How to Recover Corrupted Excel File: The Ultimate Guide

Has your Excel file ever been corrupted? I believe that many users have been troubled by this issue while handling Excel files. Sometimes, a file that worked successfully yesterday cannot be opened today. It’s a terrible experience, right? Can a corrupted Excel file be recovered?

Fortunately, there are some remedial measures we can take to repair a corrupted Excel file. This tutorial provides detailed solutions, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your needs.

How to recover corrupted Excel files using software?

To be honest, compared with deleted files, how to recover a corrupted Excel file is more complicated. When an Excel file becomes corrupted, its structure might have been damaged, making its data hard to access anymore. Therefore, more specialized skills or tools are often required to repair a corrupted Excel file.

One of the easiest and most efficient ways is to recover corrupted Excel files using third-party software. AOMEI FastRecovery, a robust yet user-friendly data recovery tool, aims to assist users in retrieving various file formats from different devices. It can help you effortlessly repair your damaged Excel file on Windows PCs or servers without any data loss. Whether the file loss is caused by system crashes, unexpected formatting, or virus attacks, AOMEI FastRecovery can handle it with ease. And you don’t have to worry about your data integrity since the recovery process is completely safe. 

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Here’s how to recover corrupted an Excel file with AOMEI FastRecovery:

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery, and then choose the exact partition or disk where your files are located.

Step 2: Scan your disk to find the deleted files. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan, which are designed to find lost files comprehensively.

Step 3: Upon scanning completion, all missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the desired file and then click Recover.

Step 4: Specify a path for the file. Simply wait until the procedure is complete.

How to recover corrupted Excel files manually?

In addition to using professional recovery tools, there are also some manual ways available to repair corrupted Excel files. This section outlines four practical ways for you, offering straightforward steps to help you recover your data efficiently.

Repair with Excel's Built-in Feature

First and foremost, Microsoft Excel provides a built-in feature called Open and Repair, which allows users to repair damaged files when necessary. Here’s how to repair corrupted Excel files with Excel’s built-in feature:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel and click Open at the left toolbar. Here you can choose the corrupted files.

Step 2: Expand the Open option and select Open and Repair.

Step 3: You will see a dialog box to confirm whether to repair your files. Please click Repair to continue.

Step 4: Click Yes if any problems are found during the recovery process.

Step 5: Once the repair is complete, your file will be opened. If you have any questions about it, please click the link to know more details.

Extract Data from a Corrupted Excel File

If you want to extract data from your corrupted Excel file, you can also use the Open and Repair feature. Here are the detailed steps to extract data from your corrupted Excel files:

Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel and click Open at the left toolbar. Here you can choose the corrupted files.

Step 2: Expand the Open option and select Open and Repair.

Step 3: You will see a dialog box to confirm whether to repair your files. Please click Extact Data to continue.

Step 4: And then, you are allowed to choose Convert to Values or Recover Formulas. Please choose according to your needs.

Check the File Extension

Sometimes, an Excel file cannot be opened because its extension is valid. File extensions define the format and structure of a file. If the extension is incorrect, files may be unable to be recognized, leading your Excel file to corruption. This issue often arises from improper file saving or other file damages. When you find your Excel file corrupted, check its extension first.

Common Excel file extensions include:

• .xlsx for Excel 2007 and later versions.
• .xls for older Excel versions (97-2003).
• .xlsm for Excel files with macros.
• .csv for data importing or exporting.

If your Excel file is named with an incorrect extension, try to rename it and then attempt to open it again.

Recover Excel File via Backups

What’s more, recovering corrupted Excel files through backups is also a good option, provided you have a good habit of regular backup. This approach also works on the files being corrupted due to system failure or accidental errors. There are a lot of platforms and tools available for creating backups of essential data. Here, we take Windows Backup and Restore as an example. Here’s how to recover corrupted Excel files via this feature:

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > Backup and Restore in turn.

Step 2: Click Restore my files.

Step 3: Click Browse for files to choose the file you want to recover, and then click Next.

Step 4: Specify the saving path for your recovered file, and click Restore.

How does an Excel file become corrupted?

File corruption occurs frequently and is hard to avoid during regular use. Understanding what causes an Excel file to become corrupted can also help us fix how to recover corrupted Excel files. This section lists the following four primary factors of it:

System Corruption: Excel files can become inaccessible or damaged if they are unsaved in time when the system crashes or shuts down suddenly.  

Incorrect Extension: Saving an Excel file with a mismatched extension can prevent your file from opening as well.

Storage Issue: When the storage devices or location where the files are saved are damaged, the Excel files stored on them may also become corrupted.

Virus Attack: Malware or virus attacks can corrupt Excel files. For example, certain types of viruses can encrypt your Excel files, making them inaccessible to you.

Tips to prevent file loss

While no system is completely foolproof, there are several effective steps you can take to safeguard your data and minimize the risk of losing valuable files. To prevent future file corruption, follow the useful tips below:

► Implement Regular Backup: Backing up your crucial files regularly can significantly reduce the risk of file loss. It is advisable to back up your data with the help of professional backup tools or platforms.

► Ensure Correct Extension: When saving an Excel file, make sure to specify the correct file extension for it. Common Excel formats include .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm and more.

► Avoid Operation Error: Always handle and close your Excel files properly. Do not force close the program or device without saving your work.

► Maintain Device Safety: Take essential measures to keep your devices in good working condition. Use security software to prevent it from physical damage or virus attacks.

Final Words

As we can see, Excel file corruption can be caused by various reasons and is hard to avoid during regular use. Can a corrupted Excel file be recovered without any loss? In this post, we've explored how to recover corrupted Excel files with a series of functional solutions. If you are confused with this issue, read this post to select a method that best suits your needs.

By the way, it is equally important to protect your data from future loss. There are also several efficient tips provided at the end of this post, which you can refer to.