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.

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.

2. 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.
3. 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.

4. 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!

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.

How to Fix Microsoft Excel Error Code 0x800A03EC?

Summary: You can encounter the error code 0x800A03EC in Excel due to different reasons. This post discusses the causes of the error and the workarounds and methods to fix it. If the “Microsoft Excel error 0x800A03EC” prevents you from accessing the Excel file data, use the Excel repair file tool mentioned in this post to restore the data with complete integrity.

The error code 0x800A03EC in MS Excel can occur while exporting or importing Excel sheets to or from another application. It can occur when trying to execute a macro. It usually appears when the Excel application fails to read the queries in the VBA code, especially when using the PasteSpecial method (Range.PasteSpecial method) to paste cell data from the clipboard into an Excel sheet. It can occur if the cell data format is not compatible with the target data.

Causes of MS Excel Error Code 0x800A03EC

The error code 0x800A03EC in Excel can occur in different scenarios. There could be several reasons associated with this error. Some of them are:

• Incompatible data formats.
• Trying to paste an extensive range of cells into a smaller range of cells.
• Add-ins are interrupting the code operation.
• Issue with the VBA code (incorrect or incomplete queries).
• Excel file is corrupted/damaged.
• Corrupted macros.
• Trying to export large-sized Excel file which is more than the Excel’s prescribed limit.
• Outdated Excel version.
• Incompatible cell formats on source and destination (when copying/pasting cell data).
• Missing cell range (forget to specify the range while using PasteSpecial method in the VBA code).
• Trying to save Excel file to incorrect directory.
• File path contains invalid characters.

Solutions to Fix MS Excel Error Code 0x800A03EC

The error 0x800A03EC can appear if your Excel file is incompatible with your Excel application version. You can run the compatibility checker  to review the compatibility issues in your Excel file. If this is not the issue, then follow the below methods.

Method 1: Review VBA Code

The exception from hresult 0x800a03ec excel can occur if you are trying to execute incorrect or incomplete queries in the Excel VBA code. It can also appear if the formulas do not contain the equal (=) symbol at the beginning. Verify the VBA code for any logical flaws, typo errors, syntax errors, or missing references.

Method 2: Check the Field Size

Excel has certain limits and specifications . If the Excel file’s data exceeds these designated size limits, you can get the MS Excel error code 0x800A03EC error. For example, this error occurs if you try to export a file with more rows than the limit of 65536 and columns than the limit of 256. Check and optimize the file size by minimizing complex formulas and other objects.

Method 3: Check Add-ins for Disabled Items

Sometimes, disabled items in Add-ins settings can prevent macros from functioning correctly. You can check and enable the disabled items in Add-ins using these steps:

• Navigate to File > Options.

• In Excel Options, click on the Add-ins option.
• Click the arrow corresponding to the Manage section.
• Select Disabled Items and click on the Go option.

• You will see a list of disabled items.
• Click on the disabled items and then click Enable.
• Restart Excel for the applied changes to take effect.

Method 4: Change Macro Settings

The error code 0x800A03EC can also occur if macros are disabled in the Macro Security settings. Follow these steps to change the macro settings in Excel:

• In MS Excel, go to File > Options > Trust Center.

• Under Trust Center, click on Macro Settings.

• Select Enable all macros and click OK.

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The Microsoft Excel error code 0x800A03EC can also appear if there is a connection disruption in the VBA. Such an issue can occur if there is an issue with Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) in an Excel workbook. The OLE objects are linked to external files. You can check and remove the unnecessary OLE objects from your Excel file to fix the issue.

Method 6: Check Methods in VBA

Excel can throw the “Exception from HRESULT: 0x800A03EC” error if you are trying to call an invalid method in a VBA code. Many users have reported this issue when trying to use ‘copy and paste’ feature using copy paste special method  (range.pastespecial) in Excel. Paste special is an advanced option in Excel to smooth the copy-and-paste task. While using this method, the exception can usually occur when Excel application detects an invalid or misaligned range or mismatch data type in the syntax. To fix this, check the syntax of the paste special method.

Method 7: Repair your Excel File

Corruption in Excel file can create inconsistencies in the macro and lead to the “Exception from HRESULT 0x800a03ec Excel” error. In such a case, you can try repairing the Excel file using Microsoft’s inbuilt utility – Open and Repair. To use this utility, follow these steps:

• In the Excel application, go to the File tab and then click Open.
• Click Browse to select the Excel file in which you are getting this exception error.
• The Open dialog box will appear. Click on the corrupted file.
• Click the arrow next to the Open button and then select Open and Repair.
• You will see a dialog box with three buttons – Repair, Extract Data, and Cancel.

• Click on the Repair button to recover as much of the data as possible.
• After repair, a message is displayed. Click Close.

The Open and Repair tool works in significant scenarios. If Open and Repair tool fails to resolve the issue, try an Excel repair tool recommended by experts and MVPs to repair the corrupted Excel file. Stellar Repair for Excel is one of the recommended Excel repair tools for fixing issues caused by corrupt Excel files. It provides more features than the Open and Repair utility. It can even repair severely corrupted Excel files. The tool supports all the versions of Microsoft Excel, including 2019. Download the software’s demo version to scan the corrupted file and see the preview of all the recoverable components of the file.

Conclusion

There are numerous reasons, like invalid method, incorrect range, data type mismatch, etc., that could lead to the common exception error 0X800A03EC in Excel. Try the troubleshooting methods mentioned above to fix the issue. You can also encounter the error due to corruption in the Excel file. In such a case, you can try the professional software – Stellar Repair for Excel – to repair the severely corrupted Excel file. The Excel repair software can fix all the corruption-related issues in Excel files (XLS/XLSX).

Ways to Fix Personal Macro Workbook not Opening Issue

Many users have reported encountering issues while accessing personal macro workbook, such as personal macro workbook not opening, personal macro workbook not loading automatically, Excel personal macro workbook keeps getting disabled, etc.

Such issues may arise due to a problem with the directory where the personal workbook is stored. However, there are various other reasons that may lead to such issues. Below, we’ll discuss the reasons behind the personal macro workbook not opening issue and the solutions to troubleshoot and fix the issue. But before proceeding, let’s understand why personal macro workbook is used.

Why Personal Macro Workbook is used?

You can access macros in a specific Excel workbook. However, when you need to use the same macro in other Excel worksheets, then you can create a personal macro workbook. A personal macro workbook (Personal.xlsb) is a hidden workbook that is used to store all macros. It makes your macros available every time you open Excel.

Causes of Personal Macro Workbook not Opening Issue

You may encounter personal macro workbook is not opening issue when attempting to record macros. Some possible causes behind such an issue are:

• Personal macro workbook is stored at an untrusted location
• Location of xlsb is changed
• Personal macro workbook is hidden
• Personal macro workbook becomes corrupted
• Disabled items in add-ins
• Workbook is Read-only

Methods to Fix the “Personal Macro Workbook not Opening” Issue

 Follow the given methods to fix the personal macro workbook is not opening issue:

Method 1: Check the Path of Personal.xlsb

The personal macro workbook (Personal.xlsb) file is stored in XLStart folder. It opens automatically when you open your Excel application. However, sometimes it fails to load automatically. It usually occurs when you try to open the file from an incorrect path. You can check the path of Personal.xlsb by following these steps:

• Open the workbook.
• Click on the Developer tab.

• Press Alt + F11 to open Visual Basic Editor.
• Go to View > Immediate Window.

• In Immediate Window, type the following code to know the location of the workbook:

?thisworkbook.path.

• Then, hit Enter.

• You will see the path of the personal macro workbook.
• Copy the path and paste it into Quick Access field in File Explorer.

Method 2: Unhide Personal Macro Workbook

If personal macro workbook is hidden, you may unable to see and open the Personal.xlsb file. To unhide the personal Macro workbook, follow the below steps:

• In Microsoft Excel, go to View and then click Unhide

• The Unhide dialog box is displayed. Click PERSONAL and then OK.

Method 3: Enable the Macro Add-ins

You may unable to open the previously recorded macros in your personal macro workbook if the macros are disabled. To check and enable the items, follow these steps:

• Go to File > Options.
• In Excel Options, click on the Add-ins
• Select Disabled Items from the Manage section and click on Go.

• The Disabled Items dialog box appears. Click on the disabled item and then click Enable.

Method 4: Change the Trusted Location

You may encounter the “personal macro workbook not opening” issue if the Personal.xlsb file is stored at an untrusted location. You can check and modify the path of XLSTART folder using the Trust Center window. Here are the steps:

• Open MS Excel. Go to File > Options.
• Click Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
• In the Trust Center Settings dialog box, click on Trusted Locations.

• Verify the path of the XLSTART If it is untrusted or there is any issue, then click Modify and then click OK.

Method 5: Repair your Excel File

You may fail to open personal macro workbook if it is corrupted. To repair the corrupt workbook, you can use the built-in Open and Repair utility in MS Excel. To use this tool, follow these steps:

• Open your Excel application.
• Click File > Open.

• Browse to the location where the corrupted file is stored.
• In the Open dialog box, select the corrupted workbook.
• From the Open dropdown list, click Open and Repair.

The dialog box appears with the Repair and Extract buttons. Click Repair to retrieve all possible data or the Extract option to recover the data without formulas and values.

If the Open and Repair utility fails to repair the corrupted Excel workbook, then you can use a professional Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It can easily repair severely corrupted Excel (XLSX and XLS) files and recover all the components. You can download the free trial version of the tool to preview the recoverable data.

Closure

This article discussed the ways to fix the personal macro workbook not opening issue. In case you are unable to open the personal macro workbook because of corruption in the workbook, you can use the Open and Repair utility in MS Excel. If it fails, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to fix corruption in the Excel file and recover all its data with complete integrity.

How Do I Repair and Restore Excel File?

When an Excel file turns corrupt, the file might become inaccessible or you might receive errors. You may encounter errors, such as ‘the file is corrupt and cannot be opened,’ ‘Excel found unreadable content in “filename>”,’ ‘Excel cannot open “filename” because the file format or extension is not valid,’ etc.

Common Reasons for Excel File Corruption

There are several reasons that can turn the file corrupt. The most common reason is a damaged hard drive. Other factors that can cause corruption in an Excel file are as follows:

• System crash or abrupt shutdown of the system while the file is still open
• Viruses infecting the file with malicious code
• Bug in the operating system
• Bad sectors on the drive where the file is stored
• Large spreadsheets with formulas and other components

Whatever be the reason, if your business is dependent on an Excel file, corruption in the file could hamper your business continuity. Also, you may lose crucial data. In such a situation, you could try to repair the file.

Before We Begin

It is important to identify the root cause behind Excel file corruption. If the problem has occurred due to a faulty hard disk drive, contact your hardware vendor to get it fixed. Also, move the file to another local drive and check if it opens. If nothing works, proceed with the methods discussed below to repair and restore the file.

Methods to Repair and Restore Excel File

Try the following methods to fix corruption in an Excel file and restore it.

Method 1 – Use the Built-in ‘Open and Repair’ Tool

You can use the Excel built-in Open and Repair utility to repair the corrupt file. Follow these steps:

• Open your Excel application and click on Blank workbook.

• On the blank workbook screen, click on the File tab.

• Click Open > Computer > Browse.

• Select the file you want to repair and then click on Open and Repair from the Open dropdown box.

• Click Repair to fix corruption in the Excel file and recover maximum data.

• If you get the following error message, click Yes to open the file.

• If clicking Yes opens the file with garbage entries (see the image below), perform Step 1 – 5 and click Extract Data. This will only help you recover data without formulas and values.

Note: You may also try to recover the data from a corrupted workbook by using the methods suggested by Microsoft .

A better way to repair and restore an Excel file with complete data is to use a specialized Excel file repair tool .

Method 2 – Use Excel File Repair Tool

Stellar Repair for Excel is a powerful tool designed to help users fix corrupted .xls or .xlsx files without any technical assistance. Also, the tool recovers all the components from a corrupted workbook, including tables, pivot tables, cell values, formulas, charts, images, etc. You can preview the repaired file and its contents by downloading the free demo version from the link below. It is a useful feature that allows the user to validate the data before saving it.

[

](https://tools.techidaily.com/stellardata-recovery/repaire-for-excel/ “Free Download For Windows”)

Here’s the step-by-step instructions to repair a corrupt Excel file using the software:

• Run the software. The software main interface opens with an instruction to add some add-ins if you’ve engineering formulas in the file you want to repair.

• Click OK to proceed.

• Select the file you wish to repair by using the Browse option.

Note: If you’re not aware of the file location, choose the ‘Search’ option to locate the file.

• A screen showing progress of the Excel file repair process is displayed.

• Preview of the repaired Excel file and its recoverable data is displayed.

• After verifying the data, click on the Save File button on the File menu to save the repaired file.

• Select the location where you wish to save the repaired file on the Save File window and then click OK.

A confirmation message will pop-up after completion of the repair process. You can now try to open the file in your Excel program.

End Note

Even if you’re taking preventive measures, you might still experience corruption in an Excel file. So, it’s crucial to take regular backups of your workbooks. For this, ensure that the ‘Always create backup’ option is enabled in Excel. You can find it in General Options by clicking on the Tools button in the Save As dialog box. Enabling it will ensure that the Excel backup file is updated with the changes made in a spreadsheet.

Additionally, ensure that the Excel ‘AutoRecover’ feature is set to save a version of your Excel file after every 10 minutes. You can increase or shorten the interval as per your requirement.

Solutions to Repair Corrupt Excel File

Summary: MS Excel can throw various errors due to corrupted Excel files. This blog discusses the error messages that indicate Excel file corruption and the methods to prevent data loss due to a corrupt file. It also discusses the reasons behind the corruption in Excel file and their solutions. It also mentions a “Stellar repair for Excel” tool that can help to repair the corrupt or damaged Excel file.

Is your Excel file corrupted? And you don’t have backup of your data? There is no need to worry. There are some simple solutions to repair Excel file 2019. But before heading towards the solutions, let’s discuss the possible reasons for Excel file corruption and how you can prevent losing your data.

Error Messages that Indicate Excel File Corruption

When an Excel file gets corrupted, different error messages appear. For example:

• “Excel found unreadable content in . Do you want to recover the content of this workbook, click Yes.”
• “Can’t find project and library.”
• “The workbook cannot be opened or repaired by Microsoft Excel because it is corrupted.”
• “Microsoft Excel has stopped working.”

Reasons Behind Excel File Corruption

The reasons for corruption in Excel file could be any of the following:

• Improper system shutdown
• Computer virus/malware attack/Hacker attack
• Outdated anti-virus definition
• Hardware failure
• Unintentional deletion of files
• Large Excel files
• Bad sectors on storage media

How to Avoid Data Loss Due to Excel File Corruption?

Excel users should follow the below precautionary measures to prevent data loss due to Excel file corruption:

1. Create an Automatic Backup Copy

When you create an Excel spreadsheet, it is advised to Save As your document, as follows:

1. In Save As window, click Tools next to Save option.
2. Select General Options from the drop-down menu.
3. Then check the dialogue box Always create back up and click OK.

This will always create a backup of your Excel. If it’s deleted or corrupted at any time, it can be recovered.

2. Create Recovery File at Different Time Periods

Steps are as follows:

1. Go to File and then click Excel Options.
2. Click Save and then select the Save Auto Recover information every checkbox
3. Add the required minutes and location. Ensure that Disable AutoRecover for this workbook only box is unchecked.

Methods to Repair Corrupted Excel 2019 File

Try using these 5 methods to restore your Excel file and recover data:

Method 1: ‘Open and Repair’ Excel Files

Excel automatically opens the corrupted file in Recovery Mode. If not, you can repair Excel file manually through the following steps:

• Click on the File and select Open.

• Go to the location where the corrupt workbook is stored. In the Open window, select the corrupt file.
• Click Open and then select Open and Repair.
• In the window that opens, click Repair.

If the Repair option doesn’t work, you can select Extract Data and try to extract the values and formulae safely from the corrupt file.

Method 2: Recover Data from Open Workbook

If you face issues while working in an Excel file, you can choose to return to the last saved version of the Excel file. For this:

• Click File. Then select Open.
• Double click on the name of the workbook (the one that is open in your Excel).
• Click Yes to reopen it.

• The workbook will now appear.

Please note that it will show the last saved version and changes made after that won’t be recovered.

Method 3: Set Calculation Option as Manual

You can also recover data from Excel workbooks that you’re unable to open. For this, you need to configure the calculation option as manual in Excel. You can do this through the following steps:

• Click on File. Select New and open a Blank workbook.
• From File, select Excel Options.

• From the Formulas category, under the section Calculation options, select Manual. Now click OK.

• Then click File, and select Open to open the corrupted or damaged Excel file.

Method 4: Recover Content by Using External Links

You can also recover specifically the content (leaving formulas/calculated values) from the workbook by using external references (to link Excel workbook). For this:

• Click on File, Select Open.
• Navigate to the folder that contains the corrupted workbook.
• Now, right-click on the file name of the corrupted workbook and click Copy.
• Click File button. Then, select New and create another blank workbook.
• In the first cell (A1), type =!A1 and press Enter.
  • Select the corrupted workbook in the Update Values dialogue (if it appears). Then click OK.
  • Select the relevant sheet in the Select Sheet dialogue (if it appears). Then click OK.

• Again, select the cell A1, go to Home and select Copy.
• Now select (start from the cell A1) an area equal to that of the data in the original workbook.
• Go to Home now and select Paste.
• Again, go to Home, and Copy the data (the same selection of cells).
• Go to Home, and then click on the arrow below Paste. Then click on Values.

By pasting values, you removed the links to the corrupted workbook and only the data is left behind.

Method 5: Excel Repair Software

If the above-mentioned methods do not help in repairing the corrupt Excel file, try an Excel repair software.

One of the most commonly used Excel repair tools is Stellar Repair for Excel. Its trial version is available for free download, which lets you scan and preview the repaired Excel files. Once you’ve ascertained the effectiveness of the software, you can save the file after activating the software.

Here’s the complete repairing process of the corrupt Excel file

Conclusion

This post shared the reasons behind Excel file corruption and precautionary measures to prevent data loss. It also outlined different methods to repair corrupt Excel file 2019. There are several in-built utilities in Microsoft Excel to repair corrupt workbooks and recover data from it. In case these methods didn’t work, you can use Stellar Repair for Excel – an easy-to-use DIY tool that can fix all Excel corruption errors and restore data with all original properties.

[Fixed] Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension Is Not Valid

When opening an older version of an Excel file in a newer version, you may encounter the “Excel cannot open the file because the extension is not valid” error. This happens if you have accidentally renamed the file with a different file format or an incorrect file extension. Also, you may get the ‘Excel cannot open the file’ error if the file has become unreadable or corrupted.

This is how the complete Excel error message looks like:

“Excel cannot open the file filename.xlsx because the file format or file extension is not valid. Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file.”

Check out this video for a quick demonstration of how to fix “Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension Is Not Valid”

How to Fix the ‘Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or Extension Is Not Valid’ Error?

Try any of these workarounds to fix the error and regain access to your Excel file data:

Workaround 1 – Change the Default File Format

By default, an Excel file is saved in .xlsx or .xls file format. Trying to open the file with a different or incorrect extension may cause the ‘Excel cannot open the file because the extension is not valid’ error. To fix the error, try changing the Excel default file format by following these steps:

Note: Take a backup of the Excel file that you cannot open and try the steps on the backup copy.

• In Excel 2010 and newer versions, click on the File menu.

Note: For Excel 2007 and earlier versions, click on the Office button.

• On the left panel, click on Options. 
• In ‘Excel Options’ window, under Save workbooks section, click on the Save files in this file format: drop-down. Select a file format (i.e., the one supported by your Excel version).

• Click OK.

Check if you can open your Excel file. If not, try the next workaround.

Workaround 2 – Edit the Excel File Permissions

You may receive the ‘Excel file format or file extension is not valid’ error if you lack sufficient permissions to open the file. Usually this happens when you try to open an Excel file received from some other user. Follow these steps to change the file permissions and see if it fixes the problem:

• Right-click on the file that won’t open and click Properties.
• In the file properties dialog box, click the Security tab and then hit the Edit button.

• When the file’s permissions dialog box appears, click on the Add button.

• Click on the Advanced button from the ‘Select Users or Groups’ window.

• Select Find Now. A list of all users and groups will get displayed in a search results box. Choose Everyone group from the list and hit OK.

• You can see the ‘Everyone’ group in the ‘Enter the object names to select’ textbox. Click OK once again to return to the file’s permission dialog box.

• Click Everyone from the Group or user names: box and check all the checkboxes under Allow.

• Click on Apply and then OK.

Now try to open the Excel file. If you’re still getting the Excel file cannot open error, use the following workaround.

Workaround 3 – Recover Unsaved Workbook

If the ‘Excel file extension not valid error’ occurs when attempting to open an unsaved workbook, do the following to recover the unsaved workbook:

• In Excel, click File. 
• From the Info screen, under Manage Versions, click Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

Excel will list any unsaved files. Try opening the file and save it. If this doesn’t work, skip to the next workaround.

Workaround 4 – Repair the Workbook

If none of the above workarounds has worked for you, chances are that the Excel file has become corrupted. Try to repair the file using the Excel inbuilt ‘Open and Repair’ utility by following these steps:

• In your Excel application, click on File > Open.
• In the ‘Open’ dialog box that pops-up, select the Excel file you want to repair and click the arrow next to the Open button.

• From the dropdown list, select Open and Repair.

• Excel will ask you to attempt to repair the file or extract data from it. Click Repair to retrieve maximum data. If the Repair option fails, click on Extract Data to recover the data without formulas and values.

If the ‘Open and Repair’ utility doesn’t help fix the corrupted file and/or recover the data, use an Excel repair tool  such as Stellar Repair for Excel to regain access to your file and its data.  

Stellar Repair for Excel software can help repair severely corrupted XLS and XLSX files. Also, it helps recover all the file components, including tables, pivot tables, cell comments, charts, chart sheets, images, formulas, etc., without impacting the original structure of the Excel file. 

To learn how the software works, read this: How to repair corrupt Excel file using Stellar Repair for Excel?

Conclusion

You may encounter the error ‘Excel cannot open the file because the extension is not valid’ when opening a workbook with a different file format or an incorrect file extension. Also, the error may occur if the Excel file has turned corrupt. This article has covered some of the most effective workarounds to resolve the error. But if nothing works, you can try to repair the Excel file and retrieve its data using the Stellar Repair for Excel software.

Solutions to open Excel Read Only Documents

‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ is an error message that usually appears when you try to open an Excel (XLS or XLSX) file downloaded from the Internet, email, or the network server. It may also appear when you try to open an encrypted or password-protected Excel document. In such a case, MS Excel prevents the user from making any changes to the document.

Reasons behind the “Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be read-only or encrypted” Error

There could be several reasons that may cause the error. Some of them are as follows:

• Corrupt or damaged Excel workbook
• Incompatible or unsupported add-in
• Antivirus or malware software conflict
• Read-Only Excel file
• The file is encrypted
• File or drive read/write permissions issues
• Protected Excel workbook
• Damaged or missing MS Office (MS Excel) program files

Solutions to Open and Edit Read-Only Excel Documents

Below are a few solutions that can help you fix the ‘Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be read-only or encrypted’ error and allow you to open and edit Excel documents.

• Remove Read-only Attribute from Excel File Properties

The ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ error message may appear when the Excel file property is set to read-only. To check if this is the case, follow these steps:

• Right-click on the particular Excel (xls/xlsx) document and select ‘Properties’.
  • Uncheck the ‘Read-only’ attribute and then click the ‘OK’ button.

Now try to open the Excel document and check if the problem is fixed.

• Adjust Antivirus Settings

A few antivirus programs block Excel files and other Office documents by opening those in ‘read-only’ mode. In such cases, try adjusting the antivirus settings to open the Excel files normally. This will allow you to edit, modify, and save the Excel workbook without encountering the “Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be a read-only or encrypted” error message.

• Disable Protected-View

The error may appear when you try to open an Excel file received as email attachments or downloaded from unsafe source. The file may potentially contain viruses, worms, or other types of malware that could damage the system or the server.

To safeguard the system, MS Excel opens such files in Protected View. It may also open an Excel workbook in Protected Mode when it detects a problem with the file. This security feature allows you to read or view Excel files and reduces the risks to the computer system or PC.

However, you can click File > Info and then click ‘Edit Anyway‘ to access and edit file content. You may also disable the Protected View setting via File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings…> Protected View. However, we do not recommend this.

• Renew/Activate Microsoft Office

If MS Office is in a deactivated state or its subscription has expired, the Office documents, including the Excel, could be in ‘read-only reduced functionality mode.’

In such a scenario, activate Microsoft Office or renew the Office subscription. Then open the Excel workbook and check if the problem of ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ is resolved.

• Check if OneDrive Storage is Full

If Excel files are saved on OneDrive with low or no storage space, you may encounter such issues with your files.

To know the amount of free space on OneDrive, follow these steps:

• On your PC, open Settings and navigate to OneDrive.
  • Click ‘Sync Settings > File Storage‘ to see available space.

You may also visit onedrive.live.com, sign in to the account, and then check the available space. If there’s no space available or the drive is full, empty the storage space and see if the problem is resolved.

• Check and Update MS Office and Windows

Microsoft releases updates to fix known errors. Thus, it is critical to update both Windows and MS Office to the latest release and avoid issues, such as ‘Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be read-only or encrypted.’

• Repair MS Office (MS Excel)

The error ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ may appear due to a problem with your MS Office (MS Excel) program. You can repair the MS Office program to resolve such errors. The steps are as follows:

• Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a Program link under Programs.
• Choose Microsoft Office from the list and click the Change button.

• Select Quick Repair and then click Repair to fix problems with MS Office and MS Excel. It will also restore any missing or damaged program files.

After the Repair, open the Excel workbook and check if the error is resolved.

• Check Permissions

The error message may also appear if you access an Excel workbook from a network or shared drive due to lack of write permission. Make sure you have read and write permissions assigned for the particular network drive. Alternatively, you can copy the file from the network drive and save it in your local folder to access and edit it without encountering this error message.

• Repair MS Excel File

If none of the solutions worked, the Excel workbook could be damaged or corrupt. To repair such damaged Excel workbook or spreadsheet, you can use the inbuilt ‘Open and Repair…’ option in MS Excel or install an Excel repair software , such as Stellar Repair for Excel. The software comes in handy when the Open and Repair option fails to fix the Excel workbook problems. It repairs the corrupt or damaged Excel workbook, extracts all components and content from the file with 100% integrity, and saves them in a new Excel workbook.

Conclusion

Sometimes, the ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ error can be resolved by a simple restart. But if it doesn’t work, you can follow the solutions discussed in this article to resolve the ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ issue.  However, if the issue is caused due to a damaged or corrupt Excel workbook, these methods may not work. In such a case, you can use Excel’s inbuilt repair utility, i.e., Open and Repair, or install Stellar Repair for Excel software recommended by MVPs and industry experts to fix all kinds of problems with MS Excel workbooks.