Excel File Won’t Open – Possible Causes and Solutions

Summary: Users sometimes encounter the ‘Excel file won’t open’ issue when using the MS Excel application. In this post, we've discussed the causes of this problem and the solutions to fix it. You'll also learn about an Excel Repair tool - Stellar Repair for Excel that can assist you in repairing corrupt Excel files.

When opening an Excel file, you may receive an error, such as ‘Excel file won’t open’. This error prevents you from working on your Excel file and may result in the loss of important data. In this post, we have mentioned the possible causes for this error and provided solutions to resolve it.

Excel File Won’t Open Error – Possible Causes

Following are some possible causes due to which you may receive the ‘Excel file won’t open’ error:

Excel File Won’t Open Error – Possible Solutions

Here are some possible solutions to fix the ‘Excel file won’t open’ error:

1. Disable Protected View Settings

If you’ve updated your Excel, the protected view settings may be affected. As a result, the Excel file may display this error. To resolve the issue, you can disable the protected view settings by following the steps below:

Note: Disabling this option may risk your computer’s security. This may also cause your file’s display settings to change.

2. Make Changes in Component Service Settings

To fix the error, you can adjust the component service settings. To do so, follow the steps listed below:

3. Reset Excel File Associations

The file association ensures that when you open the Excel file, your Excel application is used to open it. You might try to re-establish these associations and check if your Excel file opens. To do so, execute the steps below:

4. Disable Incompatible Add-ins

Excel files are often unable to open due to incompatible add-ins. You can disable such add-ins to resolve the issue. For this, first try running Excel in safe mode and then remove the incompatible add-ins. To open Excel in safe mode, perform the following steps:

5. Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

Hardware Graphics Acceleration assists in system performance, particularly when using MS Office applications, such as MS Excel or MS Word. This can sometimes result in the ‘Excel file won’t open’ issue. To fix the problem, you can disable this option. The steps are as follows:

6. Repair MS Office Program

The Excel file error may also occur due to a problem with your MS Office application. Follow these steps to repair your MS Office application:

7. Clear AppData Folder

Clearing the application data from your system’s Excel Folder can also help fix the issue. Enter the following path to do so:

C:\Users\User_Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel (replace the User_Name with your user name)

Alternatively, you can type the following path into the Run dialog box:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

If the folder includes any essential files, take backup before removing them. After clearing AppData folder, try opening your Excel file to see if the problem is resolved.

What to do if the Above Solutions don’t Work?

If the problem persists, it means the Excel file is corrupted or damaged. In such a case, use a professional Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel to repair the file. The tool effectively fixes damaged or corrupt Excel files (.XLS and .XLSX) and fully restores all the data, including charts, tables, and diagrams. The software supports Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, and previous versions.

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

Conclusion

You may experience an “Excel file won’t open” issue due to several reasons like problematic extensions, broken file associations, etc. Follow the methods discussed in the above blog to resolve the issue. Sometimes the issue can occur due to corruption in the file. In such cases, you can use Excel’s in-built utility or a professional Excel file repair tool like Stellar Repair for Excel. The software can help you fix corruption-related errors. Try the software’s demo to review the functionality by previewing the recoverable data before saving.

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