read_excel unable to open file if the file is .xls but it was saved as .xml

[Despertaferro]

I download the file:

https://www.blackrock.com/lu/intermediaries/products/253743/ishares-sp-500-b-ucits-etf-acc-fund/1538022822830.ajax?fileType=xls&fileName=iShares-Core-SP-500-UCITS-ETF-USD-Acc_fund&dataType=fund

using httr's GET.

But when I try to read this file, using:

myasset <- "iShares-Core-SP-500-UCITS-ETF-USD-Acc_fund"
read_excel(paste(my_wd, myasset, ".xls", sep=""), sheet = "Holdings")

I get the error message:

Error:
filepath: [mywd]\iShares-Core-SP-500-UCITS-ETF-USD-Acc_fund.xls
libxls error: Unable to open file

When I manually open the file, and I go to "Save as", I see that even though the file is saved as "*.xls", the extension is ".xml". I have checked with Blackrock, the provider, and also they see ".xml".

Instead, if I manually save the file as "*.xls", then I can open the file with read_excel.

Since I have many of these files, it is cumbersome to open the files manually, and to save them as ".xls" instead of the original ".xml".

Is there an R way to do that automatically?

[Despertaferro]

If it is useful to answer my question, I can see the following:

file.exists(paste([mywd],, myasset, ".xls", sep=""))
[1] TRUE
format_from_ext(paste([mywd], myasset, ".xls", sep=""))
[1] "xls"
format_from_signature(paste([mywd],, myasset, ".xls", sep=""))
[1] NA