Excel AutoRecover not working, what is next?

Consider a Scenario

A professional with Windows 10 computer had MS Office 2016 installed on it. For an official purpose, he worked on an Excel workbook and saved it as an XLSX file. After working for hours on it, which was saved with a file name, a power outage occurred in his building for quite some time. After the power was back, he reopened Excel to find a list of recovered files in ‘Document Recovery’ section on the screen’s left side. However, the file that he had worked on recently was the ‘Original version,’ i.e. the last version saved by him and not the auto-saved Excel file. This meant the Excel document did not have any new data that was entered since the last time he saved it. Consequently, he lost hours of work. According to him, this happened despite the fact that the ‘AutoRecover’ feature was enabled. (Still, this needs to be checked and ensured.)

The ‘AutoRecover’ feature might not work in any of these cases:

• AutoRecover Feature is disabled - With this feature disabled, the Excel files are not auto-saved if the document is closed without saving, or the document closes unexpectedly due to an untoward incidence. To check, see if ‘Save AutoRecover information every * minutes’ and ‘Keep the last auto-saved version if I close without saving’ checkboxes are checked or unchecked. If either one is unchecked or both are unchecked, it signifies that the AutoRecover feature is disabled. Else, the AutoRecover is enabled.
• Corruption in the Excel XLSX file – If ‘AutoRecover’ is enabled, most probably the cause is ‘damaged Excel XLSX file.’

Before discussing solutions to resolve the ‘Excel AutoRecover not working’ issue, let’s have an overview of the ‘AutoRecover’ and ‘AutoSave’ features.

A Brief Overview of Excel AutoRecover and AutoSave Feature

AutoRecover is an inbuilt feature in MS Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2003, and 2007 that allows saving all of the ‘open Excel files’ at a fixed-interval in a user-specified location or AutoRecover file location. Besides, AutoSave is an add-in that exists in Excel 2002 and earlier versions to save all open Excel files in case of a crash, power outage, or accidental closure of Excel files without saving. Users can recover these files if Excel closes suddenly, for instance, at the time of power outage or failure. The auto-recovered Excel files are saved at a default location.

Methods to Fix ‘Excel AutoRecover Not Working’ Issue

Manual Methods

Method 1 - Enable the ‘AutoRecover’ Feature if Disabled

Make sure that you have the ‘AutoRecover’ feature enabled in your Excel application. If not, follow these steps to enable it:

• Open Excel with MS Excel 2016/2019
• Click on File and then on Options tab
• In ‘Excel Options’, click on Save tab
• Check ‘Save AutoRecover information every * minutes’ and ‘Keep the last auto saved version if I close without saving’ box
• Set the time in ‘Save AutoRecover information every * minutes’
• Click on the OK button

Note: With this method, it is not possible to recover data from the current Excel file. From next time onwards, the AutoRecover feature starts working following which Excel shall start auto-saving Excel files as per the time set in ‘Save AutoRecover information every * minute’.

Method 2 - Repair Corrupt Excel File

If corruption in Excel XLSX file has resulted in ‘Excel AutoRecover not working’ issue, you will need to repair Excel file . Use ‘Open and Repair’ inbuilt utility to fix and repair the damaged (corrupt) Excel file and extract its data. To use the inbuilt utility, execute the following steps:

• Go to location “C:\Users\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles” to find Excel TMP files and save it as XLSX file

Note: In Windows 8, the location is the same as mentioned above that is for Windows 10. In Windows 7, the location is “C:\Users\name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\”

• Open a blank Excel sheet; click File >> Open
• Go to the location and folder containing the damaged Excel file
• In the Open dialog box, choose the damaged Excel file and click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open and Repair
• In the window that appears, click Repair to recover as much data as possible

Now, open the Excel (XLSX) file to check if the Excel file is repaired and its data is recovered.

Use a Professional Excel File Repair Tool

Using a third-party Excel file repair tool can help you repair damaged Excel XLSX file and recover all the data. Stellar Repair for Excel  is one tool you can rely on to repair severely corrupt Excel files (XLSX or XLS).

Here are a few other reasons why you should choose Stellar Repair for Excel software:

• Repairs Excel file while keeping the worksheet properties and cell formatting same as before.
• Recovers all of the Excel file components like tables, forms, reports, charts, chart sheets, cell comments, formulas, images, etc.
• Can batch repair multiple Excel files simultaneously
• Supports Excel 2019 and earlier versions

Conclusion

To help resolve the problem of ‘AutoRecover not working’, different methods have been discussed, depending on the cause of the problem. These solutions can be implemented to check the possibility of getting back maximum data added in last saved version of the Excel file. However, to fix corruption in the excel file, using a specialized tool such as Stellar Repair for Excel software recommended by MS Excel Experts and MVPs can help. The software can repair severely damaged Excel file easily and efficiently.

[Fixed] Excel Found a Problem with One or more Formula

Summary: The error ‘Excel found a problem with one or more formula references in this worksheet’ may appear while saving the Excel workbook. It occurs when Excel found a problem with the formula used in the sheet. However, it may also occur when the Excel workbook gets damaged or corrupt. In this guide, we’ve explained the reasons that may lead to this Excel error and methods to resolve the error, by using various Excel options and a third-party Excel file repair software.

If you are experiencing the ‘Excel found a problem with one or more formula references in this worksheet’ error message in the Excel workbook, it indicates that the Excel file is corrupt or partially damaged. However, it may also occur due to incorrect reference to a wrong cell or object linking, which is not working. The complete error message says,

‘Excel found a problem with one or more formula references in this worksheet. Check that the cell references, range names, defined names, and links to other workbooks in your formulas are all correct.’

In any case, resolving the error is critical as it doesn’t let you save the file and may result in loss of information from the Excel workbook.

Reasons for Excel Formula References Error

A few reasons that may lead to such error are as follows,

• Wrong formula or reference cell
• Incorrect object linking or link embedding OLE
• Empty or no values in named or range cells
• Multiple Excel files (not common)

Methods to Resolve ‘Excel Found a Problem with One or More Formula References in this Worksheet’ Error

Following are a few methods that you can follow to fix Excel file that can’t be saved due to problems with one or more formula references in the worksheet.

Method 1: Check Formulas

If the problem has occurred in a large Excel workbook with multiple sheets, it’s quite hard to pinpoint the problem cell. In such cases, you can use the Error Checking option that runs a scan and checks for a problem with formulas used in the worksheet.

To run Error Checking in the Excel sheet, follow these steps,

• Go to Formulas and click on the ‘Error Checking’ button

• This runs a scan on the sheet and displays the issues, if any. If no issue is found, it displays the following message,

The error check is completed for the entire sheet.

In such a case, you can try saving the Excel file again. If the error message persists, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Check Individual Sheet

The problem may also occur due to an issue with one of the sheets in the workbook. To find the faulty sheet and fix the problem, you can copy each sheet content in a new Excel file and then try to save the Excel file.

This will help you find the faulty sheet from the workbook that you can review. This method makes the entire process of troubleshooting Excel formula reference error quite easy and convenient.

In case the error is not fixed, you can back up the faulty sheet content and remove it from the workbook to save the Excel file.

Method 3: Check Links

When the Excel file contains external links with errors, MS Excel may display such error messages. To check and confirm if external links are causing the error, follow these steps,

• Navigate to Data Tab > Queries & Connections > Edit Links
• Check the links. If you find any faulty link, remove it and then save the sheet

Method 4: Review Charts

You can review the charts to check if they are causing the formula reference error in Excel. It may take a while based on the size of the Excel file. Sometimes, it’s not practically possible to track down which Excel chart object is causing the error. Thus, you need to check specific locations, such as:

1. Check horizontal axis formula inside Select Data Source dialog box
2. Check Secondary Axis
3. Check linked Data Labels, Axis Labels, or Chart Title

Method 5: Check Pivot Tables

To check Pivot Tables, follow these steps,

• Navigate to PivotTable Tools > Analyze > Change Data Source > Change Data Source…

• Check if any of the formula used is problematic. Sometimes small typo, such as misplaced comma, can lead to such problems in Excel. Thus, check each formula thoroughly and correct the formulas wherever needed.

Method 6: Use Excel Repair Software

When none of the methods resolve the error, then you can rely on advanced Excel repair software , such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It’s a powerful tool that is recommended by several MVPs and IT administrators for resolving common Excel errors, such as ‘Excel found a problem with one or more formula references in this worksheet.’

It repairs corrupt or damaged Excel (.xls/.xlsx) files, recovers Pivot tables, charts, etc., and save them in a new Excel worksheet. It helps Excel users, facing formula reference error, restore their Excel file without any risk of data loss, while preserving the sheet properties and formatting with 100% precision.

Conclusion

Although the error ‘Excel found a problem with one or more formula references in this worksheet’ can be resolved by using various options in MS Excel, it may lead to a partial loss of information. Thus, you must perform these operations after taking a backup of the Excel worksheet. Also, if the MS Excel options fail to resolve the problem, you can use an Excel file repair software, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. The software helps fix Excel file corruption and restores the information and data from corrupt or damaged Excel files (.xls/.xlsx) to a new worksheet.

[Solved] : How to Fix MS Excel Crash Issue

Microsoft Excel may stop responding , hang, freeze, or stop working due to several reasons, such as in compatible add-ins. In such a case, you may receive one of the following error messages.

• Excel has stopped working

• Excel is not responding

• A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.

Why Does Excel Keep Crashing?

If Excel keeps crashing on your PC while opening a workbook, saving Excel file, scrolling or editing cells, etc., it indicates a problem with your Excel program or the Excel file.

Microsoft Excel may crash due to any one or more reasons given below,

•  Incompatible Add-Ins
• Outdated MS Excel program
• Conflict with other programs or antivirus tool
•  Excel file created by third party software
• Problem with network connection
•  Combination of Cell formatting and stylings
• Problem with MS Office installation
• Partially damaged or corrupt Excel file

Problems Caused by Excel Crash Issue

Microsoft Excel crash may cause damage to Excel file and also lead to Excel (XLS/XLSX) file corruption.

Such corrupt Excel files can’t be opened or accessed via MS Excel app. If you try to access a corrupt Excel file, MS Excel may fail to open the file or stop responding and crash. Additionally, you may receive the following or similar error message,

In such a case, you should immediately try to recover the Excel file. You may do so by restoring the Excel file from backup or by using an Excel File Repair software. Otherwise, continue following this guide.

How to Solve Excel Crash Issue?

Before heading to solutions, follow these troubleshooting steps to resolve the Excel Crash issue.

Step 1: Copy File to Local Drive

If you are trying to access and edit or view an Excel file from a network drive, try moving the file to local drive. This will help you find if there is something wrong with the file or the network.

Step 2: Ensure Sufficient Memory

Excel files can grow fairly large when you start adding lots of formatting and shapes. Make sure that your system has enough RAM to run the application.

If you often work with large Excel files and complex data values& formulas, then install 64-bit versions of MS Office. It will give you an advantage of larger processing capacities and prevent Excel from crash or freeze.

Step 3: Check If Excel is Open and In Use by Another Process

Open Task Manager and close all processes or apps (tasks) that may be using or have access to your Excel file that you are working on. You can find this detail in status bar of Excel program at the bottom of program window.

After closing the tasks, try to access the Excel file and check if this fixes the performance and crash problem in Excel.

Step 4: Test and Repair Excel File

Create a copy of the Excel file and install Stellar Repair for Excel software. It’s free to download. Scan and repair your Excel file using the software. After repair, save the Excel file at your desired location and then open the Excel file in the MS Excel program.

This should ideally fix all the issues with Excel.

However, if the Excel program still crashes, the problem lies within the system or program. Follow the solutions discussed in this guide to try to fix the Excel crash issue.

NOTE: To save repaired Excel file using the mentioned software, you must purchase the activation key and activate it.

Solutions to Fix MS Excel Crash Issue

Following are some solutions to resolve problems with MS Excel such as,

• Excel not responding
• Excel won’t open
• Excel keeps crashing

Follow these solutions in the given order. In case a method doesn’t work, move to the next one.

Solution 1: Restart Excel in Safe Mode

By starting MS Excel in safe mode, you can run the program without loading the Excel add-ins and with limited features. But COM add-ins are excluded.

To launch Excel in safe mode, close MS Excel and follow these steps,

• Create a shortcut of MS Excel (.exe) on Desktop
• Press and hold the Ctrl key while launching the program
• Click ‘Yes’ when a prompt appears to confirm

Alternatively, press Windows+R, type excel /safe and press ‘Enter’. Use this to open Excel in safe mode on Windows 10, 8.1, 8, or 7 system.

Now try to open and access the Excel file and check if the issue is resolved. If it’s not, head on to the next solution.

Solution 2: Check and Remove Faulty Add-ins

In case Excel doesn’t crash in Safe Mode, it’s possible that some faulty add-ins are the culprit behind frequent Excel crash and freeze. These Excel add-ins may interfere or conflict with the Excel program.

Find and remove the faulty add-in. It can resolve the issue. To do so, follow these steps,

• Restart Excel in normal mode and go to File> Options> Add-ins
• Choose COM Add-ins from the drop-down and click Go

• Uncheck all the checkboxes and click OK

• Restart Excel and check if the issue is resolved
•  If Excel doesn’t crash or freeze anymore, open COM Add-ins and enable one add-in at a time followed by Excel restart. Then observe Excel for freeze or crash problem

This will help you find out the faulty add-in, which is causing the problem. Remove the add-in which is causing the problem to resolve the issue. If that doesn’t fix, move to the next solution.

Solution 3: Check and Install the Latest Updates

If you haven’t set Windows to Download and Install Updates automatically, do it now.

Apart from updating the operating system, latest Windows updates sometimes fixes bugs for other applications installed on the system such as MS Office. Often installing an important update that you might have missed may correct the Excel crash problem.

You can also update MS Office manually. Follow these steps,

Go to File > Account

 Under Product Information, select Update Options and click Update Now

If you have installed MS Excel from Microsoft Store, open the store and update your Office applications.

NOTE: This also works if you can’t open Excel file or Excel crashes after Windows upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 to Windows 10.

After installing the latest MS Office updates, check if Excel works fine. If not, head to the next solution.

Solution 4: Clear Conditional Formatting Rules

If a sheet is causing Excel to freeze or crash, there might be a problem with that particular sheet. In such a case, you may try clearing the Conditional Formatting rules. The steps are as follows,

• Under Home, click ‘Conditional Formatting > Clear Rules> Clear Rules from Entire Sheet’

• You may repeat this step for all other sheets in the Excel workbook
• Then click File> Save as and save the Sheet as a new file at a different location

This avoids overwriting or making changes to the original Excel file. Once done, try working on the sheet.

If this doesn’t work out, move to the next solution.

Solution 5: Remove Multiple Cell Formatting and Styles

If a workbook is being shared and edited by others on different platforms then it’s possible that many cells are formatted differently. This can cause issues with Excel such as crash and freeze. It can also lead to Excel file corruption. The problem mostly occurs when a workbook contains multiple worksheets using different formatting.

You can follow this guide to remove different cell formats and styles, and then open the Excel file.

Solution 6: Disable Microsoft Excel Animation

Animations require additional processing power and resources. By disabling animations in Excel, you may resolve Excel freeze and crash issue. This also improves MS Excel performance.

To disable the animations in MS Excel, follow these steps:

• Go to File > Options
• Click ‘Advanced’ and check ‘Disable hardware graphics acceleration’animation

• Click ‘OK’ to close the window and then restart MS Excel

This has helped many users in fixing the Excel crash issue. If it doesn’t work for you, head to the next solution.

Solution 7: Check If Excel File is Generated by a Third-Party Application

There are applications which you may have used to generate Excel files to fetch data. For instance, downloading data from Google Analytics in Excel format.

Sometimes, these Excel files are not generated correctly by such third-party apps. Thus, some features in Excel may not work as intended when you access the files in MS Excel.

In such a case, you should get in touch with the app developer for help with the file or use Stellar Repair for Excel to repair such Excel files.

Solution 8: Check If Antivirus or Other Apps are Conflicting with MS Excel

Ensure your antivirus is up-to-date and not conflicting with MS Excel. An outdated antivirus tool may conflict with Excel which can cause the application to hang, freeze, or crash.

• Update your antivirus
• Try disabling the add-in or integration between Excel and antivirus. See if it works

Alternatively, you may disable the anti-virus tool temporarily to check if it is the culprit behind Excel performance issue and crash. If that resolves the problem, get in touch with your antivirus vendor and report the problem.

They might provide you with a better solution or workaround to fix this problem without disabling the antivirus protection.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Disabling or altering antivirus protection makes your PC vulnerable to malicious attacks and virus or malware intrusion.

Solution 9: Clean Boot Windows to Inspect the Cause Behind Excel Crash

When Windows boot, it starts several processes, services, and application during start up automatically, which runs in the background.

These startup apps and services can interfere with other applications such as MS Excel. To find out if that’s the cause behind Excel crash, you can perform a Clean Boot.

This helps you identify processes, services, or applications that are conflicting with Excel. Steps to perform Clean Boot are as follows,

• Press Windows key + R, type MSConfig, and press ‘Enter’
• In System Configuration window, click on the General tab and choose Selective startup

Uncheck ‘Load startup items’ and click ‘OK’

After this, close all running applications and restart your PC

Check if the crash problem with Excel is resolved. Uninstall the conflicting apps or update them. If your issue is not resolved, follow the next solution.

Solution 10: Repair or Reinstall MS Office

Repairing Office programs may also resolve Excel crash issues if caused by damaged MS Excel program or MS Office files. The steps are as follow,

• Close all MS Office apps and open the Control Panel
• Click Uninstall a program under Programs

• Click on Microsoft Office and then click on the Change option
• Choose ‘Quick repair’ and then select ‘Repair’
• Click ‘Continue’ to repair MS Office installation

You may also try ‘Online Repair’ if this fails to fix the issue. After repair, if the Excel issue persists, reinstall MS Office.

Need More Help?

If none of the above-mentioned solutions worked for you, it indicates that the problem is not with the Excel program but with the Excel file. If you haven’t tried the Stellar Repair for Excel software, do it now.

Select the Excel file which is causing the problem and repair it with the software. It’s a powerful Excel repair software that can fix all the problems with Excel files (XLS/XLSX). It repairs corrupt and severely damaged Excel files.

The software is compatible with all Excel files created using MS Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003 or 2000.

After repairing and saving the Excel file, you can open it in your MS Excel program and work on it without any performance issue. To know more about this software, visit this page.

How to Fix “Errors were detected while saving Excel” Error?

When trying to save the Excel file, you might face unexpected errors. The “Errors were detected while saving Excel” is one such error. It can also occur when using VBA in Excel. The complete error message appears as:

**“Errors were detected while saving [file name]. Microsoft Excel may be able to save the file by removing or repairing some features. To make the repairs in a new file, click Continue. To cancel saving the file, click Cancel.”
**

The error can occur if the features (Pivot tables, charts, macros) used in the Excel file get corrupted . However, there could be several other reasons behind the occurrence of the error. Let’s discuss them.

What Causes the “Errors were detected while saving Excel” Error?

There are various reasons why you encounter this error. Here are some of them:

• Incompatible pivot table in the Excel file
• Large or uncompressed images in the Excel file
• File-sharing properties are not allowing file saving
• Excel file is corrupted
• Large-sized Excel file
• File version incompatibility
• VBA code is corrupted

Ways to Fix the “Errors were detected while saving Excel” Error

You’re not able to save the Excel file if there is no storage space on your hard drive. So, first check if your hard drive has sufficient storage space to save the file. If this is not the case, then it might happen that your antivirus program is interrupting the saving process. To check this, temporarily disable your antivirus program and then try to save the file. If still your Excel is throwing the “Errors were detected while saving Excel” error, then follow the below given methods to fix the error:

Method 1: Open the Excel in Safe Mode and Disable the Add-ins

When you open Excel in safe mode, it opens without the third-party add-ins. This helps in finding out if any add-ins are causing the error.

 Here’s how to open the Excel in safe mode:

• Open the Run window by pressing Windows key + R.

• Type excel /safe in the Run window.

  ?

• Next, click on OK.

• It will open Excel in safe mode.

• Now, try to open and save the affected file.

If you are able to save the file without any issue, then this means that the error has occurred due to third-party add-ins or settings. You can try disabling the add-ins to fix the issue. To do this, follow these steps:

• First, open Excel.
• Then, go to the File tab and click Options.

• In Excel Options, click on the Add-ins

• Under the Manage section, select Excel Add-ins and then click on the Go

• In the Add-ins dialog box, unselect the add-ins under the Add-ins available option and click OK.

  

Note: Disabling add-ins does not remove them from the system. To remove them permanently, you need to uninstall them.

Method 2: Check the Excel File Name

Some users have observed this error when saving the Excel file with an invalid name. You can check the file name and ensure that it should not contain more than 218 characters. If the name exceeds the required limit, then try shortening the file name or move the file to a folder with a short path name.

Method 3: Copy the Data from the Affected File to a New File

If you are not able to save the Excel document, then try copying the data from the affected file to a new Excel file. Then, save the new file with a different name. This helps in resolving the issue.

Method 4: Check and Provide File Permissions

You may experience the “Errors were detected while saving Excel” issue when you do not have desired permissions to modify the folder in which your Excel file is located. To modify the folder, you should have read, write, and create permissions. You can check and provide the desired permissions using the below steps:

• Navigate to the Windows Program Files and then find the desired folder (where the Excel file is saved).
• Right-click on the folder and then choose Properties.
• Select the Security tab and then click
• Click on Change Permissions in the Advanced Settings
• Click Administrators and then click Edit.
• Now set the Apply to drop-down button to This Folder, Subfolder, and Files.
• Click on the Full Control field and then click Apply > OK.

Method 5: Check Pivot Tables in Excel Sheet

You can review Pivot tables to see if they are causing the “Errors were detected while saving Excel” error. To do so, follow the below steps:

• Click Power Pivot > Manage.

  

• Check the tabs in the Power Pivot

• Check if all the formulas used in the table are correct. Sometimes, even a small typo can create an issue in Excel.

Method 6: Repair Your Excel File

The “Errors were detected while saving Excel” issue can also occur if the Excel file is corrupted. In such a case, you can take the help of the built-in utility in Excel – Open and Repair to repair your Excel file. Here’s how to use the tool:

• In Excel, click the File tab and then click Open.
• Click Browse to select the desired 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 the Repair

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

  

• Click Close.

 However, sometimes, the Open and Repair utility fails to fix the file if it is severely corrupted or large-sized. In such a case, you can take the help of a third-party Excel repair software, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. The tool performs a comprehensive scan of the corrupted Excel file to fix the issues and recover all the items from the file without changing the original formatting. It can recover pivot tables, charts, images, engineering formulas, etc. The tool is compatible with Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7. You can download the free trial version of the tool to evaluate its functionality.

Closure

Many Excel users reported facing the situation when they are saving the Excel file. You can check the file’s compatibility to fix the “Errors were detected while saving Excel” issue. If you are getting this error in a Macro-enabled file then you can try deleting the VBA project from a document to resolve the issue. However, deleting the entire VBA code cannot be a better solution as it can lead a data loss in the Project you are working on. In the above article, you have learned the reasons behind the issue and discovered how to fix the error. Follow the methods and if none of them works then try using Stellar Repair for Excel. It is an advanced tool that can quickly repair corruption in Excel worksheets at any level. It lets you restore the corrupted components from the corrupted file without removing the existing data.

‘Open and Repair’ Doesn’t Work in MS Excel

Summary: In this Blog, we will go through Microsoft office most important product i.e Microsoft excel, let’s get into all possible Manual and an alternate method to deal with MS Excel open and Repair doesn’t work issue, read on to know more.

Whether you are a student or an entrepreneur, the features of Microsoft Excel do not delude anyone. Setting goals, creating budgets, analyzing data, calculating salaries, is there anything that Excel can’t do? All of us have used it and trusted it to calculate and provide a solution to our most difficult problems. However, like every other software application, this otherwise reliable application can sometimes fall prey to unexpected errors which can even threaten to make our critical data inaccessible.

A good idea to avoid loss of data when a Microsoft Excel file becomes corrupt is to take some proactive measures, such as saving a backup copy of your files and creating an automatic recovery file at periodic intervals. If you are faced with a corrupted Excel file, you know you can still use the ‘Open and Repair’ function provided by Microsoft to fix and open corrupt Excel file. However, what should a user do when ‘Open and Repair’ is not working? This is a query shared by millions of Excel users worldwide. Sometimes, the ‘Open and Repair’ functionality of Excel stops working due to unknown reasons. In such cases, if users face Excel file corruption, they get stuck with no idea how to fix the Excel file.

Manual method “Reference”

In this guide, we’re providing you with the solutions to this very problem. If Excel ‘Open and Repair’ is not working, read on to find out the procedures that you can perform to open corrupted files.

‘Open and Repair’ doesn’t work: Try an alternative solution i.e. Stellar Repair for Excel to recover everything from corrupt Excel files.

How to Fix Excel file that Won’t Open

If your workbook is opening in Excel, there are two options to recover its data. It would be best if you try to perform one, and if you are unsuccessful, move on to the next.

Revert the workbook to the version that was saved before the corruption

• Launch Excel and click File -> Open

• Select the file that is corrupted and open it
• Click ‘Yes’ to save the copy of the workbook that was saved before corruption

Important Note: If you use this method, you will lose all changes made to the file after it was corrupted.

Save the workbook in the SYLK file format

• Launch Excel and click File -> Save As.
• In the Save as Type field, select SYLK (Symbolic Link) from the drop-down menu, and click Save.

• To save only the active sheet in the workbook, click OK. The system will display a message that the sheet has features that are not compatible with the SYLK file format.
• Click Yes.
• In Excel click File -> Open.
• Select the file that you saved in SYLK file format and open it.
• In Excel click File -> Save As.
• In the Save as Type field, select Excel Workbook from the drop-down menu.
• In the File Name field, type a new name for your workbook and click Save.

The SYLK file format will filter out the corrupted elements from your workbook, thereby restoring your data.

Important Note: Using this method you only be able to salvage the active sheet in the workbook.

How to Open/Fix an Excel file that cannot be opened

In this case too, there are two options to recover the data. Try to perform one, and if you are unsuccessful, move on to the next.

Set the calculation option to Manual

• Launch Excel and click File -> New.

• From the Available Templates window, select Blank workbook.

• Click File -> Options.
• Under Formulas, in the Calculation options section, click Manual.

• Click OK.
• In Excel click File -> Open.
• Select the corrupted file and open it.

The system opens the corrupted file. Since the workbook won’t be calculated, it might open.

Link the workbook to external references

• Launch Excel and click File -> Open.
• Copy the name of the corrupted file and click Cancel.
• In Excel click File -> New.
• From the Available Templates window, select Blank workbook.
• In the new workbook, on cell A1, type the following:

=File Name!A1

In the above command, the filename is the name of the corrupted file.

• On the Update Values dialog box, select the corrupted file and click OK.
• On the Select Sheet dialog box, select the sheet and click OK.
• Select cell A1. Select the same range of rows and columns as occupied by the data in the corrupted sheet, including cell A1.
• Under the Home tab, in the Clipboard section, click Paste.
• While the range of rows and columns are still selected, click Copy.
• Click the Paste
• Under Paste Values, click Values.

Note: This method lets you recover only the data but not the values and formulas from the workbook.

Alternative Solution

In addition to the above-mentioned techniques, you can also use macros to extract data from a corrupted workbook. However, macros are generally risky, and executing them needs prior technical knowledge.

Thus, if the above methods do not yield the desired results, a quick and easy way for reconstructing Excel files is to use Excel Recovery Software . Stellar Repair for MS SQL software is the best choice for rebuilding damaged Excel files and restoring everything to a new Excel file. The product lets you recover table, chart, chart-sheet, cell comment, image, formula, sort and filter data from damaged workbooks and also allows you to fix multiple files at one go.

Wrapping it up

Though one of the above-mentioned techniques should recover Excel file if ‘_Open and Repair’ utility doesn’t work_, in case you’ve reached nowhere even after using them, contact Microsoft support for more help.

[Fixed] Excel VBA Runtime Error 9: Subscript Out of Range

Summary: The runtime error 9 in Excel usually occurs when you use different objects in a code or the object you are trying to use is not defined. This post will discuss the reasons behind the Excel VBA error “Subscript out of Range” and the solutions to resolve the issue. It will also mention an Excel repair tool that can help fix the error if it occurs due to corruption in worksheet.

Many users have reported encountering the error “Subscript out of range” (runtime error 9) when using VBA code in Excel. The error often occurs when the object you are referring to in a code is not available, deleted, or not defined earlier. Sometimes, it occurs if you have declared an array in code but forgot to specify the DIM or ReDIM statement to define the length of array.

Causes of VBA Runtime Error 9: Subscript Out Of Range

The error ‘Subscript out of range’ in Excel can occur due to several reasons, such as:

• Object you are trying to use in the VBA code is not defined earlier or is deleted.
• Entered a wrong declaration syntax of the array.
• Wrong spelling of the variable name.
• Referenced a wrong array element.
• Entered incorrect name of the worksheet you are trying to refer.
• Worksheet you trying to call in the code is not available.
• Specified an invalid element.
• Not specified the number of elements in an array.
• Workbook in which you trying to use VBA is corrupted.

Methods to Fix Excel VBA Error ‘Subscript out of Range’

Following are some workarounds you can try to fix the runtime error 9 in Excel.

Method 1: Check the Name of Worksheet in the Code

Sometimes, Excel throws the runtime error 9: Subscript out of range if the name of the worksheet is not defined correctly in the code. For example – When trying to copy content from one Excel sheet (emp) to another sheet (emp2) via VBA code, you have mistakenly mentioned wrong name of the worksheet (see the below code).

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Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Worksheets("emp").Range("A1:E5").Select
Selection.Copy
Worksheets("emp3").Activate
Worksheets("emp3").Range("A1:E5").Select
ActiveSheet.Paste
Application.CutCopyMode = False
End Sub

When you run the above code, the Excel will throw the Subscript out of range error.

So, check the name of the worksheet and correct it. Here are the steps:

• Go to the Design tab in the Developer section.
• Double-click on the Command button.
• Check and modify the worksheet name (e.g. from “emp” to “emp2”).

• Now run the code.
• The content in ‘emp’ worksheet will be copied to ‘emp2’ (see below).

Method 2: Check the Range of the Array

The VBA error “Subscript out of range” also occurs if you have declared an array in a code but didn’t specify the number of elements. For example – If you have declared an array and forgot to declare the array variable with elements, you will get the error (see below):

To fix this, specify the array variable:

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Sub FillArray()
Dim curExpense(364) As Currency
Dim intI As Integer
For intI = 0 to 364
curExpense(intI) = 20
Next
End Sub

Method 3: Change Macro Security Settings

The Runtime error 9: Subscript out of range can also occur if there is an issue with the macros or macros are disabled in the Macro Security Settings. In such a case, you can check and change the macro settings. Follow these steps:

• Open your Microsoft Excel.
• Navigate to File > Options > Trust Center.
• Under Trust Center, select Trust Center Settings.
• Click Macro Settings, select Enable all macros, and then click OK.

Method 4: Repair your Excel File

The name or format of the Excel file or name of the objects may get changed due to corruption in the file. When the objects are not identified in a VBA code, you may encounter the Subscript out of range error. You can use the Open and Repair utility in Excel to repair the corrupted file. To use this utility, follow these steps:

• In your MS Excel, click File > Open.
• Browse to the location where the affected file is stored.
• In the Open dialog box, select the corrupted workbook.
• In the Open dropdown, click on Open and Repair.
• You will see a prompt asking you to repair the file or extract data from it.
• Click on the Repair option to extract the data as much as possible. If Repair button fails, then click Extract button to recover data without formulas and values.

If the “Open and Repair” utility fails to repair the corrupted/damaged macro-enabled Excel file, then try an advanced Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It can easily repair severely corrupted Excel workbook and recover all the items, including macros, cell comments, table, charts, etc. with 100% integrity. The tool is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Excel.

Conclusion

You may experience the “Subscript out of range” error while using VBA in Excel. You can follow the workarounds discussed in this blog to fix the error. If the Excel file is corrupt, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the file. It’s a powerful software that can help fix all the issues that occur due to corruption in the Excel file. It helps to recover all the data from the corrupt Excel files (.xls, .xlsx, .xltm, .xltx, and .xlsm) without changing the original formatting. The tool supports Excel 2021, 2019, 2016, and older versions.

How to Repair Corrupt Pivot Table of MS Excel File?

Summary: If you are not able to perform any action on the Pivot Table of MS Excel file, it indicates Excel Pivot Table corruption. In such a case, you must repair the corrupt Pivot Table of MS Excel file by using an Excel repair software or manual troubleshooting steps discussed in this post.

MS Excel is equipped with several brilliant features and functions which make working with large volumes of data easy. In addition to helping users save data into well-organized cells and tables, the application helps users draw inferences from the data. Pivot Table is one such Excel feature that helps users extract the gist from a large number of rowed data. But often, the Pivot table may get corrupted and lead to unexpected errors or data loss.

Corrupt Pivot Tables can stop users from reopening previously saved Excel workbooks, raising the serious issue of data inaccessibility. Resolving such issues is an uphill task unless one gets to the actual root cause of the problem.

However, with Stellar Repair for Excel software, you can repair the corrupt Pivot table of MS Excel file while keeping the Excel file data, formatting, layout, etc. intact.

Excel Pivot Tables & Associated Problems

Pivot Tables in Microsoft Excel are created by applying an operation such as sorting, averaging, or summing to the data in certain tables. The results of the operation are saved as summarized data in other tables. Typically, working on the grouping of saved data, Pivot Tables are used in data processing and are found in data visualization programs, such as spreadsheets or business intelligence software.

Put simply, Pivot Tables in Excel allow you to extract the significance or the gist from a large, detailed data set by allowing you to slice-and-dice data, sort-and-filter data, or arrange it in any way you want.

Frequently Encountered Problems with Pivot Tables in MS Excel

Take a look at the most frequently encountered Pivot Table issues:

• You add new data into a pivot table but it doesn’t show up when you refresh
• Pivot Table contains Blanks instead of Zeros for fields that have no source data
• Automatic field names assigned by the Pivot Table can be inappropriate
• It doesn’t directly show the percentage of total
• Grouping one pivot table affects another
• Your number of formatting gets lost
• Refreshing a pivot table messes up column widths
• Field headings make no sense and add clutter

While some of the above problems seem minute and can easily be resolved using a few tweaks, bigger issues like unexpected Pivot Table error messages that an Excel throws can be troublesome.

Pivot Table Errors & Their Reasons

Excel users who have built new Pivot Tables in Excel often report the following errors when trying to reopen a previously saved workbook:

We found a problem with some content in . Do you want us to try to recover as much as we can? If you trust the source of this workbook, click Yes.

Naturally, users are prompted to click on ‘Yes’. But when they do, they get another error message saying:

Removed Part: /xl/pivotCache/pivotCacheDefinition1.xml part with XML error

(PivotTable cache) Load error. Line 2, column 0

Removed Feature: PivotTable report from /xl/pivotTables/pivotTable1.xml part (PivotTable view)

Such errors are indicative of the fact that the data within the Pivot Table still exists, but the table itself isn’t functioning anymore.

There could be two primary reasons behind such behavior:

• You’ve created the Pivot Table in an older version of Excel but are trying to open-refresh-save it through a newer Excel version
• The Pivot Table itself is corrupted

How to Repair the Pivot Table Quickly?

To solve the errors associated with Pivot Tables, you need to repair them. But Microsoft doesn’t offer any inbuilt technique or option to repair Pivot Tables. Thus, to fix the issue, you either need some sort of workaround or an Excel file repair software .

Methods to Fix Corrupt Pivot Table in MS Excel

Though there aren’t many options to fix the Pivot Table, you can follow these workarounds to try and repair a corrupt Pivot Table of MS Excel. However, before following these steps, create a backup copy of your Excel file.

Method 1: Open MS Excel in Safe Mode

First, try opening the Excel file in safe mode  and then check if you can access the Pivot Table. If you can, save all its contents to a new Pivot Table in the latest version of Excel so that this problem doesn’t arise anymore.

Method 2: Use Pivot Table Options

If, however, above method doesn’t work, follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Right-click on the Pivot Table and click on Pivot Table Options
• On the Display tab, clear the checkbox labeled “Show Properties in ToolTips”
• Save the file (.xls, .xlsx) with the new settings intact

Method 3: Make Changes to Pivot Table

If the above method or steps didn’t work,

• Try opening the Pivot Table Options window by right-clicking on the Pivot Table within your Excel file
• Select Pivot Table Options from the pop-up menu and make appropriate changes to the options given there
• Then check if the issues go away

Method 4: Check and Set Data Source

If the problem in the Pivot table is related to data refresh,

• Go to Analyze > Change Data Source
• Check if the data source is set properly
• Also, try reselecting the data source and check if the refresh option is working properly

If not, resorting to Stellar Repair for Excel software might be your only hope.

Excel Pivot Table Repair by Using Excel Repair Software

When corruption strikes an Excel Pivot Table and no manual trick work, Stellar Repair for Excel  is the best solution. This easy-to-use Excel Repair software repairs even the most severely corrupted Excel (XLS/XLSX) files to restore all data, properties, formatting, and preferences. It enables users to extract their saved data into new blank Excel files.

If you have this utility by your side, you don’t need to think twice about any Excel error.

What customer says about the Excel Repair Software?

Spiceworks

CNET

Conclusion

Excel Pivot Table corruption may occur due to any unexpected errors or reasons. This can lead to inaccurate observation in data analysis and also cause data loss if not fixed quickly. However, you can prevent data loss due to problems caused by Pivot Table corruption by keeping a backup of all your critical Excel files and fix the Pivot Table corruption by using proper tools, such as Excel file repair software, that can help you get over any Excel corruption and errors quickly.