Is there a way to read/recover old QB files? (without QB)

No. Only QuickBooks can open *.QBW files.

@W4GHV 

How old? Do you only need to open/restore files for a limited time or convert it to QB Online or another system?

I can help you with recovering those files to continue working with your account,W4GHV.

You can use the QuickBooks Desktop Trial version so you'd be able to convert or restore your company file. The conversion process can take up to ten minutes , depending on the size of your data file. When the conversion is complete, QuickBooks opens the file.

For more information about restoring your backup file, check this reference: Restore a backup of your company file.

In case, you'll encounter any errors, this article will guide you in resolving them: Fix backup company file issues in QuickBooks Desktop.

Stay in touch if you need more help in recovering your file. Let me know by leaving a reply below. I'll be around to help you.

@TirzahC  RE: I reiterate what Big Red Consulting provided, for you to recover old files, you'll need to have QuickBooks regular data file *.QBW extension.

I didn't write that. I don't even know what that means. It's not even good English.The customer does not need to "have regular data file *.QBW extension."

I wrote:

"Only QuickBooks can open *.QBW files."