How Can I Recover Corrupted Excel File 2016?

Error Messages Indicating Corruption in Excel File

• When an Excel 2016 file turns corrupt, you’ll receive an error message that reads: “The file is corrupt and cannot be opened .”

• But sometimes, you encounter the “Excel cannot open this file” error message due to corruption in the file.

Why does Excel File turn Corrupt?

Following are some common reasons that can turn an Excel file corrupt:

• Large size of the Excel file
• The file is virus infected
• Hard drive on which Excel file is stored has developed bad sectors
• Abrupt system shutdown while working on a worksheet

Workarounds to Recover Data from Corrupt Excel

The workarounds to recover corrupted Excel file 2016 data will vary depending on whether you can open the file or not.

How to Recover Corrupted Excel File 2016 Data When You Can Open the File?

If the corrupt Excel file is open, try any of the following workarounds to retrieve the data:

Workaround 1 – Use the Recover Unsaved Workbooks Option

If your Excel file gets corrupt while you are working on it and you haven’t saved the changes, you can try retrieving the file’s data by following these steps:

• Open your Excel 2016 application and click on the Open Other Workbooks option.

• Click the Recover Unsaved Workbooks button at the bottom of the ‘Recent Workbooks’ section.

• A window with list of unsaved Excel files will open. Click the corrupt file you want to open.

This will reopen your last saved version of the Excel workbook. If this method doesn’t work, proceed with the next workaround.

Workaround 2 – Revert to Last Saved Version of your Excel File

If your Excel file gets corrupt in the middle of making any changes, you can recover the file’s data if the changes haven’t been saved. For this, you need to revert to the last saved version of your Excel file. Doing so will discard any changes that may have caused the file to turn corrupt. Here’s how to do it:

• In your Excel 2016 file, click File from the main menu.
• Click Open. From the list of workbooks under Recent workbooks, double-click the corrupt workbook that is already open in Excel.
• Click Yes when prompted to reopen the workbook.

Excel will revert the corrupt file to its last saved version. If it fails, skip to the next workaround.

Workaround 3 – Save the Corrupted Excel File in Symbolic Link (SYLK) Format

Saving an Excel file in SYLK format might help you filter out corrupted elements from the file. Here are the steps to do so:

• From your Excel File menu, choose Save As.
• In ‘Save As’ window that pops-up, from the Save as type dropdown list, choose the SYLK (Symbolic Link) option, and then click Save.

Note: Only the active sheet will be saved in workbook on choosing the SYLK format.

• Click OK when prompted that “The selected file type does not support workbooks that contain multiple sheets”. This will only save the active sheet.

• Click Yes when the warning message appears - “Some features in your workbook might be lost if you save it as SYLK (Symbolic Link)”.

• Click File > Open.
• Browse the corrupt workbook saved with SYLK format (.slk) and open it.
• After opening the file, select File > Save As.
• In ‘Save as type’ dialog box, select Excel workbook.
• Rename the workbook and hit the Save button.

After performing these steps, a copy of your original workbook will be saved at the specified location.

How to Recover Corrupted Excel File 2016 Data When You Cannot Open the File?

If you can’t access the Excel file, apply one of these workarounds to salvage the file’s data.

Workaround 1 – Open and Repair the Excel File

Excel automatically initiates ‘File Recovery’ mode on opening a corrupt file. After starting the auto-recovery mode, it attempts to reopen and repair the corrupt Excel file at the same time. If the auto-recovery mode does not start automatically, you can try to fix corrupted Excel file 2016 manually by using ‘Open and Repair’. Follow these steps:

• Open a blank file, click the File tab and select Open.
• Browse the location where the corrupt 2016 Excel file is stored.
• When an ‘Open’ dialog box appears, select the file you want to repair.
• Once the file is selected, click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click the Open and Repair button.
• Do any of these actions:
• Click Repair to fix corrupted file and recover data from it.
• Click Extract Data if you cannot repair the file or only need to extract values and formulas.

If performing these actions doesn’t help you retrieve the data, proceed with the next workaround.

Workaround 2 – Disable the Protected View Settings

Follow these steps to disable the protected view settings in an Excel file:

• Open a blank 2016 workbook.

• Click the File tab and then select Options.

• When an Excel Options window opens, click Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.

• In the window that pops-up, choose Protected View from the left side navigation. Under ‘Protected View’, uncheck all the checkboxes, and then hit OK.

Now, try opening your corrupt Excel 2016 file. If it won’t open, try the next workaround.

Workaround 3 – Link to the Corrupt Excel File using External References

If you only need to extract Excel file data without formulas or calculated values, use external references to link to your corrupt Excel 2016 file. Here’s how you can do it:

• From your Excel file, click File > Open.
• From the window that opens, click Computer and then click Browse and copy the name of your corrupt Excel 2016 file. Click the Cancel button.

• Go back to your Excel file, click File > New > Blank workbook.

• In the new Excel workbook, type “=CorruptExcelFile Name!A1” in cell A1 to reference cell A1 of the corrupted file. Replace the ‘CorruptExcelFile Name’ with the name of the corrupt file that you have copied above. Hit ENTER.
• If ‘Update Values’ dialog box appears, select the corrupt 2016 Excel file, and then click OK.
• If ‘Select Sheet’ dialog box pops-up, select a corrupt sheet, and press the OK button.
• Select and drag cell A1 till the columns required to store the data of your corrupted Excel file.
• Next, copy row A and drag it down to the rows needed to save the file’s data.
• Select and copy the file’s data.
• From the Edit menu, choose the Paste Special option and then select Values. Click OK to paste values and remove the reference links to the corrupt file.

Check the new Excel file for recoverable data. If this didn’t work, consider using an Excel file repair tool to retrieve data.

Alternative Solution to Recover Excel File Data

Applying the above workarounds may take considerable time to recover corrupted Excel file 2016. Also, they may fail to extract data from a severely corrupted file. Using Stellar Repair for Excel software can help you overcome these limitations. The software helps repair severely corrupted XLS/XLSX file and retrieve all the file data in a few simple steps.

Key benefits of using Stellar Repair for Excel are as follows:

• Recovers tables, pivot tables, images, charts, chartsheets, hidden sheets, etc.
• Maintains original spreadsheet properties and cell formatting
• Batch repair multiple Excel XLS/XLSX files in a single go
• Supports MS Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, and previous versions

Check out this video to know how the Excel file repair tool from Stellar® works:

Conclusion

Errors such as ‘the file is corrupt and cannot be opened’, ‘Excel cannot open this file’, etc. indicate corruption in an Excel file. Large-sized workbook, virus infection, bad sectors on hard disk drive, etc. are some reasons that may result in Excel file corruption. The workarounds discussed in this article can help you recover corrupted Excel file 2016 data. However, manual methods can be time-consuming and might fail to extract data from severely corrupted workbook. A better alternative is to use Stellar Repair for Excel software that is purpose-built to repair and recover data from damaged or corrupted Excel file.

Excel File Corruption Warnings and Solutions

Summary: Many users reported error messages they receive when they try to save or open an Excel file. In this blog, you will learn about the warning messages that indicate your Excel file is corrupt and possible solutions to repair it. It also outlines the Stellar Repair for Excel to repair corrupt Excel files.

Excel users often report about receiving warning messages suggesting corruption in the workbook. This usually happens while opening an Excel file, ‘.xls’ or ‘.xlsx’ file created by earlier versions, or attempting to create a copy of the workbook.

Excel file corruption may occur due to several reasons including (but not limited to) virus infection, sudden system shutdown during write operation, and leaving excel file open on the shared network.

Occurrences of Excel File Corruption Warnings

Occurrence 1 – “Excel found unreadable content in . Do you want to recover the contents of this workbook? If you trust the source of this workbook, click Yes”.

On clicking ‘Yes’, you will receive the following error:

 “The file is corrupt and cannot be opened”.

Occurrence 2 – “Excel cannot open the file , because the file format or file extension is not valid. Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file”.

Besides the warning messages outlined above, there are a few other tell-tale signs of Excel file corruption such as:

• Excel crashes or freezes, preventing you from accessing the workbook and information stored in it.
• Unexpected errors occur during the save operation listed as below:
  • “An unexpected error has occurred. AutoRecover has been disabled for this session of Excel”.
  • “Errors were detected while saving ”.

Solutions to Fix Excel File Corruption Issue

Follow the below-listed solutions to deal with corruption issues in Excel:

NOTE: If you encountered problem opening Excel files after upgrading to latest Windows Operating System (OS) and Office program, try updating your Office as well as Windows OS to latest patches provided on the Microsoft site. Microsoft frequently releases Office and Windows OS patches to help users’ correct known errors. Check if you can open the corrupt workbook after installing the update.

Solution 1 – Use Open and Repair Utility

Excel comes with a built-in recovery mechanism. It automatically starts ‘File Recovery Mode’ when a user opens a corrupt workbook, and attempts to open and repair the workbook. Sometimes, the recovery mode might not start automatically. In that case, you will need to repair the Excel file manually by using ‘Open and Repair ’ utility.

Steps to use Microsoft’s built-in repair utility are as follows:

Step 1: Select File > Open.

Step 2: Click the folder containing the corrupt workbook, and then click Browse.

Step 3: In the Open window, select the corrupt workbook.

Step 4: Next, click the arrow in the Open button, and then click Open and Repair.

Step 5: In the window that appears, click Repair.

If  ‘Open and Repair’ doesn’t work in excel , select Extract Data to extract formulas and values from the corrupt workbook.

NOTE: If you need a quick solution to salvage your data, use an Excel file repair tool.

Or else, attempt the following solutions to deal with corruption in Excel file .

Solution 2 – Uninstall and Re-install Office Installation

NOTE: Make sure to create a backup of your Excel file before uninstalling and re-installing your Office application.

Download the Office uninstall support tool to remove the application.

You can read: Simple Ways to Open Corrupt Excel file Without any Backup

To reinstall Microsoft Office, follow these steps:

NOTE: Before proceeding with Office re-installation process, make sure that you have license keys ready.

Step 1: Open the Microsoft Office site.

Step 2: Select Sign in.

NOTE: You may skip this step if you’re already signed in.

Step 3: After signing in, from the Office sign-in page, click Install/Install Office

Your Office application will get re-installed. Now open the backed-up Excel file and see if the problem is fixed.

Solution 3 – Move Excel File to a Different Location

Often moving a corrupt Excel file to a different location can help solve the corruption problem. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the corrupt Excel file by navigating to the following path:

C:\Users\User_Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel

NOTE: Make sure to replace User_Name with your user name. If you are unable to find the Excel file, you will have to search for the file manually in Program Files (x86).

Step 2:  Open the Excel folder, and move the corrupt file to some other location.

Step 3: Delete the files from the Excel folder.

Now try opening the Excel file you have moved and see if the issue is resolved.

Solution 4 – Use Excel File Repair Software

If none of the above solutions works for you, use Stellar Repair for Excel. It is a specialized Excel file repair software that helps repair corrupt Excel file and recover workbook data in its original state.

Essentially, the software helps rebuild the corrupt file to restore every single object in the file. It can recover objects including user-defined charts, conditional formatting rules, formatting of the charts, properties of worksheet, engineering formulas, etc.

Steps to use Stellar Repair for Excel are as follows:

Step 1: Download, install and launch Stellar Repair for Excel software.

Step 2: In Select File window, click Browse to select the file you want to repair.

NOTE: If you are unaware of the Excel file location, click ‘Search’ in the Select File window to find the file.

Step 3: Once the files are selected, click Repair to initiate the repair process.

Step 4: Preview the repaired file and select all or specific files you want to save.

Step 5: Click Save File on Home menu.

Step 6: In Save File window, choose ‘Default Location’ or ‘Select New Folder’ to select the location where you wish to save the file. Click OK.

The selected files will be saved at the specified location.

Conclusion

You may experience Excel file corruption warning messages while opening or saving an Excel file. The file may become corrupt due to malware infection, sudden system shutdown, and forgetting to close workbook on a shared network. This post outlined occurrences of Excel file corruption warnings, and also described solutions to fix the issue.

You may try using Microsoft’s built-in ‘Open and Repair’ tool to repair corrupt workbook and recover data from it. If this solution doesn’t work, proceed with uninstalling and re-installing the Office application. Another solution is to move corrupt files to another location. But if the problem still persists, use Stellar Repair for Excel software to repair single or multiple Excel (.xls or .xlsx) files and restore data.

How to Repair Corrupt Pivot Table of MS Excel File?

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

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

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

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

Excel Pivot Tables & Associated Problems

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

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

Frequently Encountered Problems with Pivot Tables in MS Excel

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

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

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

Pivot Table Errors & Their Reasons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There could be two primary reasons behind such behavior:

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

How to Repair the Pivot Table Quickly?

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

Methods to Fix Corrupt Pivot Table in MS Excel

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

Method 1: Open MS Excel in Safe Mode

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

Method 2: Use Pivot Table Options

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

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

Method 3: Make Changes to Pivot Table

If the above method or steps didn’t work,

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

Method 4: Check and Set Data Source

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

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

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

Excel Pivot Table Repair by Using Excel Repair Software

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

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

What customer says about the Excel Repair Software?

Spiceworks

CNET

Conclusion

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

How to Fix the #Value! Error in Excel?

Summary: #Value! is a common error that occurs when using formulas in Excel. It can be due to an issue with the cells you are referencing or use of formulas in the wrong type or format. This blog will discuss some cases when this error may occur and the solutions to fix the issue. You’ll also find about an Excel repair software that can help fix the error if it has occurred due to corruption in Excel file.

You may experience the #Value! error in Excel when trying to enter invalid data type into the formulas. Sometimes, it appears when a value is not the expected type or when dates are given a text value. This Excel error may occur due to several reasons. However, the exact cause of this error is difficult to find. Below, we will be discussing some cases where you may get this error and the solutions to resolve the issues.

Case 1: Wrong Argument Data Type in Formulas

Sometimes, Excel throws the “#Value!” error if it recognizes incompatible arguments in the formulas.

For example: The Date function in the sheet expects only numerical values as arguments. In the below image you can see that when the formula’s string value is used in the month (January), it resulted in the #VALUE! error.

Solution

To fix the issue,

• Double-click the formula to verify the type of arguments.

• Correct the argument in the cell (B2).

The formula will work as expected.

Case 2: Using the Basic Subtraction Formula

Users often experience the #Value! error, when using the basic subtraction formula in Excel.

Solution

Check the formula and the type of values in the cell. If these are correct and the error persists, then follow these steps:

• Go to the Start button on Windows, type Control Panel, and double-click on it.
• Click Clock and Region > Region.

• On the Format tab, click Additional Settings.

• In the Customized Format window, search for List Separator.

• Check if the List Separator is set to minus (-). Change it to comma (,).

• Click OK.
• Now, open the Excel file and again try to use the formula.

Case 3: Wrong Text Value

The #Value! error can also occur due to the formula’s wrong value.

For example: If you are using the formula to add values in cells and Excel recognizes the unexpected text value, you may get a #Value error.

Solution

To fix the issue, you can correct the value or use the SUM function. It is recommended to use functions instead of operations to reduce the errors. In Excel, the formulas with math operators may not able to calculate the text in the cells. The SUM function automatically ignores the text value(er), calculates everything as numbers, and displays the result without the #Value! error.

Case 4: Blank Space in Cells

You may get the #Value! error if your formula refers to other cells with space or hidden space. Sometimes, spaces that make a cell display blank but actually they are not blank.

Solution

You can either delete the space or replace the blank space. Here’s how:

1. Delete the Blank Space

First, check if a cell is blank or not. To do this,

• Select the cell that looks blank.
• Press F2.

The blank cell won’t show space.

Then, press the Backspace key to delete the space. It will fix the error.

2. Replace Blank Space

You can also use the “Find and Select” option to replace the blank space in Excel. Here are the steps:

• Open the Excel file that shows #Value! error.
• On the Home tab, click Find & Select > Replace.

• In the Find what field, type a single space and delete everything in the “Replace with” field.

• Click Replace All > OK.

Case 4: Problem with Network Connection

Many users have reported experiencing errors when using Excel online due to problems with the network connection.

Solution

Check your Internet connection and see if it is working properly.  

Case 5: Wrong Formula Format

If you enter the wrong formula with a missing parenthesis or comma, then Excel can throw the #Value! error. The error can also occur if the application finds a special character within a cell.

Solution

Correct the formula and use the ISTEXT function to find the cells with issues.  

Case 6: Corruption in the Excel File

If none of the above works, then it indicates the Excel file is corrupt. The formulas in the Excel file do not work due to corruption.

Solution

You can use the Open and Repair utility in Excel if you are getting the error due to corruption in Excel file. In case the utility fails or the Excel file is severely corrupt, you can use a third-party Excel repair software, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It is a powerful tool to repair corrupted or damaged Excel files and recover all its data, with 100% integrity. The tool supports Excel 2019, 2016, and older versions.

Closure

There are several reasons that can trigger Excel to throw the #Value! error. It can occur if there is an incorrect argument data type in formulas or blank space, text, or special characters within a cell. This blog discussed the possible scenarios when this error occurs. You can apply the solutions mentioned above to fix the error. If the #Value! error occurs due to corruption in the Excel file, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel . It is a reliable tool that helps in fixing corruption-related errors in Excel.

[Fixed] The Workbook Cannot Be Opened or Repaired By Microsoft Excel

An MS Excel workbook (.XLS/.XLSX) file may not open due to damage or corruption caused by various reasons, such as:

• Sudden power failure
• System crash
• Virus or malware intrusion
• Large or oversized Excel file
• Incompatible add-ins
• Drive errors
• Damaged MS Office/Excel program files

As a result, when you try to open or access a corrupt Excel document, the program displays errors, such as “The workbook cannot be opened or repaired by Microsoft Excel because it is corrupt.” This may lead to a data loss situation.

Methods to Fix ‘The Workbook Cannot Be Opened’ Error

When an Excel workbook gets corrupt, MS Excel automatically detects and starts the file recovery mode to open and repair the file. However, when it fails to repair the corruption or recover the Excel file automatically, it displays the error message, “The workbook cannot be opened or repaired by Microsoft Excel because it is corrupt.” In such a situation, you can follow these methods to repair and recover the Excel document manually.

If the manual methods fail to resolve the error, you can use an Excel repair software, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. The software repairs corrupt XLS/XLSX file, recovers all the data, and saves it in a new Excel document with 100% precision, while keeping the cell formatting and properties intact.

NOTE: Before performing the below methods to repair or recover Excel documents, create a backup copy of the original file. This will help you recover data by using an Excel repair tool and avoid permanent data loss.  

1. Repair Excel Workbook Manually

If the automatic repair fails, you may try manual repair to fix the damage or extract the data from the damaged Excel workbook. The steps are as follows:

• Navigate to File > Open and then go to the location where the spreadsheet is located.
• In the Open window, select the corrupted workbook that you want to fix and then click on the arrow next to the Open button.
• From the available options, choose Open and Repair…

• Then click ‘Repair‘ if you want to recover maximum data from the workbook or click ‘Extract data‘ if the repair option fails to fix the issue. It will extract all the values, formulas, tables, etc., from the corrupt workbook.

If both options fail to fix the issue, head to the next method.

2. Remove Faulty or Incompatible Add-ins

Faulty or incompatible add-ins may also cause this error. To find and remove such add-ins, follow these steps:

• Press **Windows key + R.
  **

• Type Excel /safe and press ‘Enter‘ or click ‘OK.’ This opens MS Excel in Safe Mode.
• Go to File > Options and then select ‘Add-ins.‘

• Choose ‘Excel Add-ins‘ from Manage: option and then click on the Go button to view all Add-ins.

• Uncheck the checkboxes of Add-ins and then click ‘OK‘ to disable them.

Now close the Excel program and run it normally. Click ‘File > Open‘ and choose the Excel file you want to access.

3. Repair MS Office Installation

Damaged Excel program files may also lead to such errors. However, you can easily repair MS Office installation to fix the problem. The steps are as follows:

• Open Control Panel and select ‘Uninstall a program.‘

• Search and choose MS Office from the programs list. Then click on the ‘Change’ button.

• Select ‘Repair’ and follow the wizard to fix the damaged program files.

If this fails to address the issue, you can uninstall and then fresh install MS Office on your system. Alternatively, try accessing the file on another PC.

4. Use Excel Repair Software

The best option is to use an Excel repair software, such as Stellar Repair for Excel , to repair the file, resolve the error, and access the Excel (XLS/XLSX) worksheet. The software can repair an Excel file without any size limitation.

After recovering the Excel file using the software, you can open it in any MS Excel program without encountering the error message.

Conclusion

A corrupt or damaged Excel workbook may lead to errors, such as “The workbook cannot be opened or repaired by Microsoft Excel because it is corrupt,” and cause a data loss situation. The most efficient way to fix such corrupt Excel files is to repair them by using an Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel.

Unlike manual methods that may fail to resolve the issue or lead to further damage, this software extracts the data from the damaged Excel file and saves it in a new Excel workbook. Thus, it is 100% safe to run on an original Excel file, as it does not overwrite or alter the original file.

The software is free to download. You can scan, repair, and preview a corrupt Excel file by using the demo version. Once you are satisfied with the results, activate the software to save the repaired Excel workbook data in a new sheet.

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.

[Fix] Excel formula not showing result

Summary: Is your Excel spreadsheet showing text of a formula you’ve entered and not its result? This blog explains the possible reasons behind such an issue. Also, it describes solutions to fix the ‘Excel formula not showing result’ error. You can try Stellar Repair for Excel software to recover engineering and shared formulas.

Sometimes, when you type a formula in a cell of worksheet and press Enter, instead of showing the calculated result, it returns the formula as text. For instance, Excel cell shows:

But you should get the result as:

Why Does Excel Show or Display the Formula Not the Result?

Following are the possible reasons that may lead to the ‘Excel showing formula not result’ issue:

1. You accidentally enabled “Show Formulas” in Excel.
2. The cell format in a spreadsheet is set to text.
3. ‘Automatic calculation’ feature in Excel is set to manual.
4. Excel thinks your formula is text (Syntax are not followed).
5. You type numbers in a cell with unnecessary formatting.

How to Fix ‘Excel Showing Formula Not Result’ Issue?

Solution 1 – Disable Show Formulas

If only the formula shows in Excel not result, check if you have accidentally or intentionally enabled ‘show formula’ feature of Excel. Instead of applying calculations and then showing results, this feature displays the actual text written by you.

You can use the ‘Show Formulas’ feature to quickly view all formulas, but if you are not aware of this feature, and enabled it accidentally, it can be a headache. To disable this mode, go to ‘Formulas’ and click on ‘Show formula enabled.’ If it’s previously enabled, it will be disabled by just clicking on it.

Solution 2 – Cell Format Set to Text

Another possible reason that only formula shows in Excel not result could be that the cell format is set to text. This means that anything written in any format in that cell will be treated as regular text. If so, change the format to General or any other. To get Excel to recognize the change in the format, you may need to enter cell edit mode by clicking into the formula bar or just press F2.

Solution 3 – Change Calculation Options from ‘Manual’ to ‘Automatic’

There is an “automatic calculation” feature in Excel, which tells Excel to do calculations automatically or manually. If ‘Excel formula is not showing results’, it may be because the automatic calculations feature is set to manual. This issue is not easily detected because it results in calculating formula in one cell but if you copy it to some other cell, it will retain the first calculation and will not recalculate on the base of the new location. To fix this, follow these steps:

• In Excel, click on the ‘File’ tab on the top left corner of the screen.
• In the window that opens, click on ‘Options’ from the left menu bar.
• From ‘Excel Options’ dialog box, select ‘Formulas’ from the left side menu and then change the ‘Calculation options’ to ‘Automatic’ if it’s currently set as ‘Manual’.

• Click on ‘OK’. This will redirect you to your sheet.

Solution 4 – Type Formula in the Right Format

There is a proper way to tell Excel that your text is a formula. If you don’t write the formula in a particular format, Excel considers it as simple text and hence no calculations are performed according to it. For this reason, keep the following in mind when typing a formula:

• Equal sign: Every formula in Excel should start with an equal sign (=). If you miss it, Excel will mistake your formula as regular text.

• Space before equal sign: You are not supposed to enter any space before equal sign. Maybe a single space will be hard for us to detect, but it breaks the rule of writing formulas for Excel.

• Formula wrapped in quotes: You need to make sure that your formula is not wrapped in quotes. People usually make this mistake of writing a formula in quotes, but in Excel, quotes are used to signify text. So your formula won’t be evaluated. But you can add quotes inside formula if required, for example: =SUMIFS(F5:F9,G5:G9,”>30″).

• Match all parentheses in a formula: Arguments of Excel functions are entered in parenthesis. In complex cases, you may need to enter more sets of parenthesis. If those parentheses are not paired/closed properly, Excel may not be able to evaluate the entered formula.

• Nesting limit: If you are nesting two or more Excel functions into each other, for example using nested IF loop, remember the following rules:

  • Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007 versions only allow to use up to 64 nested functions.
  • Excel 2003 and lower versions only allow up to 7 nested functions.

Solution 5 – Enter Numbers without any Formatting

When you use a number in the formula, make sure you don’t enter any decimal separator or currency sign, e.g. $, etc. In an Excel formula, a comma is used to separate arguments of a function and a dollar sign makes an absolute cell reference. Most of these special characters have built-in functions so avoid using them unnecessarily.

What to Do If the Manual Solutions Don’t Work?

If you’ve tried out the manual solutions mentioned above but still unable to resolve the ‘Excel formula not showing result’ issue, you can try repairing your Excel file with the help of an automated Excel repair software , such as Stellar Repair for Excel.

This reliable and competent software scans and repairs Excel files (.XLSX and .XLS). It also helps recover all the file components, like formulas, cell formatting, etc. Armed with an interactive GUI, this software is extremely easy to work with, and its advanced algorithms allow it to fend off Excel errors with ease.

Conclusion

This blog outlined the possible reasons that may cause ‘Excel not showing formula results’ issue. Check out these reasons and implement the manual fixes, depending on what resulted in the problem in the first place. If none of these fixes help resolve the issue, corruption in the Excel file might be preventing the formulas from showing the actual results. In that case, using Stellar Repair for Excel tool might help.