Excel File Recovery – Recover Corrupt Excel 2021 Files Easily | Stellar
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:
- Launch Stellar Repair for Excel software.
- Under Home menu, click Select file
- Click Browse and select corrupt Excel files. Select the checkbox to repair multiple files.
- Click Repair
- The software provides the preview facility. You can check the it on left pane.
- Save the repired filr ether Default location or Select New Folder radio button.
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.
How to fix Pivot Table Field Name is not Valid error in Excel?
The Pivot Table field name is not valid error can occur while creating, modifying, or refreshing data fields in the pivot table. It can also appear when using VBA code to modify the pivot table. It usually occurs when there is an issue with the field name in a code or if there is a hidden or empty column in the pivot table. However, there could be many other reasons behind this error.
Why the “Pivot Table Field Name is not Valid” Error Occurs?
You can get the “Pivot Table field name not valid” error in Excel due to several reasons. Some possible causes are:
- Excel file is corrupted
- Damaged fields in the pivot table
- Pivot table is corrupted/damaged
- Hidden columns in the pivot table
- Macro (referring to the pivot table) is corrupted
- Preserve formatting option is enabled
- Missing or incorrect fields in the VBA code
- Issue with workbook.RefreshAll method syntax (if using)
- Pivot Table contains empty columns
- Header values or header column is missing in the Pivot Table
- Pivot table is created without headers
- Columns/rows are deleted from the Pivot Table
Methods to Fix Pivot Table Field Name is not Valid Error in Excel
You can get this error if you have selected the complete data sheet and then trying to create the Pivot Table. Make sure you choose only the data fields that you want to insert in the Pivot Table. If this is not the case, then follow the troubleshooting methods mentioned below.
Method 1: Check the Header Value in the Pivot Table
The “Pivot table field name is not valid” error can occur if you have not set up the pivot table correctly. All the columns having data in them should have header and header values. A pivot table without a header value can create issues. You can check the header and its value from the Formula bar. Change the header if the header value is too lengthy or if it contains special characters.
Method 2: Check and Change the Data Range in the Pivot Table
The “Pivot Table field name is not valid” can occur while modifying a field in Pivot Table. It usually occurs if you’re trying to add or modify the field by selecting an incorrect data range in the Create PivotTable dialog box. The “Create PivotTable“ feature helps define how data would be displayed within the pivot table.
Let’s take a scenario to understand this. Open the Excel file with PivotTable. Click on the fields (you want to add), go to the Insert option, and click PivotTable.
If you select an incorrect range, i.e. A1:E18, instead of correct range - “Expenses**!$A$3:Expenses!$A$4**,” you will immediately get the error message.
So, type the correct range under the Select a table or range option and click OK.
Method 3: Unhide Excel Columns/Rows
The error can also occur if some columns/rows of the Pivot Table’s data source are hidden. When you try to add a hidden column as a field in the PivotTable, the Excel application will fail to read the data of the hidden column. You can check and unhide the Excel columns by following these steps:
- Open the Excel file.
- Locate the hidden column number.
- Move your cursor on the hidden column number and right-click on the space between the columns. Click Unhide.
Method 4: Check and Delete Empty Excel Columns
Sometimes, you can get the “Pivot Table field name is not valid” error if you are trying to use an empty column as a field in your Pivot Table. Check the columns with no values in all cells. If found, then delete the empty columns. This method is ideal for small-size Excel files. However, for large-sized files, it is a time-consuming process.
Method 5: Unmerge the Column Header (If Merged)
The “Pivot Table field name is not valid” error can also occur due to merged column headers. The pivot table references headers to identify the data inside the rows or columns. The merged headers can sometimes create data inconsistencies. You can try unmerging the column headers to fix the issue. Follow these steps:
In the Excel file, go to the Home
Click the Merge & Center option and select Unmerge Cells from the dropdown.
Method 6: Disable the Background Refresh Option
If the “background refresh” option in the Excel file is enabled, it may also create issues with Pivot Table. The Excel updates all the pivot tables in the background even after a small change if the background refresh option is enabled. This may create issues if the Excel file is large with too many tables. You can try turning off the “background refresh” option in the Excel file to troubleshoot the issue. Here is how to do so:
- In the Excel file, go to the Data tab and then click Connections.
- In the Workbook Connectionsdialog box, click on the ‘Add’ dropdown to add the workbook (in which you need to modify the refresh settings).
Once you have chosen the Excel file, click Properties.
In the Connection Properties window, unselect the **”Enable background refresh”**option, select the “Refresh data when opening the file“, and click **OK.
**
Method 7: Check the VBA Code
The error can also occur when working with PivotTable using VBA code in Excel. Some Excel users reported this error on forums as run-time error 1004: The PivotTable field name is not valid. This error usually occurs when there are issues in the VBA code, affecting the PivotTable data source or field references. You can check field names referring to PivotTable or Workbook.RefreshAll function syntax and other errors in the code.
Method 8: Repair your Excel File
One of the reasons behind the “Pivot Table field name is not valid” error is corruption in the Excel file, containing the Pivot Table. You can repair your Excel file using Microsoft built-in utility - Open and Repair. Here’s how to use this utility:
- In Excel, navigate to File > Open.
- Click Browse to choose the affected workbook.
- The Open dialog box will appear. Click on the corrupted file.
- Click the arrow next to the Openbutton 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.
Method 9: Use a Professional Excel Repair Tool
If the Excel file is heavily damaged or corrupted, then the “Open and Repair” utility may not work or provide the intended results. In such a case, you can opt for a professional Excel repair tool. Stellar Repair for Excel is an advanced Excel file repair tool, which is highly recommended by experts. It can repair severely corrupted Excel files and restore all the data from corrupt file, including pivot tables. This tool comes with a user-friendly interface that even a non-technical user can use. You can try the software’s demo version to check how it works. The software is fully compatible with all Excel versions, including Excel 2019.
Conclusion
The Excel error “Pivot Table field name is not valid” can occur due to hidden or merged column/row headers, empty columns/rows, corrupted pivot table, and various other reasons. You can try the methods mentioned above to fix the error. If this error has occurred due to corruption in the Excel file, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel - an advanced tool to repair corrupted pivot table, macros, fields, or other elements in an Excel file. It is compatible with all Windows editions, including the latest Windows 11. It can help fix the error if the data source or Pivot table configuration is affected by corruption.
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:
- In Save As window, click Tools next to Save option.
- Select General Options from the drop-down menu.
- 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:
- Go to File and then click Excel Options.
- Click Save and then select the Save Auto Recover information every checkbox
- 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.
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
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?
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.
Quick Fixes to Repair Microsoft Excel 2013/2016 Content related error
Summary: The blog outlines some quick tips to fix ‘We found a problem with some content’ error in Microsoft Excel 2013/2016. It explains manual procedure to resolve the error and also suggests an automated tool to perform the repair process to retrieve all possible data from a corrupt workbook.
Sometimes, when opening an MS Excel file, you may receive an error message that reads:
“**We found a problem with some content in ‘filename.xlsx’. Do you want us to try to recover as much as we can? If you trust the source of this workbook, click Yes.**“
Figure 1 – Excel ‘found a problem with some content’ Error Message
What Causes ‘We Found a Problem with Some Content’ Error?
There is no clear answer as to what results in the Excel error – ‘**We found a problem with some content in <filename.xlsx>**’. However, based on some user experiences, it appears that the error occurs due to corruption in an Excel workbook. It may turn corrupt when:
- You try opening the Excel file saved on a network-shared drive.
- A string is added in a cell in Excel, instead of a numeric value.
- Text values in formulas exceed 255 characters.
How to Resolve ‘We Found a Problem with Some Content’ Error?
Follow these tips to fix the Excel error:
IMPORTANT! Before you follow the tips to resolve the Excel error, keep these points in mind: Make sure you have closed all of the opened Excel workbooks. Try restoring Excel file data from the most recent backup copy. If you don’t have a backup copy, make a copy of the corrupt Excel file and perform repair and recovery procedures on that backup copy.
Tip #1: Repair Corrupt Excel File
File Recovery mode is a native Excel recovery utility that automatically opens whenever any inconsistencies are found in the worksheet. If Microsoft doesn’t detect any issue or fails to open the File Recovery mode, you can start it manually to recover the corrupt Excel file. To do so, follow the steps below:
- Click on the File menu, and then select Open.
- In the Open dialog box, navigate to the folder location where the corrupt Excel file is saved.
- Select the corrupt file, and then click on arrow sign available next to Open button to select Open and Repair option.
Figure 2 – Open and Repair Feature in Excel
- Next, click Repair to recover maximum possible data.
- If the repair is not able to recover the data from the workbook, select Extract Data to extract all possible formulas and values from the workbook.
If repairing the corrupt Excel file doesn’t work, you can try an Excel file repair tool to fix corruption errors. You can also try to recover data from the corrupt file manually by following the next tips.
Read this: What to do when Open and Repair doesn’t work?
Tip #2: Set Calculation Option to Manual
To make the file accessible, try setting the calculation option in Excel from automatic to manual. As a result, the workbook will not be recalculated and may open in Excel. For this, perform the following:
- Click File, and then click New.
- Under New, click the Blank workbook option.
- When a blank workbook opens, click File > Options.
- Under the Formulas category, pick Manual in the Calculation options section, and then click OK.
Figure 3 – Select Manual in Calculation options
- Now, again click on the File menu and then click Open.
- Navigate to the corrupt workbook, and double-click it.
When the workbook opens, check if it contains all the data. If not, proceed to the next tip.
Tip #3: Copy Excel Workbook Contents to a New Workbook
Several users have reported that they were able to fix ‘We found a problem with some content in
- Open the Excel workbook in ‘read-only’ mode, and copy all its contents.
- Create a blank new workbook and paste the copied contents from the corrupt file to the new file.
Tip #4: Use External References to Link to the Damaged Workbook
Use external references to link to the corrupted workbook. By implementing this fix, data contents can be retrieved. However, it is not feasible to recover formulas or calculated values using this solution.
Follow the steps below:
- In Excel 2013/2016, click File > Open.
- Navigate to the folder where the corrupt file is saved.
- Right click the file, select Copy, and then click on Cancel.
- Again, click on File and then New.
- Under New option, click on Blank workbook.
- In the cell A1 of new workbook, type =File Name!A1 (where File Name indicates the name of the damaged workbook being copied in Step 3).
- If Update Values dialog box appears, click the corrupt workbook, and choose OK.
- If Select Sheet dialog box appears, click the appropriate sheet, and then click OK.
- Select cell A1.
- Next, click Home, and then click Copy (or, press Ctrl +C).
- Starting in cell A1, select area approximately the same size as that of the cell range that contains data in the damaged workbook.
- Next, click Home and select Paste (or click Ctrl + V).
- Keep the range of cells selected, click Home and then Copy.
- Finally, click on Home, click on the arrow associated with Paste and under Paste Values click on Values.
This will remove the link to the corrupt workbook and will retrieve data. But, keep in mind, the recovered data will no longer contain formulas or calculated values.
Alternative Solution – Stellar Repair for Excel
If the above manual methods fail to fix the ‘We found a problem with some content in Excel error’, try using the Stellar Repair for Excel software to resolve this error. The software helps repair and recover corrupt Excel files in just a few clicks. It can be used on a Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP/NT machine to repair a corrupted workbook and recover every single bit of data from all the versions of the Excel workbook.
Parental Control Software
[](https://tools.techidaily.com/stellardata-recovery/repaire-for-excel/)Read this: How to repair corrupt Excel file using Stellar Repair for Excel?
Conclusion
In this blog, we discussed some possible reasons behind Microsoft Excel 2013/2016 ‘We found a problem with some content’ error. The error may occur when an Excel file becomes corrupt. You may try repairing the corrupted Excel file manually by using the built-in ‘Open and Repair’ feature. Or, try the manual workarounds to extract data from the corrupt file discussed in this post. If the manual solutions don’t work for you, using Stellar Repair for Excel can come in handy in repairing the corrupt Excel (.xls/.xlsx) file and recovering the complete file data.
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.
Summary: Recovering your unsaved Excel file on Windows 10 with some of our tested methods can truly save you a lot of time, money, and effort. Here’s how to do it!
Microsoft provides a wide range of applications to its users that cater to different purposes. Out of all the MS Office applications, Excel is considered the most used native application by several companies and individuals to store and process crucial data. Excel can also be called a go-to data analysis tool that offers great reliability, ease of use, and multiple features. But unfortunately, it’s not immune to human errors and system errors.
What if you accidentally close the Excel file without saving your work or Excel crashes suddenly? Or worse! Your system crashes without any warning and when you reboot your system, you can’t find the unsaved Excel file.
There could be different situations where you may lose access to your unsaved Excel workbook. There is no need to be anxious, though! We’ve covered some easy-to-follow DIY methods in this post to help you recover unsaved Excel files quickly.
4 Ways to Recover Unsaved Excel File
Irrespective of the circumstances, you can recover unsaved Excel files on Windows 10 using the following methods.
Method 1: Use the Search Option
If you remember the name of the Excel file, try to find it using the Search option. Following these steps:
- Go to Windows Search Box and type the name of the file.
- If you find the file there, click Open or Open file location.
- If you click Open file location, it will take you to the exact location of the file, and you’ll be able to regain access to lost/unsaved Excel file easily.
Method 2: Use AutoRecover Feature
Microsoft Excel comes with a built-in AutoRecover feature that saves copies of all open Excel files at a user-definable fixed interval. You can recover the file if you forget to save it and accidentally close it or it closes automatically due to an unexpected system breakdown or power failure. You can follow the given steps to recover unsaved Excel files with the AutoRecover feature:
- Open a new Excel file and go to File > Options.
- Then go to Save > Save workbooks.
- Next, ensure that the ‘Save AutoRecover information every’ and ‘Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving’ option is already selected.
- Now, copy the file path given against the AutoRecover file location.
- Open the File Explorer, paste the Menu Bar file path there, and hit Enter.
- The unsaved file will appear with the .xlb extension.
- Double-click the file and choose Excel from apps to open the .xlb file.
- Finally, save the file to the desired location.
Method 3: Use the ‘Recover Unsaved Workbooks’ Option
Another way that you can choose is the ‘Recover Unsaved Workbooks’ option. To regain access to your Excel file, follow the given steps:
- Open an Excel sheet and then go to File > Open.
- Now, scroll down and click Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
- The list of unsaved files will show in the Document Recovery pane.
- Locate the file you lost and double-click on it to open.
- Finally, right-click on the version of the file you want to restore and click Save As.
And, save the file to the desired location
Method 4: Restore File with Previous Versions Utility
This feature will help you recover unsaved Excel files when you’ve saved the workbook earlier, but you end up losing access to the file due to an Excel or system crash. It’d help you save the previously saved version of your Excel file. To do so, follow the given steps:
- Open an Excel file and navigate to File > Info > Manage Versions.
- It will show the previously saved versions. You can choose the one you want to restore and click Save/Save As to store the file with a different name.
Hopefully, this blog has helped you learn how to recover unsaved Excel files. You can try any of the above methods.
FAQ
1. How can I repair a corrupted workbook?
Whenever Excel detects a corrupted workbook while opening, it automatically starts running the File Recovery mode and repairing the file. If the File Recovery mode doesn’t start automatically, you can manually repair the corrupted workbook .
- Title: Excel File Recovery – Recover Corrupt Excel 2021 Files Easily | Stellar
- Author: Nova
- Created at : 2024-07-17 17:11:13
- Updated at : 2024-07-18 17:11:13
- Link: https://phone-solutions.techidaily.com/excel-file-recovery-recover-corrupt-excel-2021-files-easily-stellar-by-stellar-guide/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.