If the corrupted Excel file cannot be opened

Try the free Excel recovery free suggestions listed below. You may be able to solve simple problems yourself.

1. Do not run Excel off a floppy disk
   If the corrupt file is a on floppy disk, copy the file to your hard-drive or a network drive.
   
2. If Excel crashes and won’t open (not file specific)
   The customized Toolbar file may be corrupt. Use Windows Explorer to find the .xlb file. Keep a backup by renaming (.old), then delete the .xlb file. Restart Excel. You will lose any customized toolbars.
   
3. Open the Excel File in Word, or Wordpad
   Try File-Open or Insert-File in MS Word or File-Open in WordPad/Notepad. You may be able to recover the data but not formulas or proper formatting
   
4. Open in Microsoft’s Excel 97/2000 Viewer
   “Microsoft Excel Viewer is a small, freely distributable program that lets users view and print Excel for Windows (versions 2.0 and greater) and Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh (versions 2.2a and greater) spreadsheet files.”
   Excel Viewer may recover formatting and cell values, but cannot recovery formulas, charts or VBA macro modules. The Viewer can be downloaded from Microsoft at:http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/xlviewer.aspx
   
5. Open in Excel XP
   Excel XP has better file recovery abilities than previous Excel versions.
   
6. Open in another Spreadsheet program
   Lotus or Quattro Pro.
   Free Excel-compatable spreadsheets from www.Software602.com or open-source www.OpenOffice.org
   

   Neither Software602 or OpenOffice support VBA macros but they do produce Excel compatable files. OpenOffice has a reputation of being more of a resource-hog than Software602.

7. Use External link formulas In another worksheet enter this formula into cell a1:

   ='C:\My Documents\[Corrupt File Name.xls]Sheet'1!A1

   – changing it to match the corrupt file path, filename and sheet names. Copy this formula down and over – mirroring the range covered in the corrupt file. Cell values, but not formulas or VBA code, may be retrieved.
   
8. Disable macros
   Disable macros at the prompt when attempting to open the file.
   
9. Open Excel in Safe Mode
   Open Excel in Safe Mode. This will disable VBA and Add-ins. Click on Start then Run then enter (including the quotes and the /s extension):
   “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\excel.exe” /s
   
10. Delete your Temporary Folder
    Delete the contents of your c:\windows\temp directory then reboot.
    
11. Use Excel’s built-in Detect and Repair utility.
    Excel 2000+ has a built in Detect and Repair utility. Click on
    Help – Detect and Repair
    Note: “This procedure detects and repairs problems associated with installed Microsoft Office programs, such as registry settings and missing installation files. It will not repair personal files such as spreadsheets or templates.”
    

Home

Excel Consulting
Excel Security and Protection
Free Microsoft Excel Templates
Excel Calendars

Excel Corrupt File Recovery
Excel File Converters
Free Excel Help Resources
Excel Books
Excel Training

Excel Software
Business Templates
Stock Market
Financial Analysis

Scheduling

Project Management
Construction Calculators
Cost Estimating
Manufacturing

Excel BarCodes
Contact

Privacy Policy