Abhishek Chauhan
MS Excel files may get corrupted due to various reasons, such as malware infection, sudden system shutdown, hard drive errors, etc. In this post, we have shared some effective solutions to fix the damaged Excel file in Excel 2016. We have also mentioned reliable third-party software that can easily repair severely corrupt Excel files.
Sometimes, Excel files get damaged or corrupted due to hardware or software issues. When you try to open a damaged .XLS or .XLSX file in MS Excel, the application automatically activates the File Recovery mode and tries to repair the file. However, it is not always the case that Excel automatically starts File Recovery mode. In such a situation, you can use the following solutions to repair damaged Excel file.
Solution #1: Repair Excel File Manually
You can repair corrupt Excel file manually by using Open and Repair utility in Excel. Follow these steps:
1. Launch MS Excel. Click on the File tab and select Open.
2. Click the location where the damaged Excel file is saved and click Browse.
3. In the window that opens, select the damaged Excel file.
4. Click the arrow next to the Open button and select Open and Repair from the drop-down menu.
5. Click Repair. If the attempt to repair the file is unsuccessful, click Extract Data to recover formulas and values.
Solution #2: Save File in HTML Format
If you can open the corrupt Excel file, follow these steps:
1. Open the Excel file in MS Excel and click Save As.
2. Select a location different from the original and save the Excel file in HTML format.
3. Open the Excel file in MS Excel once again and save it in Excel format.
Solution #3: Copy File Data
This solution is applicable when you’re able to open the corrupt Excel file. Follow these steps:
1. Right-click on any sheet tab in the file. From the list of options displayed, click select all sheets.
2. Right-click on the sheet tab once again and now select move or copy from the options.
3. From the To book dropdown menu, select (new book) and select the Create a copy checkbox. Then click OK.
Solution #4: Revert File to Last Saved Version
If your workbook got corrupted/damaged while working on it, you can revert to the file’s last saved version. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Go to File > Open.
2. Double-click the workbook you have opened in Excel.
3. Click Yes. The application will reopen the last saved version of the workbook.
Solution #5: Set Calculation to Manual
You can change the calculation setting from automatic to manual in Excel to fix the issue. When you do this, Excel won’t recalculate the damaged workbook and the file may open. To change the calculation setting, follow these steps:
1. Launch Excel and go to File > New.
2. Select Blank workbook and go to File > Options.
3. Under the Formulas category, go to Calculation options and click Manual. Then click OK.
4. Go to File > Open.
5. Locate the damaged Excel file and double-click on it to recover it.
Solution #6: Use Advanced Excel Repair Tool
If you are still unable to fix the damaged Excel file, use an advanced third- party excel repair tool such as Stellar Repair for Excel. The software can repair corrupt .XLS and .XLSX files in a few simple steps.
To repair corrupt Excel file by using the software, follow these steps:
1. Launch Stellar Repair for Excel.
2. Click Browse and provide the location of damaged .XLS or .XLSX file. If you don’t know the location, click the Search button.
3. Select the file you want to repair and click Repair. This will initiate the scanning process.
4. Preview and verify the contents of the repaired Excel file.
5. Select the appropriate option under Select Destination. Click Browse and provide the location where you want to save the repaired file. Click OK.
The software can repair damaged Excel files with 100% integrity. It’s highly efficient, easy-to-use, and recover all Excel objects, including tables, worksheet properties, charts, etc.
Conclusion
Excel files may get corrupt and damaged due to events, such as sudden system shutdown, malfunctioning of hard drive, etc. You can follow the solutions mentioned in this post to repair the corrupt Excel file. However, if the file is severely corrupt, you need to use an advanced third-party software such as Stellar Repair for Excel.
