Top 10 Ways to Repair Excel File
Excel is used to store and manage a huge amount of data. It offers interesting features like calculations, formulas, charts, data analysis etc. It is the most used tool in business and other fields, around the globe. Despite a lot of benefits and features, Excel has the problem of getting corrupt. When a file gets corrupted, its data becomes inaccessible and faces the chance of permanent loss.
To avoid such scenarios, first of all it is important to know the reasons behind this behavior. Before heading towards the solutions, let’s discuss the possible reasons of excel files getting corrupt.
Most common reasons behind Excel file corruption
There are several scenarios that could cause files getting corrupt. Few of them are following:
Mistakes in Dealing with Excel Files
While working with excel, we accidentally make a few mistakes that can cause the corruption of workbook. For example, if accidentally deleting and then recovering the file, closing the workbook without saving or in some cases, the file is saved in a removable device and that device is suddenly removed from computer while the file is still opened in excel. All these cases could lead to loss of data.
Some Defects in the Excel Application
Sometimes excel stops responding to the instructions. This issue require user to close the app and restart it.
Switching Versions
Users can face issue while switching between excel versions too. New versions include new features and files created in these versions might cause errors while opening those files with older versions. The unequal functionalities might damage the original file’s data.
A Sudden Power Failure
While working with desktop computer, a sudden power failure will shut down the computer instantly. If the excel workbook is opened, there are chances that unsaved changes will be lost and file might get corrupted.
Malware
Malware in the document or the computer can itself cause such harm to files.
Error in the operating system
That is it can be outdated and can have a number of other maintenance issues that should be addressed on time.
Top 10 ways to repair corrupted Excel files
Recovering excel file is possible and have several methods to do so. In this article, we are listing out easiest and doable methods to perform recovery.
Manual method
Excel offers a manual method to recover damaged and corrupted files. For that, follow the below-listed steps:
- Choose Open from the File menu. In Excel 2007, click the Office button and select Open.
- Using the ‘Look In control’, locate and specify the corrupted workbook.
- From the Open button's dropdown list, click on Open and Repair.
- If this is your first attempt to manually recover the workbook, click Repair in the dialog box shown on screen.
- In case of repeatedly trying recovery options, you can click on ‘Extract data’ on the same dialogue box.
This method will only repair the files if the reason behind their corruption is fault in excel app.
Reversion of the file to the last saved version
If the excel file becomes corrupted before saving the changes, then it can be reversed to last saved version by following steps:
On the File tab, click Open.
Double-click the name of the file that you have open in Excel.
Click “Yes” to re-open the workbook.
Disable automatic calculation
You can try setting the calculation method to manual and try opening the file again. Perform the following steps to reset the calculation setting:
Open a new blank workbook. From the Tools menu, choose Options and click the Calculation tab. In Excel 2007, click the Office button, click Excel Options, and select Formulas in the panel to the left. In the Calculation section (Calculation Options in Excel 2007), choose Manual and click on OK.
After that, try to open the corrupted workbook again. Sometimes excel opens a corrupted workbook if it doesn’t have to perform all calculations again.
Try Microsoft Office Tools
Give Microsoft Office Tools a whirl if nothing else works for you. To do that you perform the following steps:
From the Start menu, choose All Programs (in Windows XP). Select Microsoft Office. Click on Microsoft Office Tools. Then, select Microsoft Office Application Recovery. A dialogue box will appear on screen. From that, choose Microsoft Office Excel. Click on Recover Application. Wait until the recovery process is completed. This may take a few minutes. Respond to the Send Report To Microsoft prompt. This method will close Excel and then restart it. After restarting, it will display a list of recovered excel sheets. If you are lucky enough, your corrupted file would be there too.
Opening the file in HTML Format
Most of the times the corrupted excel file doesn’t open simply by clicking it, but it can be opened if one keeps on trying and putting in efforts to open it. If somehow the file gets opened, save the file as web page and don’t forget to change the location where you’d saved it earlier. Opening the corrupt file in XML Format
For doing this try opening the file and if it gets opened somehow now change the format of your file as XML format from XLSX or XLSM and then from that save it again on the Excel but now on a different location from the previous one.
Move the File
Sometimes, a corrupted workbook is not really corrupted. It is just not accessible as it is usually. But networks and servers often mark these errors as corrupted files. If your workbook is not being repaired by excel, you can just try to move that file to another folder, network or serve. This might help you get rid of error and your workbook will be opened without any data loss.
Trust Setting
An easy method to cope with this difficulty is to change the trust settings. In the File tab, at the end there is an option of **trust center, **go for it and then go to Trust Center Settings and change it to enable protected views.
Create a Backup
It’s always good to have a backup of your important data. There could be a scenario when nothing else works for you, not because the methods are not authentic but you being a non-technical person might not be carrying out the steps correctly. In that case you can recover the data you have backed up earlier and could avoid losing your precious data.
Try automated software
There are several tools available to perform the conversion. These are convenient and save time for performing different steps to recover data. Though it is recommended to use the manual methods for excel file recovery before going for automated tools. You can use these tools if you’re short on time or when nothing else works for you.