Fixed Cannot Insert Object Error in Excel 2010 | Step-by-Step Guide

Fixed “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel | Step-by-Step Guide

Summary: The error “cannot insert object” in MS Excel can prevent you from modifying objects in the worksheet. This blog will discuss the primary reasons behind this error and the possible solutions to fix it. You will also learn about a professional Excel repair software that can help fix the error if it has occurred due to corruption in Excel file.

Many users have reported encountering the “cannot insert object” error while adding/embedding objects into the Excel file. It usually occurs when using Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) to add content (PDF, Microsoft documents) from external applications to worksheet. The error can also occur when using ActiveX control in Excel. Below, we’ll explain why you cannot insert object into Excel sheet and how to troubleshoot the issue.

Why the “Cannot Insert Object” Error Occurs?

Macro Settings can prevent the insertion of objects into a workbook.
The Excel file in which you are trying to add an element is corrupted.
The object (you are inserting into the workbook) is damaged.
Object size limitations.
System’s insufficient memory might prevent new objects’ addition.
Incompatible Excel file format.
Add-ins controls are disabled.
Incompatible or faulty Add-ins.
Issue with Security Settings.

Methods to Fix the “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel

You may encounter the “Cannot insert object” error when trying to add an element stored on a network. It can occur due to issues with the file link, such as incorrect file location. In such a case, you can check the link by selecting the link to file option from the Insert tab.

Sometimes, the error can occur if the file in which you are trying to insert the object is locked and password-protected. In this case, you can unprotect the Excel file . If the issue still persists, then you can follow the below methods.

Method 1: Check and Change Restricted Security Settings

Excel provides security settings to protect your workbook. Sometimes, these settings can prevent inserting objects in the file. You can change the security settings to allow Excel to insert objects. To do so, follow these steps:

Open your Excel application.
Locate the File and then click Options.
In Excel Options, click Trust Center.

Click Trust Center Settings.
In the Trust Center Settings window, select Protected View from the left pane.

Under Protected View, unselect the below three options:
Enable Protected View for files originating from the internet.
Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations.
Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments.

Click OK.
Once you’re done with this, click on Macro Settings in the Trust Center window.
Under Macro Settings, make sure “Disable all macros without notification” is not selected. If it is selected, then unselect it. After that, click OK.

Restart Excel to apply the changes.

Method 2: Uninstall Microsoft Office Updates

You can also encounter the “Cannot insert object” error in Excel after installing MS Office updates. It might be due to the issues with the installed updates. To fix this, you can uninstall the recently installed Office updates. To uninstall the Office updates, follow these steps:

Go to the system’s Control Panel.
Click Programs and then click Program and Features.
Search for “View Installed Updates” and click on the desired Office updates.
Right-click on it and then click Uninstall.
Follow the uninstallation steps on the screen.
Once the process is complete, restart the system.

Method 3: Check Memory Usage

The “Cannot insert object” issue can also occur if your system is low on memory. You can check and close unnecessary processes and applications running in the background to free up memory. To do so, follow these steps:

Press CTRL + ALT + DEL on the keyboard and click Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab and search for any unnecessary processes.
Right-click on the process and then select End Task.
Restart Excel to see if the issue is fixed.

Method 4: Check Excel File Size

If your Excel file size exceeds the prescribed limit, it can also lead to the “Cannot insert Excel object” error. So, check the Excel file size. You can reduce the file size by removing unnecessary objects, such as formulas or images.

Method 5: Check and Change Excel ActiveX Settings

You can get the “Excel cannot insert object” error if your Excel file contains macros, controls, and other interactive buttons. It usually occurs if the ActiveX Controls option is disabled. You can check and change the ActiveX Settings to fix the issue. Here are the steps:

Open your Excel application.
Navigate to File and then click Options.
In Excel Options, click the Trust Center tab.
In the Trust Center Settings, click ActiveX Settings.
Under ActiveX Settings, make sure the “Enable all controls without restrictions and without prompting” option is selected.

If the option is not selected, then select it and click OK.
Restart the Excel and check if the error is fixed or not.

Method 6: Repair the Excel Workbook

The “Cannot insert object” error can occur if the object you are trying to insert is corrupted or the file in which you are inserting the object is damaged. If the issue has occurred due to a corrupted Excel file, then you can repair the file using the Open and Repair utility in MS Excel. To use this Microsoft-inbuilt utility, follow these steps:

In the Excel application, go to the File tab and then click Open.
Click Browse to choose the affected 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 Repair.

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

Click Close.

If the Open and Repair utility fails to fix the issue, then try a professional Excel Repair software, like Stellar Repair for Excel. It is designed to repair severely corrupted Excel files. It can restore all the Excel file objects, such as tables, charts, formulas, etc. It helps fix all types of corruption related errors. The software is compatible with all versions of Excel.

Conclusion

You might encounter the “Cannot insert object” error when embedding or inserting objects in Excel. In this post, we have discussed the possible solutions to fix this error. We have also mentioned an Excel repair software that can help to easily repair the corrupted Excel file and recover all the data. You can download the Stellar Repair for Excel’s free demo version to preview the recoverable objects of the corrupted Excel file.

How to Repair Excel Document on a Flash Drive

Summary: Microsoft Excel files are stored on flash drives if they need to be transferred between systems or if they need to be backed up. But sometimes unforeseen issues can corrupt the Excel sheets stored on flash drives. When that happens, it can be an arduous task to repair Excel documents on a flash drive. Through this post let us try to understand the reasons why Excel sheets stored on flash drives can get corrupted and how users can resolve them easily.

In this digital age, we all work with computers, files, and documents. Flash drives or USBs are common ways of storing data in an external place. Be it for a meeting or for a party playlist, these devices come handy when one wants to transfer data or access the files stored elsewhere.

You may need to access your data from another location. That’s when a USB flash drive might come in handy. And, that’s exactly why Excel sheets too end up on flash drives; either that or for backup purposes. However, there are many instances where an Excel file stored in a USB gets corrupted when one tries to access the file. The error message you get while trying to open the Excel file would be a great clue for figuring out the exact reason behind corruption.

This blog will provide insights into what are the reasons for the corruption of a USB and how the users can repair Excel on flash drive that has been corrupted.

Reasons for USB inaccessibility

Sometimes flash drives or USBs can become unresponsive due to numerous reasons. There are two types of corruption – logical and physical. Physical corruptions occur due to broken stems and connectors, broken circuits, NAND gate, not recognised, RAW, need to format, not accessible, and dead drives (no power supply).

One of the main reasons behind such an error could be that the USB drive has been infected by some virus. This can affect any file – not only the ones which are there in the USB drive but also the ones which are there in the PC/Laptop where you connect the USB drive. It is recommended that you scan the USB drive with reliable antivirus software to detect viruses.

There can be various other reasons that may make your USB corrupt or unresponsive. But there are very slim chances that you will be able to recover a flash drive that has physical damage. However, you can try to run the check disk on the USB drive to fix the drive. We will be discussing this as you read on.

Recovery Methods for Corrupted Flash Drives

There are 3 tried and tested recovery methods. Try them and see which one works out for you.

Restoring Excel Files from Windows backup

To bring back your old Excel files, fixing up the corrupt file is your best option. Importantly note that this method would work only if your system’s Windows backup option has been enabled.

Step-by-step process for restoring your older Excel files:

Connect your USB drive
Go to “My Computer”->USB Drive->Check if the file exists
Right click on the excel file and click on the restore previous versions

You will now see a list of older versions which were created
Select one the backups and click on “restore”

Using Command Line to Recover Excel Files

In case you are looking to repair Excel on flash drive, you can also resolve it by using the command line. Just follow the below steps to see if you can recover the excel files.

Connect your USB Flash drive
Open “Run” (press Windows+R) and then open “cmd”

Type “attrib -h -r -s /s /d (USB Drive Letter):\*.*” where the (USB Drive Letter) is the drive letter you can find using “My Computer”
Once this has been completed, Windows will start repairing your files
After the process gets over, try accessing the excel file to see if the data has been recovered

Running a “Check Disk” on flash drives

Follow the below steps while the USB flash drive has been plugged into your computer:

Open “Run” and then open “cmd”
Type in “chkdsk /X /f (USB Drive Letter)” where the “(USB Drive Letter)” is the letter of the corrupted USB Drive. You can get this letter easily from the “My Computer”.

It will now check your disk to and correct any corrupted records.

What if none of these methods works?

In case none of the above methods works to repair Excel document on a flash drive, then you would need a professional Excel repair software such as Stellar Repair for Excel to restore your files. Such software not only help repair corrupted Excel files on flash drives but also help in recovering the data stored within them in their original format.

Stellar Repair for Excel resolves corruption problems in Excel files and recovers all formulas, charts, cell formatting, and more from them. It can repair multiple Excel files in one go. Equipped with a fully interactive GUI, working with this product is extremely easy.

To sum it up

Although flash drives are quite popularly used, they are not the most reliable of storage devices. These drives can fail anytime without warning. Thus, always back up your data on other more robust devices instead of flash drives. We hope that with the above tried and tested methods you will easily be able to repair Excel document on flash drive if need be. For any queries that you have, feel free to leave a comment below!

Top 5 Ways to Fix Excel File Not Opening Error

Summary: MS Excel users sometimes face issues while using the MS Excel application. One such issue is the Excel file not opening error. In this post, we’ve mentioned the reasons that may result in this error and the ways to resolve it. Also, you’ll find about an Excel repair software that can help you repair corrupt Excel files.

Several Microsoft Excel users have reported encountering the ‘Excel file not opening’ error when opening their Excel file. There are several reasons that may cause this error. In this post, we’ll be discussing the reasons that may lead to the ‘Excel file not opening’ error and the top 5 ways to fix this error.

Why Does the ‘Excel File Not Opening’ Error Appear?

Following are some possible causes that may result in the ‘Excel file not opening’ error:

There may be a problem with an add-in that is preventing you from opening the Excel files.
There’s a chance that your Excel application is faulty.
Your Excel program is unable to communicate with other programs or the operating system.
The file association might have been broken. This is a common problem faced by users who have upgraded their Excel application or operating system.
The file you’re trying to open is corrupted.

5 Ways to Fix Excel File Not Opening Error

Let’s explore the ways to resolve the Excel file not opening error:

1. Uncheck the Ignore DDE Checkbox

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)allows Excel to communicate with other programs. The Excel error may occur due to incorrect DDE settings. You need to ensure that the correct DDE configuration is enabled. Follow the steps provided below:

Launch your MS Excel file.
Go to File > Options.

Now click on Advanced.

Further, find the General option on the screen.

Uncheck the option **‘Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)**’.
Click OK to save the changes.

2. Reset Excel File Associations

When you launch your Excel file, the file association ensures that the Excel application is used to open the file. You can try to reset these associations and see if Excel opens after this. Proceed with the following steps to do so:

Navigate to Start Menu and launch Control Panel.
Now, navigate to Programs > Default Programs > Set Your Default Programs.

A new window will open. Herein, find the Excel program in the list and select it. Now, select the option ‘Choose defaults for this program’. Click OK.

A new window for ‘Set Program Associations’ will open.
Check the box against the ‘Select All’ option.
Further, click Save to reset the Excel File Associations settings.

3. Disable Add-Ins

Many people install third-party add-ins to enhance the application’s functionality. Sometimes, these add-ins can create an issue. Follow the below-mentioned steps to disable the problem creating add-ins:

Launch MS Excel application.
Navigate to File > Options > Add-ins.

In the window that opens, go to the Manage option at the bottom.
Herein, select the COM Add-ins option from the dropdown list. Click Go.

In the COM Add-ins window, uncheck all the boxes to disable the add-ins. Click OK.

4. Repair MS Office Program

Sometimes the issue is not with your Excel file. Instead, the reason for the error can be a corrupt MS Office application. You can repair the program to fix the Excel file not opening error. Here are the steps:

Press the Windows + R keys to launch the ‘Run’ dialog box.

Enter the text ‘appwiz.cpl’ to launch the program and features window.

Find the MS Office program in the list of applications.

Right-click on it and select Change.

In the new window, select the Quick Repair radio button. Click Repair.

Follow the on-screen instructions to repair the Office application. Once the repair process is completed, you can try opening the Excel file to see if the problem is resolved.

5. Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

The hardware graphics acceleration assists in the system’s better performance, especially when you use MS Office applications, like MS Excel or Word. Sometimes, this causes the Excel file not opening issue. You can disable this option to try to resolve the issue. Here are the steps:

Launch your MS Excel application.
Navigate to File > Options > Advanced.
Herein, go to the Display option.
Uncheck the Disable hardware graphics acceleration checkbox. Click OK.

What If These Solutions Do Not Work?

If you have applied all the methods mentioned above and still cannot open your Excel file, there are chances that your file is corrupted. You can use a specialized Excel repair tool , such as Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the corrupted Excel file. This software has powerful algorithms that can scan and repair even severely corrupt Excel files, without any file size limitation. After repairing the file, it restores all the data, including tables, charts, rules, etc. to a new Excel, with 100% integrity.

To know how the software works, see the video below:

Conclusion

Before you proceed with resolving the Excel file not opening error, try to find out the root cause of this error. If you know the real reason, you can try the method right away. If the reason for the error is corruption in the Excel file, the best option is to repair the file using a professional Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel .

How to Fix the Unable to Record Macro Error in Excel?

Summary: You may encounter the “Unable to record macro” error in MS Excel when using Personal Macro Workbooks. In this post, we’ll discuss the possible causes behind this error and the ways to fix it. We’ll also mention a professional Excel repair tool that can help fix the error if it occurs due to corrupted workbook.

A personal macro workbook (Personal.xlsb file) is a hidden workbook in Excel that stores all macros in a single workbook. This allows you to automate processes while working in Excel. Sometimes, when recording macro codes in the personal macro workbook, you may get the message “Personal Macro Workbook in a startup folder must stay open for recording”. When you click on the OK button, it will show the “unable to record” error. This prevents you from recording the macros. Below, we’ll see the causes behind this error and discuss how to resolve this error.

Causes of Unable to Record Macro Error

You may be unable to record macros in Excel due to several reasons. Let’s take a look at the possible causes that can lead to this issue.

The location of personal.xlsb file is changed.
Personal.xlsb file is corrupted.
Macros are disabled.

Methods to Fix the “Unable to Record Macro” Error in Excel

Here are some possible solutions that can help you resolve the unable to record macro error in Excel.

Method 1: Check the Path of XLStart Folder

You may be unable to record macros if the path of XLStart folder is incorrect. It is a folder where the Personal.xlsb file is stored by default. Follow these steps to find out the path of this folder:

Open MS Excel. Go to File > Options.
Click Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.

In the Trust Center Settings window, click on Trusted Locations.

Verify the path of the XLSTART folder and modify it if there is an issue.
Once you are done, click on OK.

Method 2: Change Macro Security

The “Unable to record macro” error can occur if macros are disabled in the Macro Security settings. You can try changing the macro settings using the below steps:

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

Under Trust Center, click on Trust Center Settings.

Select “Enable all macros” and then click OK.

Method 3: Check Add-ins for Disabled Items

If there are any items in add-ins that are disabled, they may prevent Excel from functioning properly. You can check and enable the items in MS Excel using the below steps:

Click File > Options.

In Excel Options, click on the Add-ins option.
Select Disabled Items from the Manage section and click on Go.

The Disabled Items window is displayed.
Click on the disabled item and then click Enable.
Restart Excel for the changes to take place.

Method 4: Repair your Excel File

You may fail to record macros if there is corruption in the workbook. In such a case, you can use the “Open and Repair” utility in MS Excel to repair the corrupt workbook. To use this tool, follow these steps:

Open your Excel application.
Click File > Open.
Browse to the location where the corrupted file is stored.
In the Open dialog box, choose the corrupted workbook.

From the Open dropdown list, click Open and Repair.

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

If the Microsoft utility “Open and Repair” fails to repair the corrupted Excel workbook, then try a professional Excel repair tool such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It is an advanced tool that can easily repair severely corrupted Excel (XLSX and XLS) files. It can recover all the file items, including chart sheets, cell comments, tables, macros, formulas, etc. without impacting the properties and cell format of the Excel file.

Closure

You may receive the “unable to record” error in Excel while creating or storing macros in Personal Macro Workbooks. There are several reasons that can lead to this error. You can try the methods covered in this post to resolve the error. If the error appears due to corruption in workbook, then try to repair it using the Open and Repair utility. Alternatively, you can use Stellar Repair for Excel – a professional tool that can help you repair an Excel file with problematic macros. Also, it allows recovery of all the file components with complete integrity. The tool is compatible with Excel 2021, 2019, 2016, and older versions.

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

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

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

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

Instance 1:

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

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

Instance 2:

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

Figure: Unable to Save Excel WorkBook Issue

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Method 1: Modify Registry Entries

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

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

Figure: Edit Registry

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

Figure: CSC Location

Point the cursor to New, and click Key

Figure: Create new key

Type ‘File Parameters’ in the available box

Figure: File parameters

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

Figure: File parameter (DWORD – 32 bit) value

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

Figure: Modify format database

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

Figure: Value data

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

Method 2: Try Google Uploads

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

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

Method 3: Resolve manually with Open and Repair

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

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

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

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

Method 4: Excel File Repair Software

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

Fixed “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel | Step-by-Step Guide

Why the “Cannot Insert Object” Error Occurs?

Macro Settings can prevent the insertion of objects into a workbook.
The Excel file in which you are trying to add an element is corrupted.
The object (you are inserting into the workbook) is damaged.
Object size limitations.
System’s insufficient memory might prevent new objects’ addition.
Incompatible Excel file format.
Add-ins controls are disabled.
Incompatible or faulty Add-ins.
Issue with Security Settings.

Methods to Fix the “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel

Method 1: Check and Change Restricted Security Settings

Open your Excel application.
Locate the File and then click Options.
In Excel Options, click Trust Center.

Click Trust Center Settings.
In the Trust Center Settings window, select Protected View from the left pane.

Under Protected View, unselect the below three options:
Enable Protected View for files originating from the internet.
Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations.
Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments.

Click OK.
Once you’re done with this, click on Macro Settings in the Trust Center window.
Under Macro Settings, make sure “Disable all macros without notification” is not selected. If it is selected, then unselect it. After that, click OK.

Restart Excel to apply the changes.

Method 2: Uninstall Microsoft Office Updates

Go to the system’s Control Panel.
Click Programs and then click Program and Features.
Search for “View Installed Updates” and click on the desired Office updates.
Right-click on it and then click Uninstall.
Follow the uninstallation steps on the screen.
Once the process is complete, restart the system.

Method 3: Check Memory Usage

Press CTRL + ALT + DEL on the keyboard and click Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab and search for any unnecessary processes.
Right-click on the process and then select End Task.
Restart Excel to see if the issue is fixed.

Method 4: Check Excel File Size

Method 5: Check and Change Excel ActiveX Settings

Open your Excel application.
Navigate to File and then click Options.
In Excel Options, click the Trust Center tab.
In the Trust Center Settings, click ActiveX Settings.
Under ActiveX Settings, make sure the “Enable all controls without restrictions and without prompting” option is selected.

If the option is not selected, then select it and click OK.
Restart the Excel and check if the error is fixed or not.

Method 6: Repair the Excel Workbook

In the Excel application, go to the File tab and then click Open.
Click Browse to choose the affected 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 Repair.

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

Click Close.

Conclusion

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.

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.

Phone Solutions

Fixed Cannot Insert Object Error in Excel 2010 | Step-by-Step Guide | Stellar

Fixed “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel | Step-by-Step Guide

Why the “Cannot Insert Object” Error Occurs?

Methods to Fix the “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel

Method 1: Check and Change Restricted Security Settings

Method 2: Uninstall Microsoft Office Updates

Method 3: Check Memory Usage

Method 4: Check Excel File Size

Method 5: Check and Change Excel ActiveX Settings

Method 6: Repair the Excel Workbook

Conclusion

How to Repair Excel Document on a Flash Drive

Reasons for USB inaccessibility

Recovery Methods for Corrupted Flash Drives

What if none of these methods works?

To sum it up

Top 5 Ways to Fix Excel File Not Opening Error

Why Does the ‘Excel File Not Opening’ Error Appear?

5 Ways to Fix Excel File Not Opening Error

1. Uncheck the Ignore DDE Checkbox

2. Reset Excel File Associations

3. Disable Add-Ins

4. Repair MS Office Program

5. Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

What If These Solutions Do Not Work?

Conclusion

How to Fix the Unable to Record Macro Error in Excel?

Causes of Unable to Record Macro Error

Methods to Fix the “Unable to Record Macro” Error in Excel

Method 1: Check the Path of XLStart Folder

Method 2: Change Macro Security

Method 3: Check Add-ins for Disabled Items

Method 4: Repair your Excel File

Closure

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

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

Instance 1:

Instance 2:

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

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

Method 1: Modify Registry Entries

Method 2: Try Google Uploads

Method 3: Resolve manually with Open and Repair

Method 4: Excel File Repair Software

Conclusion

Fixed “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel | Step-by-Step Guide

Why the “Cannot Insert Object” Error Occurs?

Methods to Fix the “Cannot Insert Object” Error in Excel

Method 1: Check and Change Restricted Security Settings

Method 2: Uninstall Microsoft Office Updates

Method 3: Check Memory Usage

Method 4: Check Excel File Size

Method 5: Check and Change Excel ActiveX Settings

Method 6: Repair the Excel Workbook

Conclusion

Get Rid of corrupt Excel File

Workarounds to Use When an Excel File is Corrupted

Workaround 1: Use the Open and Repair Method

Workaround 2: Restore an Excel File with a Shadow Copy

Workaround 3: Test your Assumptions

Workaround 4: Use Excel File Repair Tool

Why Use Stellar Repair for Excel Software?

Final Word