Updated: 2026-09-27

Victor Bobrov Written by: Victor Bobrov

How to Repair Corrupted Excel Files Online or via Desktop Tool

A Microsoft Excel repair tool for corrupted Excel spreadsheets. Program open, read and save data from damaged Excel files.

The repairing of corrupted Microsoft Excel workbook - step-by-step instruction:

  1. Download Excel Repair Kit here: https://www.excel.repair/o/ExcelRepairKitInstall.exe
  2. Install Excel Repair Kit
  3. Start Excel Repair Kit
  4. Select the file name of corrupted Excel worksheet
  5. Press Analyze
  6. Confirm the recovery of file by press Yes
  7. Preview recovered sheet(s) from damaged Excel file
  8. Press Start Recovery button
Excel Repair

How to repair Excel file corrupted online

To recover a corrupted Excel file containing with damaged worksheets and cells, you can use an online service and get the recovered Excel file in just a couple of clicks:

  1. Go to https://www.excel.repair/
  2. Select the corrupted Excel file
  3. Wait for the upload and recovery of Excel file to complete
  4. Preview the recovered workbooks for free
  5. Pay $10 to a Excel Recovery
  6. Download the recovered Excel file
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How to Repair a Corrupted Excel File?

Excel File Repair Tool for Damaged XLS and XLSX Workbooks

A corrupted Excel file can often be repaired by extracting the readable workbook data and saving it into a new, healthy Excel document. Excel Repair Kit is designed for this purpose and helps recover information from damaged Microsoft Excel files when a workbook cannot be opened normally, displays errors, or contains inaccessible worksheets. The software analyses the damaged file and attempts to restore usable spreadsheet data without requiring users to repair the internal Excel file structure manually.

Excel Repair Kit can recover many of the most important elements stored inside damaged XLS and XLSX workbooks. Depending on the condition and format of the source file, the program can extract cell values, formulas, hyperlinks, formatting information, and other spreadsheet content. This makes the software useful when Microsoft Excel reports that a workbook is corrupted or when important data becomes unavailable after a system crash, storage failure, interrupted file transfer, or another unexpected problem.

Users who need to repair a corrupted Excel file containing confidential business, accounting, financial, or personal information may prefer to perform the recovery directly on a Windows computer. In this case, Excel Repair Kit provides an alternative to uploading the damaged workbook to a third-party service. The damaged Excel file can be analysed locally, keeping the recovery process on the user’s own computer.

An automated recovery process can also make repairing a damaged Excel workbook easier for users who have no experience with XLS or XLSX file structures. Excel Repair Kit uses a step-by-step wizard that guides the user through selecting the damaged file, analysing its contents, reviewing recoverable information, and saving the restored data. Because most operations are performed automatically, users do not need advanced Microsoft Excel knowledge to attempt workbook recovery.

How to repair Excel file corrupted?
Online Excel file repair tool

How to Repair an Excel File That Is Corrupted

To repair a corrupted Excel file, start by keeping a backup copy of the original XLS or XLSX document and avoid repeatedly overwriting it. Open Excel Repair Kit, select the damaged workbook, and start the file analysis. The program scans the spreadsheet structure and identifies information that can still be recovered from the corrupted document.

After the analysis is complete, you can review the recoverable workbook contents before the final recovery operation. This preview helps determine whether important cells, worksheets, formulas, or other spreadsheet information can be extracted from the damaged Excel file. The recovered data can then be transferred into a new Excel workbook instead of modifying the corrupted source file directly.

Creating a new workbook from the recovered information is an important part of the Excel repair process because the original document may contain damaged internal structures. By extracting readable data and saving it separately, Excel Repair Kit helps users obtain a usable Excel document while preserving the original corrupted file for additional recovery attempts if necessary.

How to Repair an Excel File Online

An online Excel repair service can be useful when the damaged workbook needs to be recovered from a device where Windows recovery software cannot be installed. In this scenario, the corrupted Excel file is uploaded through a web browser, processed by the online recovery system, and the available recovered data can then be saved as a new file.

Online Excel file repair is particularly convenient when working from macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, a tablet, or another device with a modern web browser. It can also be used when a user needs a quick recovery option without installing desktop software. For spreadsheets containing sensitive information, however, users may prefer a local Windows recovery tool so that the source workbook does not need to be transferred to an external server.

Before attempting either online or desktop Excel repair, it is recommended to create a separate copy of the corrupted workbook. Recovery should always be performed on the copy whenever possible. Keeping the original file unchanged provides an additional safeguard if another repair method needs to be tried later.

Excel Repair Kit Features

Excel Repair Kit provides automated recovery of data from damaged Microsoft Excel documents. The program analyses corrupted spreadsheet files and attempts to extract usable workbook information that can be transferred into a new Excel file.

The software is designed for users who need to repair an Excel spreadsheet but do not have specialised knowledge of XLS or XLSX file structures. Its wizard-based interface separates the recovery procedure into straightforward steps, including file selection, analysis, preview, and saving the recovered information.

A dedicated file-analysis engine examines the internal structure of damaged Excel documents and searches for recoverable spreadsheet content. The recovery process can be used with multiple Microsoft Excel-related file formats, including .xls, .xlt, .xlsx, .xlsm, .xltm, .xltx, and *.xlam.

Excel Repair Kit can recover important spreadsheet elements such as cell values, formulas, hyperlinks, and cell formatting where this information remains readable in the damaged source document. The actual amount of recovered information depends on the Excel file format, the type of corruption, and the extent of damage to the workbook.

How to Repair an Excel File Online

Recovered spreadsheet data is saved into a new Excel file rather than being written back into the damaged source document. This approach helps protect the original corrupted workbook and reduces the risk of further changes to a file that may still be required for another recovery attempt.

Excel Repair Kit can process files created by multiple generations of Microsoft Excel, including Excel 95, Excel 97/98-era formats, Excel 2000, Excel XP, Excel 2003, Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, and Excel for Microsoft 365, depending on the workbook format being recovered.

The desktop version of Excel Repair Kit is intended for Microsoft Windows computers. It can be used to repair corrupted Excel files locally, while users working from other operating systems or mobile devices can choose an online Excel file repair service through a compatible web browser.

How to repair Excel spreadsheet?

System requirements:

  • Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 or Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016 and above

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Publisher Accountability, Professional Credentials, and Protected File Processing

File Master creates and maintains this material. The page references the author's career profile, verified business records, legal policies, and customer-support options. These sources help readers and search engines confirm the specialist and company responsible for the Excel recovery guidance published here.

Technical Author and Review Credentials

Victor G. Bobrov
Victor G. Bobrov
Lead Software Engineer and Excel File Recovery Expert

Victor G. Bobrov is the author and technical reviewer of this resource on restoring damaged Excel workbooks and worksheets. The structured data on the page also identifies him as the developer of Excel Repair Kit.

Verified Company Information

File Master's identity is documented through its official business profile and registered company information:

  • File Master corporate profile
  • Legal entity: File Master LLC
  • Technical help: File Master customer support

Privacy-Conscious Processing of Excel Files

  • For spreadsheets containing financial, commercial, engineering, or other sensitive data, use the desktop EXCEL Repair Kit. Recovery runs locally, keeping the workbook on your Windows computer.
  • Before trying any repair method, make a separate working copy of the damaged Excel file. Keep the original unchanged in case another recovery attempt is required.
  • When installing Windows software is impractical or impossible, the online Excel Repair Service provides a browser-based recovery option.
  • The license agreement, privacy policy, and support links remain easy to find, allowing visitors to review service rules and identify the organization responsible for the product.

Editorial note: This page was reviewed and updated on July 14, 2026. The author, company, and policy information matches the related JSON-LD entities included in the page source.

Customer's reviews and ratings

goog

nitin 03-16-2026

Very good tool.

Lucas 03-08-2026

excellent

ale 02-05-2026

Thank you so much!!!!! The file has been restored!

Елена 12-24-2025

cool

coulibaly 12-20-2025

great

ZW 11-21-2025

Well

nancy 10-23-2025

Excellent service

katherine 10-08-2025

good

gloria 09-12-2025

restores

ka 09-06-2025

Excellent

Nahd 08-25-2025

this the most easy and best recovery tool

abreham 08-21-2025

super

Ricardo 07-31-2025

good


jy 07-31-2025

Great!

john 07-07-2025

Very Good Application

Ram 06-30-2025

good

james 06-05-2025

i try to fix a broken excel file . hope it can word

jameswang 06-05-2025

Good

ND 06-04-2025

good app

ARNOLD 06-01-2025

THANKS

KARIM 04-30-2025

Good

Kajal 04-22-2025

Excellent for repairing files

Mónica 04-15-2025

excellent

oscar 03-04-2025

THANKS IT WORKED OK

MARIA AMALIA 02-27-2025

Good

Shakil 02-25-2025

good job

DANA 02-24-2025

Very good application

Dayana 02-19-2025

esta bien

jen 02-17-2025

excellent

nelson 02-11-2025

excellent service

LIS 02-09-2025

This page helped me a lot

lynne 01-26-2025

good file

jhon 01-21-2025

Good Job

Ayo 01-20-2025

good

xtdy 01-08-2025

I find this page very effective and accessible.

delermina 12-17-2024

good

sound 12-12-2024

Very good

Colegio 12-02-2024

hope it helps

mj 12-02-2024

works great

Василий 11-19-2024

It doesn't work with encrypted files unfortunately.

assiltech computer 11-12-2024

Thanks in advance

Ahmed 10-17-2024

ok

KHALIL 09-26-2024

Thank you

Martshall 09-13-2024

The tool is useful, it helped me recover a file that we couldn't open in any way. When you upload it, you get an email with a link where you can download a demo file and a preview so you know that it was solved and at the time of payment it is possible to invoice.

Anónimo México 09-09-2024

Awsome

Sathish 09-04-2024

Well

juliana 08-26-2024

A very useful tool, it solved my problem.

José Arriola 08-17-2024

good

umesh 08-11-2024

ok

saeed 07-17-2024

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Victor G. Bobrov, Senior Software Engineer.

MCSD, MCDBA

A recognized expert in document and data storage in Microsoft Excel XLS/XLSX files. A hands-on specialist in recovering damaged Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with over 25 years of experience.

  • 20+ years in corrupted file recovery
  • Desktop and online repair systems
  • MCSD / MCDBA certified

About the expert

  • Studied at the Aviation Institute in aircraft engine CAD/CAM/CAE
  • Part of the team developing an innovative AL-31 engine diagnostic system for technical condition analysis
  • Development, implementation, and support of police station automation systems in 25 US states
  • From 2002 to present, development of programs and cloud services for recovering damaged files

Certifications

Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer - MCSD

Microsoft Certified Database Administrator - MCDBA

  • Microsoft Certified Database Administrator certificate
  • Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer certificate

About File Master LLC

GOLD Partner

File Master LLC is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

This certification demonstrates our commitment to technical excellence, deep expertise in Microsoft technologies, and the ability to deliver high-quality solutions for Microsoft Access database recovery and file repair.

Victor G. Bobrov, leading specialist at File Master
✦ Company specialist

Victor G. Bobrov

Victor G. Bobrov works with File Master on file structure analysis, damaged file recovery, database recovery and online repair services.

Contacts

Pacific Business Centre, #101 - 1001 W. Broadway Suite 381.
Vancouver, BC V6H 4E4, CANADA
Email: email

Frequently Asked Questions

01 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover an Excel 2019 Workbook After a Sudden Computer Shutdown?

Answer:

Most likely, the power outage occurred while Excel was writing the internal structure of the XLSX file, so some of the XML components remained incomplete. First, create a copy of the corrupted file and stop working with the original on the USB drive.

As a first step, open Excel, select File → Open → Browse, click the arrow next to the Open button, and run the Open & Repair feature. Also check the Excel auto-save folder and the Windows temporary files directory: an earlier version of the workbook may have been saved there.

If the standard recovery method doesn't work, install the Excel Repair Kit on a working Windows computer, select the corrupted XLSX file, run the analysis, review the recovered worksheets, and save the result to a new XLSX workbook.

If you don't have access to a Windows computer, upload a copy of the file to the online service at www.excel.repair, wait for the analysis to complete, and save the recovered Excel document to your computer, phone, or tablet.

02 FAQ #

Question:

What to Do If OneDrive Replaced Your Workbook With a Corrupted Copy?

Answer:

This situation can occur when the local and cloud versions of the workbook are saved simultaneously, and OneDrive cannot merge the changes correctly. First, pause synchronisation and copy the problematic file from the OneDrive folder to a regular local folder.

First, open the OneDrive version history and download a copy created before the conflict occurred; also, try Excel's "Open and Repair" feature. If the workbook opens partially, immediately move the accessible sheets to a new file using the Move or Copy Sheet command.

To analyse the current corrupted version, run the Excel Repair Kit in Windows 11. Open a local copy of the corrupted Excel file and review the recovered data on the preview page. Next, save the recovered data to a new XLSX file outside the synchronised folder.

From a phone, tablet, or computer without Windows, you can upload the corrupted copy of the Excel file to the online service www.excel.repair and download the recovered workbook after restoration.

03 FAQ #

Question:

How to recover an incompletely downloaded Excel spreadsheet on Android?

Answer:

The most likely cause is that the download didn't complete, even though Android managed to create a file with the correct name and extension. First, compare the document's size to that of the original file on the portal, and try downloading it again over a stable Wi-Fi connection. Also check your browser's downloads folder: there may be a temporary file or a second, more complete copy there. If you can't retrieve the original, do not rename the document or save it using third-party apps, so as not to alter the remaining data.

Upload a copy of the corrupted XLSX file directly from your smartphone to the online service www.excel.repair and wait for the analysis to complete. After recovery, download the new XLSX workbook and open it in Excel for Android or Google Sheets, checking the formulas, dates, and numerical values separately.

Later, if you have a Windows computer available, you can further analyse the same file in the Excel Repair Kit, which provides a preview of the recovered worksheets.

04 FAQ #

Question:

Why does Excel for iOS consider a workbook received via email to be corrupted?

Answer:

The attachment may have been corrupted during transmission, downloaded incompletely by the email app, or processed incorrectly by the organisation's security gateway. Try opening the email via the web-based email interface, downloading the attachment again, and comparing its size to the saved copy. Ask the sender to compress the original workbook into a ZIP archive or send it via cloud storage—this will help prevent the file from being corrupted again by the email system.

If you can't obtain a new copy, save the problematic XLSX file to iCloud Drive and upload it to the online service www.excel.repair directly from your iPhone or iPad browser. After the analysis is complete, download the recovered Excel workbook and test it first on a separate device without overwriting the original file.

If you later have access to a Windows computer, you can open the same copy in the Excel Repair Kit, review the recovered worksheets in the preview, and export the recovered data to a new XLSX file.

05 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover Excel After a Microsoft Excel 2021 Crash on a Mac?

Answer:

If Excel was force-quit, it may not have finished updating the central list of components and links within the workbook. First, make a copy of the file in Finder, and check the Microsoft Office auto-save folder and the "Recent" section in Excel. You can try opening the copy in LibreOffice Calc for macOS: sometimes it can read worksheets that Excel rejects, after which you should save them to a new workbook. If the file is in iCloud Drive, review the version history and restore it to a state prior to the crash.

To recover the current copy, use the online service www.excel.repair via Safari or another browser. Upload, restore, and download the recovered XLSX file after restoration at www.excel.repair.

06 FAQ #

Question:

How to recover an Excel workbook after editing it in OpenOffice Calc?

Answer:

OpenOffice and Excel handle certain formulas, styles, charts, and internal links differently, so when you saved a complex workbook back to Excel, its structure may have become incompatible. Create a separate copy and check whether there's a version in ODS format or a backup file with a similar name saved nearby. Next, try opening the document in LibreOffice Calc, which uses a different XLSX import mechanism, and then transfer the readable sheets to a new workbook.

In Microsoft Excel, you should also run "Open & Repair," first selecting "Repair," and if that fails, "Extract Data."

If the workbook still won't open, open it in the Excel Repair Kit on Windows: the program will analyse its structure, display the available worksheets, and let you save the recovered data to a new XLSX file.

An alternative option for any device is to upload the corrupted file to the online service www.excel.repair and then download the recovered workbook.

07 FAQ #

Question:

How to recover an Excel 2003 workbook that was corrupted in a network folder?

Answer:

The XLS format stores data in a composite binary container, and losing the network connection during saving can corrupt its internal layout tables. First, ask the administrator to make a copy of the file on the server, and then work only with the local copy. First, check the shared folder backups, the Windows Previous Versions feature, and Excel temporary files for a similar modification date. Sometimes you can open the old XLS file in LibreOffice Calc or a newer version of Microsoft Excel, and then save the data as an XLSX file.

If the free options don't work, download, install, and run the Excel Repair Kit on Windows, select the corrupted XLS file, run an analysis, and save the recovered worksheets to a new XLSX workbook.

If you're using macOS, iOS, or Android, it's easier to upload a local copy to the online service www.excel.repair and retrieve the recovered Excel file via your browser.

08 FAQ #

Question:

What to Do With Excel Spreadsheets That No Longer Open on a NAS?

Answer:

A standard Excel workbook is not designed to handle unsafe simultaneous writing via an unstable network folder, so a save conflict may have corrupted the document's internal structure. Immediately copy the file from the NAS to a local drive and prevent employees from opening the original file further. Next, check the NAS file system snapshots, backups, and version history, if supported by your storage system. Then try the Open & Recover feature in Excel 2016 or open a copy in LibreOffice Calc to extract individual sheets.

If the built-in features don't help, analyse the corrupted file using the Excel Repair Kit on Windows, review the recovered worksheets, and save them to a new XLSX file.

For online recovery without installing software, upload a copy of the corrupted Excel file to the online service www.excel.repair. After the file is recovered, download it, place the new Excel workbook in a separate folder, and restrict simultaneous editing.

09 FAQ #

Question:

How to recover an Excel report after an RDP session disconnects?

Answer:

An RDP disconnection itself usually does not corrupt the file, but a forced restart of the remote computer during the save process may have interrupted the workbook update. First, reconnect to the computer and copy the XLSX file to a different local folder, leaving the original unchanged. Then check the Excel Recover Unsaved Workbooks section, the user profile's temporary directories, and version history if the file was stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Next, run "Open & Repair," and if Excel prompts you to delete corrupted elements, perform the operation only on the copy.

For a more thorough analysis and recovery of the corrupted file, use the Excel Repair Kit on a remote Windows computer, review all recovered data in the worksheet preview, and save the result to a new XLSX file.

If you don't have RDP access, copy the damaged file to any device and upload it to the online service www.excel.repair. After the file has been repaired by the online service, download the repaired Excel file.

10 FAQ #

Question:

Can an Excel spreadsheet be recovered after fixing hard drive errors?

Answer:

CHKDSK repairs the file system structure but does not restore Excel's logical structure; it sometimes isolates corrupted file fragments into CHK objects. Do not run repeated checks or save new data to the unstable drive until you've copied important information or created an image of the drive. First, check backups, Windows Shadow Copies, and earlier versions of the document; it's best to analyse FOUND.000 fragments only on a copy. Try opening the surviving Excel file using the Open & Recover feature in Excel or LibreOffice Calc, but do not agree to overwrite the original.

Next, transfer the damaged workbook to a healthy drive and open it in the Excel Repair Kit, saving the result as a new XLSX file.

If you only have a phone, tablet, or Mac available, upload the copied Excel file to the online service www.excel.repair. View the recovery results directly in your browser, then download the recovered workbook.

11 FAQ #

Question:

What to Do If Your Antivirus Blocked an XLSX File During Saving?

Answer:

The antivirus may have blocked the replacement of the temporary copy with the main file during the final stage of saving. Do not disable protection completely: first, copy the corrupted XLSX file and the temporary file you found to a separate folder, as agreed with your administrator. Next, check the antivirus log, the quarantine folder, and the temporary file. Sometimes you can rename it to .XLSX only after confirming that it is indeed an Excel workbook. Try opening both copies using the Open & Repair feature in Excel and in LibreOffice Calc.

If there is no working version, open the corrupted Excel file in the Excel Repair Kit, run an analysis, and export the recovered worksheets to a new XLSX workbook.

On a non-Windows device, you can upload a copy to www.excel.repair, retrieve the recovered file, and then scan it with your corporate antivirus software before opening it.

12 FAQ #

Question:

How to recover an XLS or XLSX file after a computer has been infected with malware?

Answer:

The malware may have altered the file header, added foreign code, or partially overwritten its contents. First, make sure the system is clean, and then transfer a copy of the document to a separate, verified storage medium; do not open the original with macros enabled. First, check backups, Windows Shadow Copies, and previously sent versions of the file in email or messaging apps. Simply changing the file extension does not restore the format and may only complicate further analysis.

The Excel Repair Kit should be run on a clean Windows system: select the original XLS file, analyse it, and save the extracted data to a new XLSX workbook.

Another option is to upload a copy to the online service www.excel.repair from a secure device and, after receiving the results, scan the recovered file with antivirus software.

13 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover Excel After a Windows 11 Automatic Update?

Answer:

If the restart occurred during autosave or while calculations were being updated, Excel may have left behind an incomplete temporary file and a corrupted main copy. Make a duplicate of the Excel file and check the File → Info → Workbook Management → Recover Unsaved Workbooks section in Excel. Then browse the AutoRecover folders and the user's temporary folders, sorting the files by the time of the overnight reboot. Open any copies you find only after making a duplicate, and save them immediately under a new name.

If you don't have the full version, open the corrupted Excel file in the Excel Repair Kit, check the recovered sheets in the preview, and export the result to a new XLSX file.

The online service www.excel.repair is convenient when the Windows program is unavailable or when you need to perform the recovery from a Mac, smartphone, or tablet.

14 FAQ #

Question:

Is it possible to recover an Excel file after safely removing a USB drive?

Answer:

If the drive was removed prematurely, a record of the Excel file may have been saved to the directory, while part of its contents did not have time to be physically copied. First, stop using the flash drive and create an image or a full copy of it on another drive so that new data doesn't overwrite the remaining data. Next, try to recover the original using Windows Backup, OneDrive, or a file recovery program, and save the recovered files to another drive. Check the recovered files using Excel's "Open & Repair" feature and compare their sizes. Then, import the most complete copy into the Excel Repair Kit and save the recovered worksheets to a new XLSX file.

If you don't have a Windows computer, upload the recovered copy to the online service www.excel.repair from any device, but do not upload the file directly from an unreliable USB drive.

15 FAQ #

Question:

Is it possible to recover an Excel attachment that didn't download completely?

Answer:

If the size of the received copy is much smaller than the original, it's likely that the mail server or security gateway only transmitted part of the attachment. The free and most effective solution is to ask the sender to reattach the file, compress it into a ZIP archive, or share it via a cloud link. Also, open the email in the web interface using a different browser and check if the original attachment is available there. A file with a size of zero cannot be recovered because it contains no data, but a partially downloaded copy can sometimes be analysed. To do this, select it in the Excel Repair Kit, evaluate the recovered result, and save the recovered data to a new XLSX file. A similar analysis can be performed via www.excel.repair; however, the completeness of the recovery will depend directly on what portion of the original workbook is actually contained in the uploaded file.

16 FAQ #

Question:

Why Won't a Google Sheets Workbook Open After Exporting to Excel?

Answer:

The corruption may have occurred due to an incomplete download, and some Google Sheets features are further converted when exported to Excel format. First, check your downloads folder: the browser may have left a temporary or duplicate copy with a large file size. Next, ask the owner for a new export or temporary access to the version history, and download the document using a stable connection. If you can't obtain the original file, try importing the corrupted XLSX file back into Google Sheets or opening it in LibreOffice, saving the accessible sheets separately.

For a thorough recovery, copy the file to a Windows computer and open the corrupted spreadsheet in the Excel Repair Kit, then save the recovered data to a new XLSX file.

On a Mac, you can use the online service www.excel.repair right away without installing a Windows program.

17 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover an Excel Workbook with Corrupted Formulas and Internal Links?

Answer:

This message often indicates corruption in specific XML sections of the workbook, such as formulas, links, names, styles, or pivot table settings. Do not overwrite the original with the automatically repaired version; make several copies and save the recovery log that Excel creates. Next, try opening one copy with automatic recalculation turned off and another using LibreOffice Calc to compare the available elements. As a last resort, you can open the XLSX file as a ZIP archive and extract images or individual XML sheets, but you should only edit the internal files in a copy.

The Excel Repair Kit utility allows you to analyse the original corrupted Excel workbook, view the worksheets it finds, and save the data to a new XLSX file without overwriting the original.

The online service www.excel.repair performs a similar task via a web browser and is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

18 FAQ #

Question:

How to Fix an Excel Workbook with the Wrong File Extension?

Answer:

Renaming the extension does not convert a binary XLS file to a modern XLSX file. Changing the extension in this way can cause the wrong program to be selected to open the file, although it usually does not alter the content itself. To fix the issue, first create a copy and try opening it with the original .xls extension, confirming the Excel warning only if you are certain of the file's origin. Next, check the document in LibreOffice Calc or use the Open & Repair feature in Microsoft Excel. If the file has been saved again or partially corrupted by a third-party program, simply reverting the file extension will not be enough.

Open the original copy of the file in Excel Repair Kit: the program will analyse the contents and allow you to save the recovered worksheets to a new XLSX workbook.

You can also upload the file to www.excel.repair for analysis on any device, without having to figure out its internal format on your own.

19 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover a Large Excel File After an Unexpected Excel Shutdown?

Answer:

The 32-bit version of Excel has limited address space, so the large workbook may have caused a memory shortage, and the forced shutdown may have interrupted the saving process. Do not try to open the original file repeatedly: copy it to a drive with sufficient free space and restart your computer. First, try opening the copy in the latest 64-bit version of Excel, such as 2024, with automatic recalculation and external links disabled. If the workbook loads partially, move the worksheets to several smaller files, starting with the most important ones.

For a corrupted version, use the Excel Repair Kit on a 64-bit Windows system, review the available worksheets, and save the recovered data to a new XLSX file.

If you don't have a suitable computer, upload the corrupted file to the online service www.excel.repair after making sure your internet connection is fast enough to fully upload such a large document.

20 FAQ #

Question:

How to Convert a Temporary Excel File to an XLSX Workbook?

Answer:

Excel uses several types of temporary files; some contain a nearly complete working copy, while others are merely service locks. First, copy the temporary file and the main Excel file to a separate folder, then compare their sizes. Next, try opening a copy of the temporary file directly from Excel using the Open command, making sure to show all files; if necessary, add the .XLSX extension only to the duplicate. At the same time, check the AutoRecover folder and the unsaved workbooks recovery section.

If the temporary version is also unreadable, analyse both copies in the Excel Repair Kit and select the one where the preview contains more sheets and data.

You can also use the online service www.excel.repair for each copy separately to compare the recovery results.

21 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover an Excel File After an Offline Files Conflict in Windows 7?

Answer:

The offline files mechanism may have attempted to merge or replace the two versions, which were modified independently. Do not trigger another synchronisation until you have copied all conflicting versions to a regular local folder. Open the Windows Sync Centre for free, review the conflict details, and check the server backups or previous versions of the shared folder. Try opening each non-empty copy using "Open and Recover" in LibreOffice Calc, then compare the dates and contents.

Open the most promising file in the Excel Repair Kit, review the worksheets it finds, and save them to a new XLSX file.

If you're working from a mobile device, you can upload each copy of the Excel file to www.excel.repair to determine which version contains the most recoverable data.

22 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover an Excel File After a Save Conflict in Teams?

Answer:

During collaborative editing, a conflict may arise due to a loss of connection, an outdated Office client, or synchronisation across multiple devices. First, stop editing the workbook and download the current version to a local folder without overwriting the file in Teams. Next, open the SharePoint or Teams version history and restore or download a copy created before the problem occurred. If a previous version is not available, check for conflicting files in each participant's local OneDrive folder.

You can open the current corrupted copy in the Excel Repair Kit on Windows, analyse the worksheets, and save the repaired workbook to a new Excel XLSX file.

The online service www.excel.repair is suitable for users of macOS, Android, or iOS; after restoring the file, it's best to upload the result to Teams as a separate file with a new name.

23 FAQ #

Question:

Is it possible to recover an Excel workbook after errors occurred while unpacking an archive?

Answer:

A CRC error means that part of the archive's data does not match the checksum, so the extracted XLSX file may contain corrupted or overwritten blocks. First, create an image of the problematic drive and perform all operations on a copy of it to avoid further damaging the storage medium. Next, try the archive recovery feature, extraction with preservation of corrupted files, and other ZIP backups, saving each option separately. Compare the sizes of the resulting XLSX files and try opening them in Excel using the "Open & Repair" feature or in LibreOffice Calc.

Then, analyse the most complete versions in the Excel Repair Kit one by one and select the result with the highest number of readable sheets.

You can also use the online service www.excel.repair to check several recovered copies from any device and compare the available preliminary results.

24 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover a Fragmented Excel Workbook After Accidental Deletion?

Answer:

When a file is deleted, its entry disappears from the file system, and its blocks may be partially overwritten by new data, especially if the TRIM command has been triggered on the SSD. Stop actively using the drive and save any recovered files only to a different drive. Next, check your Windows backup, File History, OneDrive, and email attachments—an intact older version is usually more reliable than a fragmented newer one. Open each copy you find separately and transfer the available pages into a new document, without attempting to manually piece together the binary data.

Analyse corrupted Excel files using the Excel Repair Kit and save the recovered worksheets as separate XLSX files for later comparison.

The online service www.excel.repair allows you to perform the same analysis without installing any software.

25 FAQ #

Question:

How to Recover an Excel Spreadsheet from a Faulty microSD Card?

Answer:

The memory card may have developed file system errors or bad blocks, causing certain parts of the XLSX file to become unreliable to read. Do not format the microSD card or run multiple error-correction cycles on it until you have created a full image or copied all readable data. First, connect the card to a computer via a reliable card reader, make several copies of the file, and compare their checksums or sizes; also check any cloud backups of your mobile Excel files.

Try opening the most complete copy in desktop Excel using "Open and Repair" or in LibreOffice Calc.

If the document cannot be read, open it and repair it using the Excel Repair Kit on Windows, then save the recovered data to a new XLSX workbook on a functional drive.

If you don't have a computer, transfer the file you've already copied to the tablet's internal storage, upload it to the cloud service www.excel.repair, and download the recovered XLSX file without processing it directly from the faulty card.

How to repair a corrupted Excel file

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