Fix the Too many different cell formats Error in Excel?

Excel has set a limit on the number of unique cell formats within a workbook. Excel 2003 allows up to 4000 different cell format combinations, whereas Excel 2007 and later versions allow a maximum of 64000 combinations. When this limit exceeds, you may encounter errors, such as “Too many different cell formats”. It can prevent you from inserting or modifying workbook rows or columns. Sometimes, it prevents you to copy and paste the content within the same or different workbooks.  This error may also occur due to various other reasons.

You can encounter the “Too many different cell formats” error due to the below reasons:

• Formatting is missing in the workbook.
• Size of your Excel file has increased due to excessive use of complex formatting (conditional formatting).
• Workbook contains a large number of merged cells.
• There are multiple built-in or custom cell styles.
• Excel workbook is corrupted.
• The unused styles are unexpectedly copied to new workbooks (when moving or copying a worksheet from one to another).
• Workbooks contain multiple worksheets with different cell formatting.

Methods to Fix the “Too many different cell formats” Error in Excel

First, check that your Excel application is up-to-date. It helps in preventing duplicate styles in workbooks. If the error persists, then follow the below methods:

Method 1: Simplify the Workbook Formatting

You can face the error in Excel - Too many different cell formats, if the size of your Excel file has increased due to excessive or unnecessary formatting. You can try to simplify the formatting of the affected workbook. While reducing the number of formatting combinations, you can follow the simplifying guidelines, such as using a standard font and applying borders consistently. Follow the below steps to remove unnecessary formatting in your worksheet:

• First, open the affected worksheet.
• Now, use the shortcut key (Ctrl+A) to select all the cells.
• In the Excel ribbon, navigate to the Home tab and click Clear.

• Then, select the Clear Formats option.

The above steps will remove all unnecessary formatting from the selected cells, thus reducing the number of cell formats. Besides this, you can try removing the cell patterns (if any) or use cell styles  to remove unnecessary formatting in the workbook.

Method 2: Remove Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting is also one of the reasons behind the “Too many different cell formats” error. It usually occurs if you have applied multiple rules to various cells or cell ranges within a workbook. Each rule has its own formatting settings. If you’ve applied a large number of conditional formatting to cells, it can increase the number of unique cell formats. You can check and remove the unnecessary conditional formatting. Here are the steps to do this:

• Open the Excel file in which you are getting the error.
• Go to the Home tab and locate Conditional Formatting.

• Select Manage Rules.

• The Conditional Formatting Rules Manager wizard is displayed. You can check the formatting rules and delete the unnecessary rule by clicking on the Delete Rule option.

Method 3: Repair your Excel Workbook

Corruption in the Excel workbook can also cause the “Too many different cell formats” error. You can try the Microsoft inbuilt utility to repair the file. Follow these steps to use this utility:

• Open your Excel application. Go 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 Open button and then select Open and Repair.
• You will see a dialog box with three buttons - Repair, Extract Data, and Cancel.

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

If the Open and Repair utility does not work or fails to repair the corrupted Excel file due to any reason, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the Excel file. It is a simple-to-use third-party Excel repair tool with an intuitive UI that enables anyone to use it without much effort. The tool can help in fixing the “Too many different cell formats” error. It does so by repairing the Excel (XLS/XLSX) file and recovering all the components, including damaged cell style, without impacting the original formatting. You can download the software’s demo version and install it to check how it works.

Method 4: Save the Excel File to a Binary Workbook (.xlsb) Format

You can also get the “excel too many cell formats” error if the size of the spreadsheet is too large. You can try saving the Excel file in binary (.xlsb) format to reduce the Excel file size. Here’s how to do so:

• In Excel, navigate to File > Save As.
• Select Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb) in the Save as type dialog box.

• Click Save.

Some Additional Solutions

Here are some additional methods you can try to fix the issue:

1. Check and Fix the Un-used Style Copy Issue

Many users have reported encountering the “Too many different cell formats” error when moving or copying the content of a workbook from one Excel to another and the unused styles being copied from one workbook to another. Microsoft has released a hotfix package which contains a fix for this issue. You can install this hotfix package (2598143 ) to resolve the issue.

2. Use Clean Excel Cell Formatting Option

You can check and enable the Excel cell formatting option to fix the “Too many cell formats” issue. This option will help you remove the excess formatting  in your workbook. To locate this option, click on the Inquiabove steps willre tab. If you fail to see the Inquire tab, then check if the Inquire option is enabled in the Excel Com Add-ins settings.

3. Clean up Workbooks using Third-Party Tools

The “Too many different cell formats” issue can occur if your workbook contains a large number of unnecessary styles, as mentioned above. You can use third-party tools, such as XLStyles Tool   or Remove Styles Add-in  to clean up workbooks recommended in Microsoft Guide. However, Microsoft takes no guarantee of these tools.

Closure

If you’re getting the “Too many different cell formats” error in Excel, try the methods discussed in this post to resolve it. You can simplify the formatting by following standardized guidelines and clearing all the unnecessary conditional formatting. If the error has occurred due to corruption in Excel file, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the Excel file. It is an advanced tool that can repair Excel worksheet and recover all its objects without losing the original formatting.

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.

Learn More

Best Excel Repair Software till Date - Try Now

Summary: In this blog, we overview and conclude Stellar Repair for Excel as Best Excel Repair software till date – based on its distinctive features and capabilities. Also, you’ll get to know what makes it the top Excel repair software from the perspective of recognized review websites, tech community forums, and users. In addition, you’ll find the simple and step-wise process of repairing Excel by using the software.

Corruption in Excel files can hamper workflow, bringing productivity to a halt. And what can be more concerning is that you may lose sensitive data if the corrupt or damaged file is not repaired on time. An Excel file may get corrupted due to various reasons.

Common Reasons Behind Excel File Corruption

• Abrupt system shutdown
• Human errors such as accidental deletion, formatting, or overwriting an Excel workbook
• Damaged Excel installation
• Hardware failure
• Virus infection or malware attack
• Bad sectors on the hard drive on which Excel files reside
• Large-sized Excel file

Regardless of the reason, manually troubleshooting corruption errors in an Excel file can drain time, resources and may even cause data loss. However, using a third-party professional tool such as Stellar Repair for Excel can save you the manual efforts and time in repairing Excel files, keeping the original data intact.

What Makes Stellar Repair for Excel the Best Software?

While there is no dearth of Excel file repair tools, Stellar Repair for Excel software has garnered considerable interest and positive reviews by MVPs . The software has remarkable features that make it the Excel file repair specialist.

Key Features of Stellar Repair for Excel Software

Though the software encompasses several great features and a simple-to-use and intuitive user interface, some of the key features that make it the best Excel repair software are:

• Restores Excel (XLS / XLSX) File in Original, Intact State

The software repairs corrupt Excel files and restores all the data in the original format. Also, it helps restore the original properties of cell formatting of the workbook.

• Capability to Resolve all Excel Related Errors

Most errors that crop up unexpectedly while working with Excel files are the result of damages caused due to human errors, virus infection, power surges, etc. The software can help you easily fix corrupted Excel files to get rid of errors such as “Excel is not responding ”, “Excel found unreadable content in name.xls ”, “Excel cannot open the file filename.xlsx”, etc.

• Real-Time Pre-Recovery Preview

It provides users with the opportunity to preview recoverable Excel file items before saving them. This helps users estimate how much data they will be able to salvage by using the tool, thus helping them make an informed decision about investing in the software.

Besides these features, some other aspects that make the software a recommended choice for Excel repair are as follows:

• 100% Secure****: Downloading and installing this software is 100% safe and secure, since Norton antivirus security comes installed with it.
• Tested by MVPs****: Stellar Repair for Excel software is tried and tested by credible MVPs.
• Allows Testing before Purchase: The software’s demo version lets you understand the tool and its advantages before buying it.
• Stellar is Microsoft Gold Partner****: The software’s vendor, Stellar Data Recovery, is a certified Gold partner for Microsoft.

Stellar Repair for Excel – The Most Recommended Software

Check out the user ratings and reviews to understand why Stellar Repair for Excel ranks as the top Excel file repair software, and why you should choose it over its competitors:

• Capterra – 4/5

A user has shared how effectively the Stellar Repair for Excel software repaired and restored the corrupted Excel file.

• g2.com – 4.5/5

The Excel Repair software got a rating of 4.5/5 on g2.com based on the positive reviews of the users.

• Softpedia – 3.5/5

Softpedia gave the product a rating of 3.5/5 and reported it as 100% clean (meaning without malware).

Support and Compatibility
Stellar Repair for Excel software supports the latest MS Excel versions 2019, 2016, 2013, and lower versions. It can operate smoothly on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and earlier operating systems.
System Requirements
Stellar Repair for Excel requires a minimum Pentium Class Processor with 2 GB minimum memory and 250 MB of free storage drive space.

How to Use Stellar Repair for Excel Software to Repair Excel Files?

Follow these steps for repairing damaged or corrupt Excel files:

• Run the software and from the main software screen, select the corrupt Excel files you want to repair by clicking Browse or Search.

• Once the file is selected, click Repair to begin repairing the corrupt file.

• When the scanning finishes, all recoverable data is displayed in the left-pane of the preview window. Click on any item to preview its content in the right-pane.

• For saving the file, click the Save File button on the Home menu.
• When prompted, select a target location to save the repaired file and click OK.

The repaired Excel file will now get saved in the selected target location.

Concluding Lines

Stellar Repair for Excel  software empowers users to repair Excel (.XLS/.XLSX) files and restore worksheet data in the event of file corruption and data loss. More importantly, the software performs granular-level recovery to restore the complete file items while preserving worksheet properties and visual representation.

How to Fix “File Not Loaded Completely” Error in Excel?

Summary: You may get the “File not loaded completely” error when opening a large-sized Excel file. Read this post to understand the causes behind this issue and the troubleshooting solutions to fix this Excel error. Also, you’ll get to know about an Excel repair tool that can help fix the issue if the cause is corruption in the Excel file.

Several users have reported experiencing the “File not loaded completely” error while opening Excel spreadsheets or when importing CSV file into Excel. This error can occur if the worksheet has crossed the maximum rows and columns limit , i.e., 1048576 rows by 16,386 columns. However, this issue can also occur due to various other reasons. Let’s take a look at the possible causes behind this error.

Why this Error Occurs?

The “File not loaded completely” issue can occur due to one of the following reasons:

• The Excel file you are trying to open is corrupted.
• The Excel file is too large.
• The Excel file has crossed the rows limit.
• Memory issue in your system.

Methods to Resolve the “File not Loaded Completely” Error

Following are some methods you can try to fix the Excel file not loaded completely issue.

Method 1: Try to Import the Spreadsheet into MS Access

A large-sized Excel file takes time and memory to load. When you try opening a large file, you may get the “file not loaded completely” error. It indicates your file contains unwanted rows and columns. In such a case, you can try importing your spreadsheet into Access. By doing this, you can easily access the rows and columns in the database table, and then remove the extra rows. Follow the steps below to import your spreadsheet into Access:

• Open a blank database in Access application.
• Navigate to the External Data tab and then click on the Excel button.

• In the Get Data-Excel Spreadsheet window, click Browse.

• In the File Open dialog box, select the Excel file (in which you are getting the error) and click Open.

• Select Import the source data into a new table in the current database and click OK.

• In the Import Spreadsheet Wizard window, you’ll see all the rows and columns of your Excel file. Click Next.

• In the dialog box that appears, you can modify the field information (extra columns or rows).

• Once you performed the changes, click on the Next button.

• Provide a name to the table.

• Next, select the option “I would like a wizard to analyze my table after importing the data” (if you want to analyze the data) and click Finish.
• You will get a dialog box with a message. Click Yes.
  
• The Table Analyzer wizard will appear on the screen.

• Click on the Next button.

• Follow the instructions of the Table Analyzer wizard.
• Once you complete all the steps, select “Save import step” and click Close.

Method 2: Split Your Large Excel File

You may face the Excel file not loaded completely issue when importing a large Excel file. In such a case, you can try splitting your large file into smaller ones. To split the file, you can use VBA codes or the move or copy feature.

Method 3: Stop Unwanted Processes Running in the Background

Sometimes, you get the “File not loaded completely” error if you are running multiple files or programs simultaneously. You can check and stop unnecessary background processes in Windows using your system’s Task Manager. Here are the steps:

• Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open the Task Manager window.

• Navigate to the Processes tab and check the Memory section.
• You can see the memory consumption of all the applications in your system.
• Select the unwanted applications and click on End Task.

Now, try to open the Excel file.

Method 4: Repair your Excel File

Sometimes, Excel throws the “File not loaded completely” error if it fails to read the data in your file. This might happen if your Excel file is corrupt. You can use the Open and Repair utility in Excel to repair your Excel file. Follow the below steps:

• In Excel, click the File tab and then click Open.
• Click Browse to select the desired file.
• In the Open dialog box, click on the corrupted file.
• Click on the arrow next to the Open button and then select Open and Repair.

•  Click on the Repair button.

• After repair, you will see a message as shown in the below figure.

• Click Close.

An Alternative Solution

If your file gets corrupted, then repairing it using the “Open and Repair” utility is a good option. However, the Open and Repair utility may not work if the file is severely damaged or corrupted. In such a case, you can use a professional Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool is primarily designed to repair inaccessible or corrupted Excel files. It can effectively work even if your file is too large or severely damaged. It can recover all the data from the corrupted Excel file without impacting its actual format. The software supports Excel files of almost all Excel versions.

Conclusion

The File not loaded completely issue in Excel may occur due to numerous reasons. Try the troubleshooting methods listed above to resolve the issue. If the Excel file is corrupt, then you can try repairing your file using the Open and Repair tool. However, it can fix only minor corruption issues. If your file is severely corrupted, then use Stellar Repair for Excel . The software offers you the safest way to repair your Excel file without making any changes in the formatting. You can download the free trial version of the software today to scan and preview the Excel file.

Fix the Too many different cell formats Error in Excel?

Excel has set a limit on the number of unique cell formats within a workbook. Excel 2003 allows up to 4000 different cell format combinations, whereas Excel 2007 and later versions allow a maximum of 64000 combinations. When this limit exceeds, you may encounter errors, such as “Too many different cell formats”. It can prevent you from inserting or modifying workbook rows or columns. Sometimes, it prevents you to copy and paste the content within the same or different workbooks.  This error may also occur due to various other reasons.

You can encounter the “Too many different cell formats” error due to the below reasons:

• Formatting is missing in the workbook.
• Size of your Excel file has increased due to excessive use of complex formatting (conditional formatting).
• Workbook contains a large number of merged cells.
• There are multiple built-in or custom cell styles.
• Excel workbook is corrupted.
• The unused styles are unexpectedly copied to new workbooks (when moving or copying a worksheet from one to another).
• Workbooks contain multiple worksheets with different cell formatting.

Methods to Fix the “Too many different cell formats” Error in Excel

First, check that your Excel application is up-to-date. It helps in preventing duplicate styles in workbooks. If the error persists, then follow the below methods:

Method 1: Simplify the Workbook Formatting

You can face the error in Excel - Too many different cell formats, if the size of your Excel file has increased due to excessive or unnecessary formatting. You can try to simplify the formatting of the affected workbook. While reducing the number of formatting combinations, you can follow the simplifying guidelines, such as using a standard font and applying borders consistently. Follow the below steps to remove unnecessary formatting in your worksheet:

• First, open the affected worksheet.
• Now, use the shortcut key (Ctrl+A) to select all the cells.
• In the Excel ribbon, navigate to the Home tab and click Clear.

• Then, select the Clear Formats option.

The above steps will remove all unnecessary formatting from the selected cells, thus reducing the number of cell formats. Besides this, you can try removing the cell patterns (if any) or use cell styles  to remove unnecessary formatting in the workbook.

Method 2: Remove Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting is also one of the reasons behind the “Too many different cell formats” error. It usually occurs if you have applied multiple rules to various cells or cell ranges within a workbook. Each rule has its own formatting settings. If you’ve applied a large number of conditional formatting to cells, it can increase the number of unique cell formats. You can check and remove the unnecessary conditional formatting. Here are the steps to do this:

• Open the Excel file in which you are getting the error.
• Go to the Home tab and locate Conditional Formatting.

• Select Manage Rules.

• The Conditional Formatting Rules Manager wizard is displayed. You can check the formatting rules and delete the unnecessary rule by clicking on the Delete Rule option.

Method 3: Repair your Excel Workbook

Corruption in the Excel workbook can also cause the “Too many different cell formats” error. You can try the Microsoft inbuilt utility to repair the file. Follow these steps to use this utility:

• Open your Excel application. Go 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 Open button and then select Open and Repair.
• You will see a dialog box with three buttons - Repair, Extract Data, and Cancel.

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

If the Open and Repair utility does not work or fails to repair the corrupted Excel file due to any reason, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the Excel file. It is a simple-to-use third-party Excel repair tool with an intuitive UI that enables anyone to use it without much effort. The tool can help in fixing the “Too many different cell formats” error. It does so by repairing the Excel (XLS/XLSX) file and recovering all the components, including damaged cell style, without impacting the original formatting. You can download the software’s demo version and install it to check how it works.

Method 4: Save the Excel File to a Binary Workbook (.xlsb) Format

You can also get the “excel too many cell formats” error if the size of the spreadsheet is too large. You can try saving the Excel file in binary (.xlsb) format to reduce the Excel file size. Here’s how to do so:

• In Excel, navigate to File > Save As.
• Select Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb) in the Save as type dialog box.

• Click Save.

Some Additional Solutions

Here are some additional methods you can try to fix the issue:

1. Check and Fix the Un-used Style Copy Issue

Many users have reported encountering the “Too many different cell formats” error when moving or copying the content of a workbook from one Excel to another and the unused styles being copied from one workbook to another. Microsoft has released a hotfix package which contains a fix for this issue. You can install this hotfix package (2598143 ) to resolve the issue.

2. Use Clean Excel Cell Formatting Option

You can check and enable the Excel cell formatting option to fix the “Too many cell formats” issue. This option will help you remove the excess formatting  in your workbook. To locate this option, click on the Inquiabove steps willre tab. If you fail to see the Inquire tab, then check if the Inquire option is enabled in the Excel Com Add-ins settings.

3. Clean up Workbooks using Third-Party Tools

The “Too many different cell formats” issue can occur if your workbook contains a large number of unnecessary styles, as mentioned above. You can use third-party tools, such as XLStyles Tool   or Remove Styles Add-in  to clean up workbooks recommended in Microsoft Guide. However, Microsoft takes no guarantee of these tools.

Closure

If you’re getting the “Too many different cell formats” error in Excel, try the methods discussed in this post to resolve it. You can simplify the formatting by following standardized guidelines and clearing all the unnecessary conditional formatting. If the error has occurred due to corruption in Excel file, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the Excel file. It is an advanced tool that can repair Excel worksheet and recover all its objects without losing the original formatting.

Get Rid of corrupt Excel File

Summary: What to do when an Excel file is corrupted? This is a common question that is often asked by Microsoft Excel users. If you too are seeking an answer to this question, read the blog to learn about a few manual workarounds and a specialized Excel file repair tool to resolve the Excel file corruption issue.

An Excel file gets corrupted due to various reasons such as a virus/malware attack, sudden system shutdown when the Excel file is still open, power failure while working with an Excel spreadsheet, etc.

When Microsoft Excel detects corruption in a workbook, it attempts to repair the workbook by starting ‘File Recovery mode’.

Tip! If the file recovery mode doesn’t start, you may use the manual repair process or an Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel to repair a corrupted Excel file. The software can help you quickly retrieve contents from a damaged, corrupt, or inaccessible Excel file and restore the file to its original state.

There even exist a few manual tips that can be used to recover data from damaged MS Office Excel files.

Workarounds to Use When an Excel File is Corrupted

Note: Before carrying out any of the repair and recovery workarounds, it is advised that you must save a backup copy of the damaged file. This is to prevent your files from turning completely inaccessible in case the methods fail to give desired results.

Workaround 1: Use the Open and Repair Method

If MS Excel cannot repair a corrupted workbook automatically, you can try to do it manually. To do so, perform the following:

• Open the corrupt file, like you normally open any file, by clicking File > Open.
• Browse and locate the folder containing the corrupted document.
• When the Open dialog box is displayed:
• Select the Excel document.
• Click on the arrow present to the right side of the Open button and select Open and Repair option.

Figure 1 – Open and Repair Feature

If this doesn’t help repair the broken Excel file or you encounter  Open and Repair does not work issue, proceed with the next workaround.

Tip! Try an alternative solution, i.e. Stellar Repair for Excel software to repair and recover corrupt Excel files (.xlsx or .xls) when the ‘Open and Repair’ method won’t work.  

Workaround 2: Restore an Excel File with a Shadow Copy

If you’re a Windows 7 or Vista user, you can try restoring the corrupted spreadsheet by using a shadow copy (or a previous version). [Shadow copy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy#:~:text=Shadow%20Copy%20(also%20known%20as,the%20Volume%20Shadow%20Copy%20service .) is basically a snapshot (backup copy) of computer files or volumes. The snapshot may contain an older version of your Excel file that has become damaged now. To find out, do the following:

• Launch File Explorer, and right-click the folder in which the file is saved.
• Choose Properties.
• Look for and click the Previous Versions tab. This will display a list of entries under Folder versions or File versions, going back a few days or weeks.
• Double-click one with a date when the file was accessible and could be read. Then, try to open its older version. If it opens, save the older version with a new name and execute the procedure with new file/folder entries.

Figure 2 – Volume Shadow Copy

You would have to repeat the process until you reach the point where the file became damaged. With this, you will get a baseline version of the file, but data may still have been lost.

Workaround 3: Test your Assumptions

If you receive a message saying “Excel file corrupted and cannot be opened”, you would probably believe it. However, there could be other reasons besides corruption that may cause Excel to throw this error message.

Your Office suite, which Excel is a part of, maybe having some primary issues in it causing problems while opening one Excel document. So, try opening another Excel file to check if the problem exists with all the files or just one.

If other Excel documents work correctly, it means that only the particular document is corrupt. On the contrary, if the issue is with your Office suite, repairing the current Office installation may help fix the issue. For this, perform these steps:

• Go to Control Panel and click Uninstall the Program.
• Choose Office.
• Click Change, and hit the Repair button.

You can reinstall the entire Office package. Once reinstalled, try to open the file to check if the issue has been fixed and the Excel file repaired.

Figure 3 – MS Office Repair

Workaround 4: Use Excel File Repair Tool

If the above manual solutions fail, use Excel repair software to successfully repair your damaged Excel workbook and recover all its data. Essentially, the software rebuilds damaged Excel workbook data at a granular level to recover every single object & all the original properties of the workbook.

Suggested Read: How to repair corrupt Excel files using Stellar Repair for Excel?

Why Use Stellar Repair for Excel Software?

• Repairs severely corrupted XLSX and XLS files.
• Can handle corrupt Excel files of any size.
• Demo version allows previewing recoverable Excel file items for free.
• Supports Microsoft Excel 2019 and all lower versions.
• Compatible with Windows 10 and lower versions.
• Tested and recommended by Microsoft Excel MVPs.

Final Word

When an Excel file is corrupted, it won’t open at all or you won’t be able to access all the file data. Such a situation can lead to unnecessary halts, impacting work productivity.

There are manual workarounds that may help fix the corrupt Excel file and recover its data, such as the ones covered in this blog. However, these solutions might not work in severe corruption cases and may require technical assistance. Also, they may result in some data loss.

To overcome the limitations of manual workarounds, it is recommended to go for a professional Excel file repair tool such as Stellar Repair for Excel . It helps repair corrupt Excel (XLS or XLSX) files and restores all worksheet data, such as the table, chart, chart sheet, cell comment, sort and filter, image, formula, etc. in a few simple clicks. Moreover, the software provides a free preview of the recoverable data with its demo version. You can check the preview to evaluate how the software works.

Solved - The File is Corrupted and Cannot be Opened - Excel

Summary: Unable to open Excel file due to the error ‘The file is corrupted and cannot be opened’? Read this blog to find more details about the error, possible reasons behind it, and solutions to fix the error. In addition, the blog mentions about Stellar Repair for Excel software that can help fix the Excel error in a few clicks. Download the software now and see free preview of the file.

About the Error

Microsoft Excel is a widely used spreadsheet application that comes bundled with MS Office. Users tend to update the application with new security patches and features. Sometimes these updates can cause problems, and result in “The file is corrupted and cannot be opened” error.

Figure 1 – Excel File Corrupted Error Message

Other Possible Reasons behind ‘The File is Corrupt and Cannot Be Opened’ Excel Error

• Opening an older Excel version file in a newer version of Excel. For instance, opening Excel 2013, 2010, or earlier versions in Excel 2016.
• When attempting to open a Microsoft Office (Excel) email attachment in Microsoft Outlook 2010, MS Office 2010 reports a problem with the file preventing it from opening.

How to Fix the ‘Excel File is Corrupt and Cannot Be Opened’ Error?

Here are a few possible solutions that you can try to fix the ‘Excel file is corrupt and cannot be opened’ issue and open your Excel file.

Solution 1: Changing Component Services Settings

Solution 2: Changing the Protected View Settings

Solution 3: Repair Excel Files using Excel Repair Software

Solution 1: Changing Component Services Settings

[Caution] Changing Component Services settings requires making changes to the registry, and any mistake can harm your computer.

Follow these steps to change ‘Component Services’ settings:

• Click ‘Start’ or ‘Win+R’ and type ‘dcomcnfg’ and press ‘Enter’.

• In the navigation pane, expand the ‘Component Services’, and then expand ‘Computers’.

---

Figure 2 – Component Services Settings

• Next, right-click on ‘My Computer’, and then click ‘Properties’.

When the ‘My Computer Properties’ dialog box appears, click on the ‘Default Properties’ tab and then set the following values:

• Default Authentication Level: Connect
• Default Impersonation Level: Identify

Figure 3 – Illustrates My Computer Properties

• Click ‘OK’ to change ‘Default Properties’

Solution 2: Changing the Protected View Settings

[Caution] Disabling the ‘Protected View’ can put your system at high risk. Viruses attached to the Excel files can attack and infect your system. Be careful before using this option.

Excel 2010 file cannot open due to the ‘Protected View’ setting in Microsoft Outlook 2010. And so, changing the setting may help fix the error. For this, perform these steps:

• Open MS Excel 2010, go to the ‘File’ menu and click ‘Options’.

Figure 4 – Options

• When the ‘Excel Options’ window opens, click on ‘Trust Center’ and then on ‘Trust Center Settings’.

Figure 5 – Open Trust Center Settings

• Next, choose ‘Protected View’ and uncheck all the options including ‘Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments’ if you use Outlook for email.

Figure 6 – Uncheck Protected View Settings

• Click ‘OK’. Restart the application and try opening the Excel file again.

If none of the above solutions works for you, your Excel file is likely severely corrupt. To repair corrupt Excel files, you need to use advanced options like Stellar Repair for Excel tool. It repairs corrupt and damaged Excel files and helps in retrieving lost data.

Solution 3: Use Excel File Repair Tool

Considering the risks associated with the above solutions, it’s better to use an Excel repair tool to repair single or multiple corrupt Excel files at once. The process is simple, and even a novice can use the Excel file repair tool to repair Excel files with the help of the following steps:

• Download Stellar Repair for Excel and install it.

• Launch the tool. In the tool’s main interface, click ‘Browse’ to select the file. If you don’t know the file location use the ‘Search’ option.

Figure 7 – Illustrates Selecting Corrupt Excel File in Stellar Repair for Excel

• Select the file, and then click on Repair.

Figure 8 – Illustrates Initiating Excel File Repair in Stellar Repair for Excel

• The software scans and lists the Excel file in the left pane. Click on the file to preview its recoverable objects in the right pane.

Figure 9 – Illustrates Preview of Recoverable Excel File Objects

• Save the repaired file at either the default location or a user-specified location.

Figure 10 – Illustrates Saving Repaired Excel File in Stellar Repair for Excel

• Click ‘OK’ to save the repaired Excel file. After the repair process is completed, browse to the location and open it with MS Excel 2010 or any other version.

Figure 11 – Illustrates Saving Complete Message in Stellar Repair for Excel

You will be able to access your Excel file from the selected location.

Conclusion

You can use the first two possible solutions to fix the “The file is corrupted and cannot be opened” error. If you can access the file, save its data and restore the default settings. However, if the file is corrupt and the data retrieved using the first two solutions is inconsistent or incomplete, use Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool can help you recover Tables, Charts, Chart Sheets, cell comments, Images, and Formulas while preserving the worksheet properties and cell formatting. You can also preview the file and verify the data inside the file before saving it.