Excel 2021 Stuck at Opening File 0 - Resolve Performance Issues | Stellar

Excel 2021 Stuck at Opening File 0 - Resolve Performance Issues | Stellar

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Excel Stuck at Opening File 0% - Resolve Performance Issues

Summary: If an Excel workbook is stuck at opening file 0%, it usually indicates a problem with the Excel file and its objects. This may happen due to Excel file corruption and a few other reasons. In this post, we have discussed these reasons along with the methods to fix and prevent ‘Excel stuck at opening file 0%’ issue.

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When you open an Excel file (XLS/XLSX) in MS Excel, the program reads and then loads the file data along with all its objects and properties. While opening and loading an Excel file, MS Excel displays an “Opening percentage.” You won’t usually notice or see this Excel file opening progress percentage while accessing smaller worksheets.

It’s more noticeable when you open a large Excel file or workbook with multiple objects, formulae, formatting, etc. However, after opening an Excel file with double-click, if it is stuck at Splash Screen with a message “Opening: FileName.xlsx (0%)” for a while (say 15-30 minutes) and does not progress, it indicates a problem with the Excel file, MS Excel program, or the system.  

excel stuck at 0 percent

Why Excel is Stuck at Opening File 0%?

If you have encountered this error, it may happen due to one of the following issues,

  1. Damaged or corrupt Excel file
  2. Incompatible or faulty Excel add-ins
  3. Problem with the system’s display driver
  4. Damaged MS Office (Excel) application

Methods to Fix ‘Excel Stuck at Opening File 0%’ Issue

Before fixing and troubleshooting the problem, check and confirm if the Excel file is working and not corrupt. For this, you can try opening it on another PC. Now there could be two scenarios,

Scenario 1:  Excel File Does Not Open

If the Excel file doesn’t open on another PC also, it indicates Excel file corruption. In such cases, look for the backup copy of the file, if you have downloaded it from an email or a website.

However, if there’s no backup, then you need an Excel file repair software, such as Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the corrupt file. This software preserves Excel file properties, such as cell formatting, formula bar, freeze panes, gridlines, etc. and helps you restore the damaged or corrupt worksheets to its original state with 100% integrity.

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To repair Excel file, download and launch Stellar Repair for Excel software on your PC, choose the corrupt Excel (XLS/XLSX) file and click ‘Repair’. You can see the preview of your Excel file with all data and then save the repaired file at your desired location on the system as a new Excel file.

stellar repair excel file

Scenario 2: Excel File Is Accessible on Another PC

If the Excel file opens successfully on another PC, then follow the troubleshooting methods below to resolve the Excel file stuck opening at 0%.

Method 1: Open MS Excel in Safe Mode

To check if an incompatible or faulty add-in or setting is causing the error, restart MS Excel in safe mode and then open the worksheet from the MS Excel ‘File’ options. The steps are as follows,

  1. Press Windows+R and type excel.exe /safe
  2. Hit Enter or press ‘OK’ to open MS Excel in safe mode

open excel in safe mode

  • Go to File > Open and then choose the Excel file to open it
  • If it opens, the problem is probably caused by the add-ins. Go to File > Options > Add-ins > Manage > COM Add-ins and disable all the third-party add-ins

remove faulty add in from excel

  • Restart MS Excel normally and then go to File > Open and open the same Excel file. If it opens, the problem is solved.

However, if you want to keep the add-ins, enable one add-in at a time and open the same file to find which add-in is causing the problem. When found, remove the faulty add-in.

If it doesn’t work, head to the next solution.

Method 2. Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

If you’re using hardware graphics acceleration adapter to run an external monitor, you may encounter problems with the Excel application. If the adapter is plugged in but doesn’t work correctly, Excel will usually hang on the loading screen. To resolve this problem, you will need to disable the hardware graphics acceleration adapter by following these steps,

  • Quit all running instances of Excel from Task Manager

task manager to close program

  • Launch MS Excel directly, don’t double-click on the faulty workbook file to open MS Excel as it won’t open
  • Click on File > Options > Advanced

Disable hardware graphics acceleration

  • Under the ‘Display’ options, check the box ‘Disable hardware graphics acceleration
  • Click on ‘OK

Try to open the Excel file now. If it still doesn’t work, move to the next solution.

Method 3. Repair MS Excel Application and Install the Latest Updates

Problems within MS Excel installation could also be a source of many unknown issues. Messed up registry settings, bugged updates, and even wrong user ‘Preferences’ can cause your Excel application to behave unusually. The fix for all such issues is to repair the Excel installation. To do so, follow these steps,

  • Open Control Panel
  • From Category view, under Programs, select Uninstall a program
  • Click on the MS Office and then click ‘Change

repair ms office

  • When prompted, click on ‘Repair’ and then follow the instructions to complete the repair process

quick repair ms office

To update the MS Excel,

  • Go to File > Account and click on Update options

check MS Excel updates

  • Then click ‘Update’

Download MS Excel updates

  • MS Excel will start downloading the latest updates and then apply it, which might fix this Excel error

Apply MS Excel updates

Still, Excel stuck on processing file at 0%? That means the Excel file you’re trying to open is severely corrupted. Thus, as mentioned earlier, use Stellar Repair for Excel software to repair corrupt or damaged Excel (XLS/XLSX) files and restore everything to a new Excel file. With the help of some best-in-class repair algorithms, this software enables you to fix problems within Excel files and recover tables, charts, cell comments, images, formulae, sorts, and filters. It is compatible with MS Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, and 2003.

Conclusion

Hopefully, one of the above-mentioned solutions has helped you overcome the “Excel stuck at Opening file 0%” error and Excel hangs on opening file issues. Also, you are able to access your MS Excel worksheet now. If you face any problems with your Excel workbooks in future, remember to get to the root of the issue first. Also, inculcate the habit of backing up your critical files regularly (if possible) and keep products like Stellar Repair for Excel in mind to save the day, when nothing else works.

How to repair ‘recovered’ Excel file that won’t open

Summary: You may unable to open the Excel file after file recovery. When you try to open the file you may prompt up with error messages. This blog will discuss those errors and their solutions. Besides this, it also mentions Stellar Repair for Excel to repair and recover the severely corrupted Excel file with no data loss.

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Consider a scenario: A Windows 10 user accidentally deletes a folder containing multiple Excel (XLSX) files created in Excel 2013. The worst part was all the deleted files were important, and he did not have a backup, which would help him in restoring the data. Nonetheless, he was able to recover those data using a professional data recovery software. Next, he tried opening each of the recovered Excel files one by one. In doing so, his happiness turned into disappointment. And the reason was, some of the recovered Excel files failed to open prompting error messages, of course, due to corruption. In this scenario, all he needed was to repair ‘recovered’ Excel files that did not open. Know how to fix damaged Excel files that were recovered after deletion in this blog!

Before delving into the Excel file repair methods, acquaint yourself with the probable causes leading to damaged or corrupt Excel files. Although not essential, it shall be an added advantage in helping you to prevent Excel file corruption issues in the future.

The standard Excel file(s) Corruption Causes

  • Power Outage – A power outage due to which a system closes suddenly or unexpectedly is a common cause of damaged Excel files.
  • Forced System Shutdown – Shutting down the system forcibly without closing MS Excel files is another common cause of corrupt Excel files.
  • PC Virus or Bug – Computer viruses or bugs may affect one or more data file if owners do not protect their PCs with powerful updated antivirus. Same is the case with malware attacks. The chances are that your computer is infected with one of these and has affected a few Excel files.
  • Issues with Storage Devices – Damaged or corrupted Excel files can also be the outcome of hard drive issues in the data storage systems. Logical hard drive damage is one of the most significant issues.

The damaged Excel files may prompt up with error messages. These may be:

  • ‘Excel unable to read file’
  • ‘Filename is not valid’
  • ‘This file is not in a recognizable format’
  • ‘abc.xls file cannot be accessed. The file may be read-only’
  • ‘Excel found unreadable content in (filename)’, ‘The file is corrupt and cannot be opened’
  • ‘Microsoft Excel has encountered a problem and needs to close’

There exist multiple methods to repair Excel files which got damaged after recovery, and are as follows: XML method,

  • Open Excel files with HTML
  • Inbuilt ‘Open and Repair’ feature/tool in Excel
  • Repair damaged Excel file from TMP file by using Excel AutoRecover and AutoBackup features
  • Recover data by configuring ‘calculation option’ as manual
  • Moving/copying or transferring data to a different location
  • Stellar Repair for Excel software

Taking Stellar software versus other methods, the former is a software solution that repairs damaged (XLS and XLSX) file quickly in major three steps: Select->Repair->Save, whereas others fall into the category of manual processes and consume both time and resources. Among the manual processes ‘Open and Repair’ method is the least time and resource consuming, which you can try quickly by following the below steps:

Open and Repair method

  1. Click MS Excel tab and then the Open tab
  2. Select the damaged Excel file for repairing purpose
  3. Click the arrow present beside the Open Next, click Open and Repair tab
  4. Click either of the following:
    • Repair tab (recovers maximum data)
    • Extract Data tab (Recovers values and formulas if the repair process fails in recovering the complete data.)

Note – Use ‘Extract Data’ if ‘Repair’ is not successful.

If the Manual method is not competent enough to repair recovered Excel files that don’t open then opt for a software-based solution of deploying Stellar Repair for Excel software.

Software with 100% integrity and precision

Free Download for Windows

Conclusion

As an automated software, Stellar Repair for Excel is easy-to-use. You do not need technical know-how and skill set, as required to execute the manual processes. On analyzing all these methods, it is suggested to use Stellar Repair for Excel having a user-friendly GUI to repair Excel files that became damaged after recovery, or if the recovered Excel file(s) that you once deleted accidentally has become corrupt now. Above all, it is an excellent software with multiple features and advantages. Use it to address all your MS Excel issues or if any recovered Excel file is corrupt.

How to fix Microsoft Excel has stopped working error?

Summary: This blog discusses the possible reasons behind ‘Microsoft Excel has stopped working’ error and solutions to resolve the error manually. You can use Stellar Repair for Excel to quickly repair the file and recover all its data in a hassle-free manner.

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Has your Microsoft Excel program stopped working or is acting strange? Excel not responding is a common issue you may experience on launching the application or opening a spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excel has stopped working

Figure 1 – Microsoft Excel Has Stopped Working Error Message

Possible Causes behind ‘Microsoft Excel has Stopped Working’ Error, and Solutions Thereof

Note: Several users have reported about encountering the ‘Excel has stopped working’ issue on Windows 10, 8, and 7 OS after installing an update for Excel (KB3118373). If you too have installed the update, then uninstall it and check if it solves the error. For detailed information, refer to this link .

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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[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.”

Excel Cannot Open the File Extension Not Valid Error

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).

Save Workbook in Other File Format

  • 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.

Edit Excel File Properties

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

Add Excel File Permissions

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

Open Advanced Settings

  • 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.

Select Everyone Group

  • 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.

Everyone Group is Added Users Groups

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

Allow Permissions for Everyone

  • 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.

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.

Select Excel File for Repairing

  • From the dropdown list, select Open and Repair.

Open and Repair Excel File

  • 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.

Repair Excel File

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.  

free download

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.

How to Fix Excel File Couldn’t Open in Protected View

Summary: This blog discusses about the Excel error ‘The file couldn’t open in Protected View’ and workarounds to fix the error. If you cannot access the Excel file data, using an Excel file repair tool can help you quickly restore the data to its original state.

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Protected View is a feature in Microsoft Excel that opens a file in read-only mode while disabling the editing functions. An Excel file opens in Protected View if the file is from an unsafe location. For example, the file may be opened from an insecure Internet location or downloaded as an Outlook attachment from suspicious senders. In that case, your Excel application won’t let you open the file to protect it against malware or virus attacks.

However, the Protected View feature sometimes prevents an Excel file from opening even if it is from a safe location. Also, opening an Excel file may return an error message ‘file couldn’t open in protected view’.

the file couldn't open in Protected View excel error

You may be able to resolve the issue by closing all the open Excel files, closing the Excel application, and then re-opening the problematic file. But this process can take a significant amount of time as you need to close and re-open the Excel application and the file continuously.

How to Fix the Excel File Couldn’t Open in Protected View Error?

Here are some workarounds to fix the error:

Workaround 1 – Disable the Protected View Settings

Note: Before disabling the protected view settings, ensure you have a reliable antivirus software installed on your computer to safeguard files against malware or virus attacks.

  • Open the Excel file throwing the error, go to File and click the Options tab.
  • From the Options dialog box, go to Trust Center and click on Trust Center Settings.
  • From the Trust Center Settings dialog box, select the Protected View tab.
  • Uncheck the appropriate option under the Protected View section, and then click OK to apply the changes. For instance, uncheck the “Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments” option if the file is a downloaded Outlook attachment.

disable protected view settings

  • Click OK again.

Now try opening the problematic Excel file. If it still doesn’t open, try the following workaround.

Workaround 2 – Repair the Office Installation

Sometimes, corruption in the Office installation may cause Excel to return the ‘file could not open in protected view’ error. So, try repairing your Office installation and check if it solves the problem.

  • Open the Control Panel and click the Uninstall a program option under Programs.
  • Click Uninstall a program under the Programs tab.
  • Right-click the Microsoft Office program you have installed and click the Change button.
  • Select the Repair option and click Continue.

repair office program

Once the repair operation is complete, check if you can open the Excel file without any issue.

Workaround 3 – Install Latest MS Office Updates

Several Excel users have reported about experiencing issues (such as the Protected View issue) on opening an Office document like Excel, Word, or others – after upgrading Windows to a newer version. This problem may occur due to incompatibility between the Office app and the updated Windows version. You can try to fix the problem by upgrading the Office app, and here’s how:

  • Click on the File tab in the Excel file that throws an error.
  • Click the Account tab at the left-hand bottom of the screen.
  • From Office Updates, expand Update Options, and then click Update Now.

office updates

After installing the updates, restart your PC and open the Excel file. If this doesn’t work, use the following workaround.

Workaround 4 – Convert the File and Rename It

Some Excel users resolved the ‘Protected view’ issue by renaming their Excel files. But before that, ensure that the file you are trying to open is saved with .xlsx format. If the file type is .xls, you need to convert it to .xlsx format and then rename it. Before converting the file, save a copy of the original file in the desired location.

If the file type is .xlsx, copy the problematic file. Next, open a blank Excel document and paste the copied file. The file will appear as an icon, double-click on it. If it opens without any error, save it with a different name. Hopefully, reaming the Excel file may help resolve the problem.

Conclusion

There is no fixed solution to resolve the Excel error ‘The file could not open in Protected View’. However, the workarounds discussed in the blog have helped users resolve the ‘Protected View’ issue. Make sure to use the workarounds in the same order as explained in the blog.

If you’re having an issue loading the Excel file data due to the ‘Protected View’ error, consider restoring the data using an Excel file repair tool .

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‘Unable to Save Excel Workbook’ Issue [Fix 2024]

Summary: You may unable to save your Excel Workbooks due to several reasons. Many users have reported this issue on the Tech Forums. This blog will discuss a few instances when users cannot save their Excel files. It lists the causes behind the issue and their possible solutions. It also mentions the Stellar Repair for Excel to fix the saving error if it is due to corruption in the Excel file.

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It is easy to work with Microsoft Excel but sometimes, the application may create issues thereby hampering the smooth functioning of the workbook. One such issue is “unable to Save Excel Workbook”.

Let’s take a look at the issue of Unable to Save Excel Workbook

Instance 1:

In an organization, users connected to one of the servers (Windows 2008 R2) using Citrix – a Terminal Server configured with Windows 2008 R2 –and accessed their data through a File Server, also configured with Windows 2008R2. Since the connectivity to Shared Drive was established through a Terminal server, any conflict amongst the server configuration may create conflict in shared file.

This issue was discussed at length at one of the Tech Forums , where the users were unable to access their workbooks stored on the shared drive. The File menu did not work. As a result, the users were forced to save the workbook by creating quick access shortcuts or locally on the desktop. In many cases, the saving option was ruled out completely.

Instance 2:

A similar problem was reported, wherein the users received an error when saving an Excel workbook after inserting a chart in an existing workbook (previously saved) or copying values from an existing workbook. A system is configured with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 10 configuration. The issue arises when the user is unable to save the changes after editing in a saved spreadsheet. The following message displays on the screen:

Image of Error message while trying to save excel file

Figure: Unable to Save Excel WorkBook Issue

Further, if the user clicks ‘Continue’, the following error message is received:

“Excel encountered errors during save. However, Excel was able to minimally save your file to <**filename.xlsx**>”.

Note: This issue impacts build Version 1707 (Build 8326.2086) and later, and also only occurs with files that are stored locally, such as on the desktop. This problem does not occur if you manually enter values or insert a chart in a newly created workbook.

Plausible reasons for the ‘Unable to save Excel workbook’ Issue

  1. The issue was detected in Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 32-bit, Service Pack 14.0.6029.1000.
  2. Excel version on the user system may or may not match with Excel version on File server.
  3. The issue of ‘Unable to Save Excel Workbook’ impacts only the Build Version 1707 (Build 8326.2086) and later.
  4. In case of Issue 2, the problem surfaces when the user adds files, tables or charts in the locally saved excel files, such as on the desktop.

Methods to fix the ‘Unable to Save Excel Workbook’ Issue

There may be an issue with the Build version or the Registry Values settings may not be appropriate, which does not allow the Excel workbooks to save.

But, before starting to resolve the issue, verify the following:

  1. The location where the file is to be saved may not have enough space to save the Excel file: Check the available space and save again. You may also use the option of ‘Save As’ to save the file at a new location.
  2. Excel file may be a shared one where edits are not allowed by a specific user: There are restrictions attached to documents and other files shared over the network. Check for these restrictions.
  3. Antivirus may interrupt in during file saving: Antivirus in the system may not allow saving of the files. Request the system administrator to uninstall the antivirus and reinstall after saving.
  4. The file is not saved within 218 characters: If the file is not saved due to the naming issue, then check the character length and try again.
  5. Differences in Windows versions of the local system and those on network drive may cause excel not saved issues. Check that all the systems have the same configuration and are updated to the recently available versions.
  6. Excel spreadsheet is corrupt: If none of the above factors have not caused hindrance in saving the file, then there may be a probability of corruption in the Excel spreadsheet .

Once verified, look for a healthy and restorable backup. If backup is missing, resolve the issue of “Unable to open Excel File” with manual settings on local system or through a reliable Excel repair software.

Method 1: Modify Registry Entries

If multiple users are unable to access their workbooks stored on the shared drive and facing unable to save Excel file problem (see Instance 1 above), then follow the below steps:

  1. Go to ‘Registry Entry’. To do this, type ‘regedit’ in the Start Search box, and press ENTER

Image of Run window with the command 'regedit" that is to be Run

Figure: Edit Registry

  1. You are prompted for the administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue
  2. Locate the following registry subkey, and right-click it: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC

Image of Registry Editor window, locating the registry subkey

Figure: CSC Location

  1. Point the cursor to New, and click Key

Image of Registry Window, Right clicking on the subkey 'CSC', hover over "New" and clicking on "Key"

Figure: Create new key

  1. Type ‘File Parameters’ in the available box

'Type ‘File Parameters’ in the available box'

Figure: File parameters

  1. Right-click Parameters, point the cursor to New, and click DWORD (32-bit) Value

Image of selecting DWORD (32-bit) Value under "New" by right clicking on "File Parameters" in the Registry Editor

Figure: File parameter (DWORD – 32 bit) value

  1. Type ‘FormatDatabase’, and press ‘ENTER’. Right-click ‘FormatDatabase’, and click ‘Modify’

Image of clicking on "Modify..." by right-clicking on FormatDatabase that was entered

Figure: Modify format database

  1. In the Value data box, type ‘1’, and click ‘OK’

Image of Value Data set as 1 in the Value data box 1 after clicking on "Modify..."

Figure: Value data

  1. Exit ‘Registry Editor’
  2. Restart the system and verify if the files can be saved now

Method 2: Try Google Uploads

If the user is unable to save the changes after editing in a locally saved spreadsheet (see Instance 2 above), then follow these steps:

  1. Upload the unsaved Excel file to Google Docs. Ensure that the file gets converted to Google Sheets format.
  2. Check if all the formulae are active and working.
  3. Make changes to the Google Sheet and verify that all the changes are working fine.
  4. Use the Google Sheets export feature to download the file in Excel format.

Method 3: Resolve manually with Open and Repair

If the Excel file is found to have corruption, try out the Excel Open and Repair utility:

  1. Open a blank Excel File. Go to File and Click Open.
  2. Go to Computers and click Browse.
  3. Access the Location and Folder and click the arrow icon beside Open followed by Open and Repair.

Image of Open and Repair built-in utility in the browse window.

Figure: Illustrates Steps to use ‘Open and Repair’ method

The Open and Repair utility is not competitive enough and may not fix corruption in severely corrupted files. Hence, if you are unable to save Excel workbook after applying the manual methods, then you can search for a useful software-based repair utility.

Method 4: Excel File Repair Software

Specifically meant to resolve Excel file corruption. Stellar Repair for Excel helps you to repair every single object including charts, tables, their formatting, shared formulae and rules and more.

  1. Install and Open the software and select the corrupt Excel File. You can also click the Find option if the file location is not known.
  2. Click Scan and allow the software to scan and repair the corrupt Excel file.
  3. Once repaired, the software displays the fixed file components to verify its content.
  4. Click Save to save the file data in a blank new file as ‘Recovered_abc.xls’, where abc.xls is the name of the original file.

See the working of the software which has been declared as a tool that provides 100% integrity and precision.

The Excel repair software takes care to save the repaired data in a new file to minimize the chances of further corruption.

Conclusion

‘Unable to save Excel file’ is a generic problem that may appear due to various reasons. In this blog post, we presented some of the actual instances reported by users on community forums.

Windows updates, the Build versions, the Service Packs of the local systems and those on the network drive must be either similar or in sync with each other. Any deviation may cause issues in accessing or saving the Microsoft files, as reported in Instance 1 is caused where user is unable to save Microsoft Excel file on the Network Drive. In case, the user is unable to save the file on network drive then the problem lies with the Registry value.

Another case is when the users receive an error while saving an Excel workbook after they insert a chart in an existing workbook or copying values from an existing workbook. This issue is known to affect build Version 1707 (Build 8326.2086) and later, and only occurs with locally stored files.

When a user is unable to save a specific Excel file, then the problem can be resolved using the manual methods or the software based utility. The mode of repair depends upon the level of corruption in Excel file.

Hence, it is suggested to analyze the nature of the problem and decide an appropriate resolution method.


  • Title: Excel 2021 Stuck at Opening File 0 - Resolve Performance Issues | Stellar
  • Author: Nova
  • Created at : 2024-03-13 13:57:59
  • Updated at : 2024-03-14 15:19:40
  • Link: https://phone-solutions.techidaily.com/excel-2021-stuck-at-opening-file-0-resolve-performance-issues-stellar-by-stellar-guide/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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Excel 2021 Stuck at Opening File 0 - Resolve Performance Issues | Stellar