Frequently Asked Questions

LegacyLeaps is a Windows desktop application that migrates legacy Microsoft Office files to modern formats. It converts .xls to .xlsx and .mdb (Access) to .accdb while preserving VBA macros, ActiveX controls, Jet SQL queries, formulas, and formatting — the things that cloud converters and manual methods routinely lose.

LegacyLeaps converts:

Excel: .xls → .xlsx (no macros) or .xlsm (macro-enabled)
Access: .mdb → .accdb

These are the two format families most commonly broken by Windows 11 upgrades and Office 365 migrations.

Yes. This is LegacyLeaps's defining capability. Most conversion tools — including cloud converters like CloudConvert and Zamzar — silently strip VBA code during conversion. LegacyLeaps migrates your macro modules, user forms, class modules, and module-level declarations intact. Files with macros are converted to .xlsm format to preserve the code layer.

Yes. LegacyLeaps migrates ActiveX controls — buttons, combo boxes, list boxes, spin buttons, and others — including their event-handler VBA code. For Access databases, it handles ActiveX form controls that are particularly difficult to migrate manually.

Yes. LegacyLeaps preserves all standard Excel formulas — SUM, VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, array formulas, and named ranges — during conversion. External links to other workbooks are preserved as-is. LegacyLeaps flags any formulas that reference features with known compatibility gaps so you can review them before closing the project.

Jet SQL queries are migrated and converted to ACE SQL where syntax differences exist. Most Jet SQL is fully compatible with ACE. LegacyLeaps flags queries that use deprecated Jet-only syntax so you can review and update them. Select queries, action queries (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE), and crosstab queries are all migrated.

Yes — and in most cases it's safer to convert than to stay on .mdb. The .mdb format uses the older Jet 4.0 database engine, which Microsoft no longer updates. .accdb uses ACE, which supports modern Windows security, larger file sizes, stronger data types, and is actively maintained. LegacyLeaps validates data integrity during conversion and flags any objects that require manual review.

The free scan analyzes your files and produces a report showing:

• How many VBA modules, macros, and forms are present
• Which ActiveX controls are used
• Formula types and external link references
• Access query types and object counts
• An estimated migration complexity rating (Low / Medium / High)

You see exactly what you're working with before spending a penny. You can also try our free online scan — upload files directly in your browser with no download required.

After the scan, you'll see a detailed report for each file. If you want to convert, you purchase tokens and run the conversion locally — no upload required. Converted files are saved alongside your originals with a new extension. Your originals are never modified or deleted.

Self-service: You download LegacyLeaps, run the scan yourself, purchase tokens, and do the conversion. Best for individuals and small teams comfortable with the process.

Done-for-you: Our team handles the entire migration — scan, triage, conversion, and validation — and delivers converted files with a full report. Best for large file volumes, tight deadlines, or organizations that want expert oversight without internal IT involvement.

Yes. LegacyLeaps supports batch conversion — point it at a folder and it will scan and convert all eligible files. The bulk workflow includes a triage phase where you can exclude files, review complexity scores, and set conversion priorities before committing tokens. There is no per-batch file limit.

You purchase a bundle of tokens — Excel tokens for .xls files and Access tokens for .mdb files. Each file conversion uses one token. You only pay for what you actually convert. There are no subscriptions, no monthly fees, and no per-seat licenses. Tokens do not expire.

One token per file. If you have 50 Excel files to convert, you need 50 Excel tokens. The free scan tells you exactly how many files you have before you buy — you can run a free online scan right in your browser with no download needed. Most small businesses convert fewer than 100 files total; enterprise IT teams converting shared network drives often need 500 or more.

100% money-back guarantee. If LegacyLeaps doesn't preserve your formulas, macros, and formatting, we'll refund every penny. No questions asked.

Token purchases: 30-day refund window.
Done-for-you service: 14-day refund window after delivery.

Contact support at support@legacyleaps.com with your scan report and we'll investigate. If the issue is a conversion failure on our end, we'll fix it or issue a full refund. Your original files are never modified, so there is no risk of data loss.

No. LegacyLeaps is a desktop application. Your files never leave your machine. The scan runs locally, the conversion runs locally, and the output is saved locally. This matters for companies with compliance requirements (HIPAA, SOC 2, government security clearances), confidential data, or strict IT security policies.

No. LegacyLeaps is a Windows-only desktop application built on .NET 8. It requires Windows 10 or Windows 11. Mac and Linux are not supported. If you need to migrate files from a non-Windows environment, the done-for-you service handles this — you send us the files, we convert them on a Windows machine.

No. LegacyLeaps does not require Microsoft Office to be installed. It reads and writes Office file formats directly using its own libraries. This means you can run it on a dedicated migration server or a machine where Office is not licensed — useful for IT teams running migrations at scale.

An internet connection is required for license activation and token redemption. After that, the scan and conversion run entirely offline. If you need an air-gapped deployment option for high-security environments, contact us to discuss offline licensing.