). These documents ensure that you will be able to obtain publications in their original format, regardless of what type of computer, browser, or operating system you use to access the Internet. In order to view, navigate through, and print PDF documents, you must first download the free Acrobat Reader software.

Unfortunately, the Adobe Acrobat Reader does not have any editing options, nor does it have the versatility of a spreadsheet program. This makes it difficult to perform statistical analyses and manipulations on any data within the document. One way to overcome this problem is to convert the document (or parts of it) into Excel.

Excel is a spreadsheet program from Microsoft, part of their Microsoft Office suite of productivity tools for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. Excel creates spreadsheets, graphs, and does some basic sorting. It is available for use by the ID Weeks community from computers on the 1st floor - Computer Workstations and in TLC. Now it is probably the most widely used spreadsheet program in the world.

The following is one of the PDF to Excel Converters step by step guide, telling you how to convert PDF to Excel with Solid Converter PDF v3. The program can extract PDF Tables to Excel. It can automatically save each table in the PDF content as a separate worksheet within a single workbook, and then you can make changes to the data and formatting as with any other Excel file.

Step.1 Download Solid Converter PDF v3 here and install it.

Step.2 Open Solid Converter PDF using one of the following methods:

• Desktop - Double-click on the Solid Converter PDF icon.
• Windows Start menu - From your Microsoft Windows Start Programs menu, you can select "Solid Documents -> Solid Converter PDF -> Solid Converter PDF".

Step.3 In the Solid Converter PDF window, browse to the folder containing the PDF file(s) you want to extract tables from. Select one or more source files (you can hold down the CTRL key to select multiple files), then click the down arrow next to the "Convert" icon and select "Extract Tables to Microsoft Excel".

Step.4 File conversion will begin automatically and a progress window will display. If the file is password protected, the conversion will stop and request the password before proceeding. After conversion, you can open the new spreadsheet in Excel and make changes. The file will be saved in the same folder and have the same name as the original PDF, except with a "xls" instead of a "pdf" file extension.