Repair Excel File – Corrupted Excel File Recovery Solution

repair Excel file

Many users are worried about their Excel files. Can a corrupted Excel file be recovered? The answer is yes, we can repair Excel file by using the proper technique. So in this blog, we will provide you with the proper solution to this problem. Moreover, we will also discuss one automated tool. Read this comprehensive guide till the end so that you understand and choose the best solution to this problem. But, before we start the blog let’s get a quick overview on corrupted Excel file recovery.

What is an Excel file?

Excel file is a digital spreadsheet used for analyzing, organizing, and manipulating data. Moreover, it consists of rows and columns called cells. Therefore, each cell can contain text, numbers, formulas, and functions. Furthermore, Excel is widely used for various purposes from simple calculations to complex data analysis and visualization. Now, let us discuss some Reasons to Recover a Corrupted Excel File.

Why is an Excel File Corrupted and Cannot be Opened?

There can be multiple reasons why this happens. Let us explore some of those options.

  • Abrupt power cuts or system crashes, while Excel is open, can corrupt the file.
  • Malicious software can damage or overwrite Excel files.
  • Hardware failures and Bad sectors can lead to data loss or corruption.
  • Excel files with lots of data and complex formulas are more likely to become damaged.
  • Sometimes, problems with Excel itself can cause files to become damaged.

Those are some common reasons why Excel files become corrupted. Now let’s discuss some methods by which we can repair the Excel files.

Methods for Repair Excel file

This section will guide you on how to repair corrupted Excel files using both manual and professional methods. We will start by outlining a free approach, followed by a detailed explanation. In addition, we will also discuss an automated process by which you can directly execute your process. Now, let’s move ahead and start discussing the manual method.

Manual Method for Corrupted Excel File Recovery

Now, let’s discuss some manual methods to execute this process. we will be discussing the two manual methods. The first one is with the open and repair and the second one is by changing the file extension. Now let us discuss them in detail for better understanding.

Fix Damaged Excel Files with Open and Repair 

  1. Open a new Excel file.
  2. Go to File and then Open.
  3. Find the damaged Excel file and click on it.
  4. Instead of just opening it, click the little arrow next to Open and choose Open and Repair.
  5. Try clicking Repair first. If that doesn’t work, try Extract Data.
  6. Once the file is fixed or some data is saved, save it as a new file with a new name to keep it safe.

If this method doesn’t work try using another method. 

Try Changing the File Type to Repair Excel File

Excel files can get a bit confusing, particularly if they were made on an older computer or with an old version of Excel. We can try to fix this by changing the file type.

  1. Find your Excel file: Look for the file where you saved it.
  2. Show file extensions: This means you’ll see the full file name including the part after the dot ( like .xlsx ). To do this go to the View tab in File Explorer and check File name extensions.
  3. Change the file name: right-click on the file and select Rename.
  4. Change the file type: Change the part after the dot to .xlsx.This tells your computer it’s an Excel file.
  5. Confirm the change: You might see a message asking if you’re sure. Click Yes.
  6. Try opening it: Double-click on the file to see if it opens in Excel.

These are some of the manual methods. If it works, great! You have fixed your file. However, this manual method has some limitations in that it is time-consuming and requires some technical knowledge to complete. To avoid these and want a straightforward repair then there are special tools to help you. So let’s move towards it.

Professional Tool Repair Excel File

The DRS XLSX Recovery tool can easily repair the corrupted Excel file. Moreover, this tool has been developed especially for performing these types of tasks. Furthermore, this has an awesome graphical user interface that provides the best user experience. Additionally, you don’t need any special technical skills to use this tool because of the simplicity of it. Now, let us explore the steps to use this tool.

Steps for XLS Corrupted File Recovery

  1. Open the tool and select your corrupted file.
  2. Now, click next and preview the corrupted file.
  3. Lastly, select Next locate the saving location of the file and press Save.

These are the simple and easy steps to use the tool. Furthermore, this also comes up with the demo version so that you can try and take the experience of this tool.

Conclusion 

Here is the end of this blog, we have covered the two manual methods and one professional tool by which we can Repair Excel File. However, the manual has some downsides but it works well if you follow all steps in sequence. Now, it depends on your needs and which method you opt for as per your requirements.

About The Author:

Shivam is a digital marketer and technical content writer at DRS Solution®, specializing in topics like databases, email recovery, and migration solutions. She enjoys researching and crafting content that assists database administrators, businesses, and beginners in resolving various issues related to MS SQL, MySQL, and Microsoft Exchange.

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