4 Quick Ways to Recover Unsaved Excel File on Windows | Stellar

4 Quick Ways to Recover Unsaved Excel File on Windows | Stellar

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How to Repair Multiple Excel Files by Using Stellar

With Stellar Repair for Excel, it is quite easy and simple to repair multiple MS Excel (XLS and XLSX) files that are damaged. This is because the software has a self-explanatory interface and hence is a Do-it-yourself software. Nonetheless, when using this software to repair multiple Excel files, you would have to add all of the files into the software by following a few pre-defined steps. Follow the steps mentioned below:

Select file option

  • Click Browse and select corrupt Excel files. Select the checkbox to repair multiple files.

Search file

  • Click Repair
  • The software provides the preview facility. You can check the it on left pane.

Preview of file

  • Save the repired filr ether Default location or Select New Folder radio button.

select destination

Stellar Repair for Excel Stellar Repair for Excel is the best choice for repairing corrupt or damaged Excel (.XLS/.XLSX) files. This Excel recovery software restores everything from corrupt file to a new blank Excel file.

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4 Ways to extract data from corrupt Excel file

Summary: Excel files can become corrupt due to numerous reasons. This blog will discuss the reasons behind the corrupted Excel files. Sometimes the file becomes inaccessible. This post includes four ways to extract data from a corrupt Excel file. It also mentioned Stellar Repair for Excel to repair severely corrupted files. The tool helps you recover data from damaged Excel files with complete integrity.

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Imagine the frustration of an employee if an Excel workbook he took hours to complete became corrupted for some reason threatening to erase all the data saved in it. Not just that, a corrupted Excel workbook can wreak havoc for the organization too since it poses a risk of permanently deleting critical business information like work records or employee trackers.

Unless a backup of all important Excel files exists, recovering data lost due to damage/corruption to them is next to impossible. However, we’ve conducted some research and found some pretty neat hacks to help you extract data from corrupt excel files without much hassle.

Primary reasons triggering Excel file corruption

As we always point out, to solve a problem for good, getting to its root is imperative. Here are the main reasons that cause Excel file corruption. Knowing these reasons can help you keep Excel corruption at bay for a considerably long time.

  • Abrupt system shutdown when you’re editing an Excel sheet
  • Bugs / Defects in your Excel application or installation
  • Hardware failures like bad sectors on the hard drive where Excel sheets are saved
  • Virus Infection / Malware Attack
  • Excessive data storage within a single Excel file
  • Faulty Excel Macros and CSE Formulas

Depending upon the extent of damage, there can be several ways to perform corrupt Excel file repair.

How to repair corrupt Excel files?

There are a couple of manual methods that can help you repair corrupt Excel files .

  1. If the damaged Excel sheet can be opened, immediately save its copy; thereafter:
    • Open it with a later version of Excel and save it as a new workbook.
    • If this doesn’t work, open it in Excel’s latest version and save the workbook in HTML or HTM format.
    • Once this is done, reopen the HTML file and save again in XLS format.
    • Lastly, open the file and try saving it in SLK format (symbolic link)

Note: It is important to note that saving an Excel workbook in HTML format causes loss of features like custom views, scenarios, unused styles or number formats, natural language formulas, data consolidation settings, custom function categories, etc. In SYLK format only the active worksheet is saved so if using this method, you’ll need to repeat these steps for each worksheet.

  1. Use Excel’s inbuilt Repair function as follows:
    • Launch Microsoft Excel and go to Office button -> Open
    • In the Open dialog box, select the damaged Excel file
    • On the bottom-right corner of the Open dialog box, you will find a drop-down next to Open Click on it and select Open and Repair
    • This will launch the inbuilt Repair module of Excel and you’ll see a dialog box asking you to select an option from Repair or Extract Data
    • Click on Repair to initiate the repair process.
    • If this doesn’t work, repeat steps 1-4, and when Excel asks you to select an option, select Extract Data from corrupt excel file. Thereafter, follow the instruction Excel shows and you should be able to retrieve your data, but you may end up losing some formulas.
  2. If you cannot open the Excel, download Spreadsheet viewer from the Microsoft website and open the file using this program. Thereafter copy all data into a new Excel.

Note: This method will cause much of your formatting, formulas, and more to be lost.

  1. You can download Open Office from its official website OpenOffice.org and try opening the Excel in it. The two programs are very similar so all data should automatically align in the correct place and with the correct formatting.

Note: With this method, VBA code cannot be recovered due to incompatibility between OpenOffice.org and Excel.

Full-proof method for corrupt Excel file repair

If you find the above methods confusing, or you wish to perform Excel file repair without having to face any data and formula loss, or you cannot achieve the desired results with any of these methods, stop wasting any more time with methods that will only frustrate you more. Instead, download the sure-shot solution for dealing with severe Excel corruption –Stellar Repair for Excel  and relax!

free download

Stellar Repair for Excel is the best choice for repairing corrupt or damaged Excel (.XLS/.XLSX) files and restoring everything to a new blank Excel file. This competent software can skillfully repair single as well as multiple XLS/XLSX files while preserving worksheet properties and cell formatting. If you have this product by your side, you don’t need to worry about Excel corruption errors ever again.

To Conclude

Instead of giving up on corrupted Excel sheets, try repairing them with the simple tricks we’ve described. And if they don’t work, keep calm and turn to Stellar Repair for Excel.

Fix Cannot Paste the Data Error in Microsoft Excel

When copying and pasting the cell contents or attributes from one workbook to another, you can encounter the “Cannot paste the data” error. The error indicates that the values you are trying to paste do not match the cell format (Currency, Date, Text, etc.) used in the column. The error can occur if you are attempting to paste information into a merged cell. You can also get this error if the data you are trying to paste contains more columns than the destination worksheet can accept or if the copy area and paste area aren’t the same size.

Why you cannot Paste the Data in Microsoft Excel?

You can experience the “Excel cannot paste the data” error due to one of the following reasons:

  • Locked cells
  • Data size limitation
  • Formatting issues
  • The file size is too large
  • Overloaded clipboard
  • Data type mismatch
  • Invalid range
  • Lack of permissions
  • Excel file is corrupted
  • Compatibility issues
  • While pasting the merged cells

Methods to Fix MS Excel Cannot Paste the Data Error

The “Microsoft Excel cannot paste the data” error usually appears when copying and pasting data within the spreadsheet. It primarily affects the copy-and-paste feature within the Excel file. However, the impact of this error may vary with the data you are working with. When this error occurs, first try restarting the Excel application. Ensure that you’ve saved all your important data before restarting the application to prevent data loss. If, after performing this basic step, you still face the issue, then try the following troubleshooting methods.

Method 1: Check and Unlock Cells in Excel

You can get the Excel cannot paste the data error if the cells you are trying to paste in the Excel file are locked. You can check and unlock the specific cells in the Excel file using the below steps:

  • Go to the Home tab in your Excel file and click Format Cell Font popup launcher.

Clicking Cell Font In Home

  • In the Format Cells dialog box, click Protection.

Selecting Protection from Font family with formatting

  • Under the Protection option, unselect the locked field and then click OK.

Click on Locked Cell under Protection Tab

Method 2: Check and Fix the Cell Format

Sometimes, you can get the “Cannot paste the data” error in Excel if there is an issue with the formatting of the cells in the column (in which you are trying to paste the data). You can check whether the cell formats of the columns of the source file (from where you are copying data) match the destination file (in which you are pasting the cell data). If not, then change the cell format. Here’s how to do so:

  • In the Excel file, click on the affected column heading (whose cells you need to modify).
  • Navigate to the Home tab and click the General dropdown menu.

Navigate to Home and Click general drop down menu in Excel

  • Click on the desired cell format that matches the values you are trying to paste into the column.

Method 3: Check Copy and Paste Area Size

The “data cannot be pasted” issue can also occur if Excel detects the copy area of the range of cells is not of the same size and shape as that of the paste area. So, make sure the size of the range of cells for the paste area is same as the copied area. To ensure this, you can try the following:

  • Use Upper-left Cell

 You can select the upper-left cell instead of the complete range to paste.

  • Use Paste Special Option

  • You can use the Paste Special option to paste the data. To use this option, go to Home > Paste Special.

Navigate to Home And click on Paste Special in Excel

  • You can choose from the different options, such as paste all, formulas, operations, Transpose, skip blanks, etc. to take control over how the data is pasted.

Click on Paste and Selection of Operations from Paste Special Properties

Method 4: Check and Unmerge Cells

The merged cells in the workbook can create discrepancies when copying and pasting data. These can create mismatch between the source and destination cell areas, resulting in errors. Make sure you are not pasting the data copied from merged cells. You can check and unmerge the cells using the below steps:

  • Open the Excel file (in which you are copying data) and go to the Home tab.
  • Click Merge & Center > Unmerge Cells.

Under Excel Navigate to Home and click on Merge and Center

Method 5: Unselect the Excel DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) Option

Sometimes, you can get the Excel cannot paste the data error while copying and pasting data from Excel file to external data sources or applications. It usually appears if you have established DDE links between them. To resolve this, you can uncheck the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” option. Follow the below steps to do so:

  • Open your Excel file.
  • Go to File > Options.

In Excel Options, click Advanced and unselect “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). Click OK.

Under Excel Navigate to Home and click on Merge and Center

Here are some additional solutions you can try to fix the “Cannot paste the data” error in Excel

Check the Excel File Format

Sometimes, the copy and paste error can occur if you try to move data from an older version of Excel file (XLS) into a newer version file (XLSX) or vice versa. You can try to change or convert the file format to resolve the issue.

Clear Clipboard

Too many items on the clipboard can prevent you from copying and pasting the data. You can empty your clipboard  by deleting all clips. To do this, go to Home and click the Clipboard option.

Change the Column’s Cell Format

You can get the “Cannot paste the data” error when the information you need to paste does not match the cell format in the column. In such a case, you can change the column’s cell format. To do this, navigate to the Home option and then click on the General menu arrow. Then, change the cell format suitable to the type of information you are trying to paste in that column.

Add Columns

The copy-and-paste error in Excel can also occur if there are not enough columns to accept the data that you are trying to paste. You can insert more columns and then try copying and pasting data. To insert additional columns, click on the column heading, click Home, and then select Insert.

Remove Incompatible Add-ins

Sometimes, incompatible or faulty add-ins can also create conflicts with Excel’s clipboard operations, leading to the error. To check if add-ins are causing the issue, open the Excel file in safe mode. In safe mode, if you are able to paste the data, then check and uninstall the incompatible Excel Add-ins.

What to do if Nothing Works?

If the above methods do not work, then corruption in the Excel file could be the cause of the “Cannot paste the data” error. In such a case, you can use Excel’s built-in Open and Repair utility to repair the corrupted file. Here’s how to use this utility to repair the Excel file:

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Navigate to File and then click Open.
  • Click the Browse option to select the affected Excel file.
  • The Open dialog box opens up. Click on the corrupted file.
  • From the Open dropdown, select the Open and Repair option.
  • The Excel will prompt you to choose one of the below options:
  • Repair
  • Extract
  • Cancel
  • Select the Repair option to extract maximum data from the file. If the Repair option fails, choose the Extract option to recover the data, excluding formulas and values.

 The Open and Repair utility may not be able to repair your Excel file if it is severely corrupted. In such a situation, the best possible way out is to use a professional Excel repair software to repair the file. You can try Stellar Repair for Excel. It can repair highly damaged or corrupted Excel (.xls, .xlsx, .xltm, .xltx, or .xlsm) file and recover all the objects from the file by maintaining the original formatting. The tool supports 2007 and higher editions of MS Excel. You can download the demo version of the software to preview the repaired objects and verify its functionality.

Conclusion

The “Excel cannot paste the data” error in Excel can occur due to different factors. You can check and clear the clipboard, unmerge the cells, unlock the cells, and use various other methods mentioned above to troubleshoot the error. If you fail to copy and paste the data due to file corruption, then opt for an advanced Excel repair software, like Stellar Repair for Excel. It is a reliable tool that can help you repair highly damaged/corrupted Excel files. It enables you to recover all the objects from the corrupted Excel file, with complete integrity.

Fixed “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel | Step-by-Step Guide

Summary: The error “cannot insert object” in MS Excel can prevent you from modifying objects in the worksheet. This blog will discuss the primary reasons behind this error and the possible solutions to fix it. You will also learn about a professional Excel repair software that can help fix the error if it has occurred due to corruption in Excel file.

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Many users have reported encountering the “cannot insert object” error while adding/embedding objects into the Excel file. It usually occurs when using Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) to add content (PDF, Microsoft documents) from external applications to worksheet. The error can also occur when using ActiveX control in Excel. Below, we’ll explain why you cannot insert object into Excel sheet and how to troubleshoot the issue.

Why the “Cannot Insert Object” Error Occurs?

  • Macro Settings can prevent the insertion of objects into a workbook.
  • The Excel file in which you are trying to add an element is corrupted.
  • The object (you are inserting into the workbook) is damaged.
  • Object size limitations.
  • System’s insufficient memory might prevent new objects’ addition.
  • Incompatible Excel file format.
  • Add-ins controls are disabled.
  • Incompatible or faulty Add-ins.
  • Issue with Security Settings.

Methods to Fix the “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel

You may encounter the “Cannot insert object” error when trying to add an element stored on a network. It can occur due to issues with the file link, such as incorrect file location. In such a case, you can check the link by selecting the link to file option from the Insert tab.

Sometimes, the error can occur if the file in which you are trying to insert the object is locked and password-protected. In this case, you can unprotect the Excel file . If the issue still persists, then you can follow the below methods.

Method 1: Check and Change Restricted Security Settings

Excel provides security settings to protect your workbook. Sometimes, these settings can prevent inserting objects in the file. You can change the security settings to allow Excel to insert objects. To do so, follow these steps:

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Locate the File and then click Options.
  • In Excel Options, click Trust Center.

Trust Center In Excel Options

  • Click Trust Center Settings.
  • In the Trust Center Settings window, select Protected View from the left pane.

Click Protected View In Trust Center

  • Under Protected View, unselect the below three options:
  • Enable Protected View for files originating from the internet.
  • Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations.
  • Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments.

Select All Options Under Protected View

  • Click OK.
  • Once you’re done with this, click on Macro Settings in the Trust Center window.
  • Under Macro Settings, make sure “Disable all macros without notification” is not selected. If it is selected, then unselect it. After that, click OK.

Click Macro Settings And Disable Macros Without Notifications

  • Restart Excel to apply the changes.

Method 2: Uninstall Microsoft Office Updates

You can also encounter the “Cannot insert object” error in Excel after installing MS Office updates. It might be due to the issues with the installed updates. To fix this, you can uninstall the recently installed Office updates. To uninstall the Office updates, follow these steps:

  • Go to the system’s Control Panel.
  • Click Programs and then click Program and Features.
  • Search for “View Installed Updates” and click on the desired Office updates.
  • Right-click on it and then click Uninstall.
  • Follow the uninstallation steps on the screen.
  • Once the process is complete, restart the system.

Method 3: Check Memory Usage

The “Cannot insert object” issue can also occur if your system is low on memory. You can check and close unnecessary processes and applications running in the background to free up memory. To do so, follow these steps:

  • Press CTRL + ALT + DEL on the keyboard and click Task Manager.
  • Click on the Processes tab and search for any unnecessary processes.
  • Right-click on the process and then select End Task.
  • Restart Excel to see if the issue is fixed.

Method 4: Check Excel File Size

If your Excel file size exceeds the prescribed limit, it can also lead to the “Cannot insert Excel object” error. So, check the Excel file size. You can reduce the file size by removing unnecessary objects, such as formulas or images.

Method 5: Check and Change Excel ActiveX Settings

You can get the “Excel cannot insert object” error if your Excel file contains macros, controls, and other interactive buttons. It usually occurs if the ActiveX Controls option is disabled. You can check and change the ActiveX Settings to fix the issue. Here are the steps:

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Navigate to File and then click Options.
  • In Excel Options, click the Trust Center tab.
  • In the Trust Center Settings, click ActiveX Settings.
  • Under ActiveX Settings, make sure the “Enable all controls without restrictions and without prompting” option is selected.

select enable all controls without restrictions under activexsettings

  • If the option is not selected, then select it and click OK.
  • Restart the Excel and check if the error is fixed or not.

Method 6: Repair the Excel Workbook

The “Cannot insert object” error can occur if the object you are trying to insert is corrupted or the file in which you are inserting the object is damaged. If the issue has occurred due to a corrupted Excel file, then you can repair the file using the Open and Repair utility in MS Excel. To use this Microsoft-inbuilt utility, follow these steps:

  • In the Excel application, go to the File tab and then click Open.
  • Click Browse to choose the affected file.
  • The Open dialog box is displayed. Click on the corrupted file.
  • Click on the arrow next to the Open button and then click Open and Repair.
  • Click on Repair.

Click On Repair Option

  • After repair, a message will appear (as shown in the below figure).

Click Close Option In Repair Message

  • Click Close.

If the Open and Repair utility fails to fix the issue, then try a professional Excel Repair software, like Stellar Repair for Excel. It is designed to repair severely corrupted Excel files. It can restore all the Excel file objects, such as tables, charts, formulas, etc. It helps fix all types of corruption related errors. The software is compatible with all versions of Excel.

Conclusion

You might encounter the “Cannot insert object” error when embedding or inserting objects in Excel. In this post, we have discussed the possible solutions to fix this error. We have also mentioned an Excel repair software that can help to easily repair the corrupted Excel file and recover all the data. You can download the Stellar Repair for Excel’s free demo version to preview the recoverable objects of the corrupted Excel file.

[Fixed]: Freeze Panes not Working in Excel

Summary: This blog discusses the “freeze panes not working” issue in Excel. It mentions the possible reasons behind the issue and offers workarounds and methods to fix it. If the issue is associated with corruption in the Excel file, you can use the specialized Excel repair tool mentioned in the blog to repair the affected file.

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The freeze panes feature in Excel is used to freeze the row/column headings to keep them visible while scrolling the worksheet. It is a useful feature when you’re working on a large worksheet containing data that exceeds the rows and columns on the screen. Sometimes, you notice that the ‘Excel freeze panes feature is not working’. There could be numerous factors that can trigger this issue. Let’s know the reasons for the freeze pane not working issue in Excel and how to resolve this issue.

Why can’t I freeze panes in excel?

Several factors may contribute to the Excel freeze panes not working issue in Excel. A few of them are:

  • The cell editing mode is enabled in the workbook in which you are trying to use the Freeze Panes feature.
  • The Excel file is corrupted.
  • The worksheet is protected.
  • Advanced Options are disabled in Excel Settings.
  • The Excel application is not up-to-date.
  • You might be trying to lock rows in the middle of the worksheet.
  • Your Excel workbook is not in normal file preview mode.
  • Wrong/incorrect positioning of the frozen panes.

How to fix ‘Freeze Panes not Working’ in Excel?

The freeze panes option is available in the View bar. Sometimes, you’re unable to see the View option. It usually occurs if you are using the Excel Started version. Check and try to open the file in the advanced Excel version, which supports all the features. If you are using the advanced Excel version, then try the below workarounds to fix the freeze panes not working issue in Excel.

Workaround 1: Exit the Cell Editing Mode

If your Excel file is switched from normal file view mode to cell editing mode, you can encounter the freeze panes not working issue. In cell editing mode, certain features in Excel, such as the freeze panes, are temporarily disabled to prevent any conflicts. You can disable cell editing mode by pressing the ESC or Enter key. Now locate the View tab and check whether the freeze pane feature is working. If not, then try the next workaround.

Workaround 2: Change the Page Layout View

The Excel freeze panes not working issue can also occur if your workbook is opened in Page Layout view. The Page Layout view doesn’t support freeze panes. If you select page layout, the freeze panes option gets disabled.

Excel freeze panes not working in Page Layout view

To enable the freeze pane option, go to View and click the Page Break Preview tab.

enable freeze panes in excel page break  preview tab

Workaround 3: Check and Remove Options under the Data Tab

Sometimes, you can experience the “freeze panes not working” issue if Sorting, Data Filter, Group, and Subtotal options are enabled in Excel workbook. Such options, when enabled, can lead to unexpected problems with the freeze panes’ functionality. You can check and remove these features from your workbook. To do so, follow these steps:

  • Open the Excel file in which you are getting the issue.
  • Navigate to the Data tab.
  • Check and remove the below features (if enabled):
  • Sort
  • Filter
  • Group
  • Subtotal

remove sort, filter, group, and subtotal in excel step-by-step

Workaround 4: Check and Unprotect Worksheet

The freeze panes feature may stop working if your worksheet is protected. You can try to disable the worksheet protection option. Here are the steps:

  • In the Excel file, go to the Review tab.
  • Click Unprotect Sheet.

Excel Review Tab - Accessing Unprotect Sheet Option - Learn how to navigate to the Review tab in Excel and click on the 'Unprotect Sheet' function to unlock protected content.

After unprotecting the sheet, check whether the “freeze panes not working” issue is resolved. If not, follow the next workaround.

Workaround 5: Use Correct Cell Positioning

The freeze pane is not working issue in Excel can also occur when you use incorrect cell positioning to apply the freeze panes feature. Several users have reported facing this issue when trying to lock multiple rows with the wrong cell selection. So, use correct cell positioning to freeze the rows. For example, if you are trying to lock two rows in an Excel worksheet, then you need to click on 3rd row’s column.

Excel Freeze Pane Issue: Fix with Correct Cell Positioning

What if the above Workarounds Fail to Fix the Freeze Panes not Working Issue?

If none of the above workarounds works, then there are chances that the workbook is damaged or corrupt. In such a case, you can try the below methods to repair the corrupt Excel workbook.

Run Open and Repair Utility

In case of corruption in the Excel file, you can use the Open and Repair tool in Excel to repair the file. To use this utility, follow these steps:

  • In the Excel application, navigate to File and then click Open.
  • Click Browse to select the workbook in which you are facing the issue.
  • The Open dialog box is displayed. Click on the affected file.
  • Click the arrow next to the Open option and then click Open and Repair.

Excel File Repair: Steps - Open, Browse, Select, Repair

  • Click on the Repair option to recover as much data as possible.
  • You can see a completion message once the repair process is complete. Click Close.

Use a Professional Excel Repair Tool

If the Open and Repair tool doesn’t work to resolve complex file-related issues and your Excel file is severely corrupted, you can opt for a reliable third-party Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool can help you repair the Excel file and recover all the data with complete integrity. You can try the software’s demo version to scan the affected file and preview the recoverable data. The software is compatible with all MS Excel versions and Windows operating systems, including Windows 11.

Closure

The “freeze panes not working” issue in Excel can occur due to several reasons, like protected worksheet, incompatible Excel version, and incorrect cell position. Try the workarounds shared in the blog to fix the issue. If the Excel file is corrupt, you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to fix the corruption issues in the file. This tool can quickly repair the Excel file and recover all the data from the file with 100% integrity.

Ways to Fix the “Failed to Parse the Corrupted Excel File” Error

Summary: While parsing an Excel file, you may experience the “Failed to parse the corrupted Excel file” error. It usually occurs if the Excel file is corrupt. This blog covers some easy fixes to fix this Excel error. It also mentions an advanced Excel repair tool that can help fix the issue by repairing the corrupted file.

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You may encounter the “Failed to parse the corrupted Excel file” error when parsing (extracting or converting) the data in an Excel file. This error usually occurs if the Excel file is corrupted – either completely or partially (some of its objects, like formulas, macros, and values are corrupt). However, there are various other reasons that may lead to this Excel error. Let’s know the possible causes behind the “Failed to parse the corrupted Excel file” error and how to fix it.

Causes of the “Failed to parse the corrupted Excel file” Error

This error could occur due to any of the following causes:

  • Damaged or corrupted macros
  • Excel document is closed suddenly
  • Issues with Excel application installation
  • Virus or malware attack
  • Hardware failure
  • Bad sectors on the hard drive

Ways to Fix the “Failed to parse the corrupted Excel file” Error

Here are some possible ways to fix this error and recover the Excel file.

Method 1: Try to Save the File in a Different Format

Sometimes, the error can occur if the file format is not compatible with your Excel version. You can try saving the file to a different format. To do this, follow the below steps:

  • Open the Excel file.
  • Click on the File option and then select Save As.
  • Click on Browse option and then click Save as Type.

Save As Window

  • Select the desired Excel file format and click Save.

Method 2: Revert to the Previously Saved Version of the Excel File

You can try reverting to the previously saved version of the Excel file. Here’s how:

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Navigate to File > Info > Manage Workbook.

Go To Manage Workbooks

  • Click Recover unsaved workbooks.

Click Recover Unsaved Workbooks

  • Click on the Restore option you see at the top of the file.

Method 3: Set the Calculation Option to Manual

When the calculation mode is set to automatic, Excel automatically recalculates all the formulas in the file even if you make a minor change. It can take time to load the file and stop you from parsing data in your Excel file. You can change the calculation option to manual so that Excel only recalculates when you explicitly tell the application to do it. Here are the steps:

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Navigate to File and then click Options.
  • In Excel Options, select Formulas.
  • Under Workbook Calculation, select Manual and click OK.

Select Manual On Excel Options

Method 4: Use Open and Repair Utility

You can try repairing the corrupted Excel file with Excel’s inbuilt tool – Open and Repair . To use the tool, follow the steps cited below:

  • In Excel, go to the File tab and then click Open.
  • Click Browse to select the corrupted file.
  • The Open dialog box will appear. Click on the corrupted file.
  • Click on the arrow next to the Open button and then click Open and Repair.
  • You will see a dialog box with three buttons Repair, Extract Data, and Cancel.

Click Repair Button

  • Click on the Repair button to recover as much of your work as possible.
  • After repair, a message will appear (as shown in the below figure).

Message After Repair

  • Click Close.

What If None of the Above Methods Works?

The above methods may fail to work if the Excel file is severely damaged. In such a case, we recommend using an efficient Excel repair tool , such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It can quickly repair corrupted Excel (.XLS/.XLSX) files. It can recover all the objects from the file, including charts, tables, formulas, etc. You can download the free trial version of the tool to preview the recoverable data.

Conclusion

Above, we have discussed some tried and tested methods to fix the “Failed to parse the corrupted Excel file” error. If the Excel file is severely damaged or corrupted, you can try repairing it using a third-party Excel repair software, like Stellar Repair for Excel . It can repair multiple Excel files without affecting the original formatting. The tool is compatible with all Excel versions.

How to Repair Excel Document on a Flash Drive

Summary: Microsoft Excel files are stored on flash drives if they need to be transferred between systems or if they need to be backed up. But sometimes unforeseen issues can corrupt the Excel sheets stored on flash drives. When that happens, it can be an arduous task to repair Excel documents on a flash drive. Through this post let us try to understand the reasons why Excel sheets stored on flash drives can get corrupted and how users can resolve them easily.

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In this digital age, we all work with computers, files, and documents. Flash drives or USBs are common ways of storing data in an external place. Be it for a meeting or for a party playlist, these devices come handy when one wants to transfer data or access the files stored elsewhere.

You may need to access your data from another location. That’s when a USB flash drive might come in handy. And, that’s exactly why Excel sheets too end up on flash drives; either that or for backup purposes. However, there are many instances where an Excel file stored in a USB gets corrupted when one tries to access the file. The error message you get while trying to open the Excel file would be a great clue for figuring out the exact reason behind corruption.

This blog will provide insights into what are the reasons for the corruption of a USB and how the users can repair Excel on flash drive that has been corrupted.

Reasons for USB inaccessibility

Sometimes flash drives or USBs can become unresponsive due to numerous reasons. There are two types of corruption – logical and physical. Physical corruptions occur due to broken stems and connectors, broken circuits, NAND gate, not recognised, RAW, need to format, not accessible, and dead drives (no power supply).

One of the main reasons behind such an error could be that the USB drive has been infected by some virus. This can affect any file – not only the ones which are there in the USB drive but also the ones which are there in the PC/Laptop where you connect the USB drive. It is recommended that you scan the USB drive with reliable antivirus software to detect viruses.

There can be various other reasons that may make your USB corrupt or unresponsive. But there are very slim chances that you will be able to recover a flash drive that has physical damage. However, you can try to run the check disk on the USB drive to fix the drive. We will be discussing this as you read on.

Recovery Methods for Corrupted Flash Drives

There are 3 tried and tested recovery methods. Try them and see which one works out for you.

  1. Restoring Excel Files from Windows backup

To bring back your old Excel files, fixing up the corrupt file is your best option. Importantly note that this method would work only if your system’s Windows backup option has been enabled.

Step-by-step process for restoring your older Excel files:

  • Connect your USB drive
  • Go to “My Computer”->USB Drive->Check if the file exists
  • Right click on the excel file and click on the restore previous versions

Restore Previous Versions

  • You will now see a list of older versions which were created
  • Select one the backups and click on “restore”
  1. Using Command Line to Recover Excel Files

In case you are looking to repair Excel on flash drive, you can also resolve it by using the command line. Just follow the below steps to see if you can recover the excel files.

  • Connect your USB Flash drive
  • Open “Run” (press Windows+R) and then open “cmd”

Windows+R cmd

  • Type “attrib -h -r -s /s /d (USB Drive Letter):\*.*” where the (USB Drive Letter) is the drive letter you can find using “My Computer”
  • Once this has been completed, Windows will start repairing your files
  • After the process gets over, try accessing the excel file to see if the data has been recovered
  1. Running a “Check Disk” on flash drives

Follow the below steps while the USB flash drive has been plugged into your computer:

  • Open “Run” and then open “cmd”
  • Type in “chkdsk /X /f (USB Drive Letter)” where the “(USB Drive Letter)” is the letter of the corrupted USB Drive. You can get this letter easily from the “My Computer”.

chkdsk  command prompt

It will now check your disk to and correct any corrupted records.

What if none of these methods works?

In case none of the above methods works to repair Excel document on a flash drive, then you would need a professional Excel repair software such as Stellar Repair for Excel to restore your files. Such software not only help repair corrupted Excel files on flash drives but also help in recovering the data stored within them in their original format.

Stellar Repair for Excel resolves corruption problems in Excel files and recovers all formulas, charts, cell formatting, and more from them. It can repair multiple Excel files in one go. Equipped with a fully interactive GUI, working with this product is extremely easy.

Free Download for Windows

To sum it up

Although flash drives are quite popularly used, they are not the most reliable of storage devices. These drives can fail anytime without warning. Thus, always back up your data on other more robust devices instead of flash drives. We hope that with the above tried and tested methods you will easily be able to repair Excel document on flash drive if need be. For any queries that you have, feel free to leave a comment below!


Also read:

  • Title: 4 Quick Ways to Recover Unsaved Excel File on Windows | Stellar
  • Author: Nova
  • Created at : 2024-05-19 17:46:56
  • Updated at : 2024-05-20 17:46:56
  • Link: https://phone-solutions.techidaily.com/4-quick-ways-to-recover-unsaved-excel-file-on-windows-stellar-by-stellar-guide/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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4 Quick Ways to Recover Unsaved Excel File on Windows | Stellar