Get rid of "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened" in Excel

Quick tip: learn how to access a corrupt xls. file in Excel

Usually when upgrading you expect nothing but improvements. So it can be really disappointing when after moving to Excel 2010 you have no chance to access your .xls file created in the application version 2003 and earlier. You understand what I'm talking about if you ever encountered "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened" error in Excel 2010 and later. Still think you can't open it? Actually you can!
Excel message: The file is corrupt and cannot be opened in Excel 2010

How to open a corrupt xls. file in Excel 2010 - 365

Try the following steps to see how your precious .xls data appear in Excel 2010 and later:

  1. Open Excel.
  2. Click on File -> Options.
  3. Select Trust Center and press the Trust center settings button.
    Excel: Trust center settings
  4. Pick Protected view.
    Trust center - Protected view
  5. Uncheck all the options under Protected View and confirm by pressing OK.
  6. Restart Excel and try to open the broken Excel documents.

Note. For safety reasons, you should save your document with new Office format like .xlsx. You can do it this way: File > Options -> Trust Center -> Trust Center settings -> Protected View.
Check all the options again under Protected View, click OK and restart Excel.

This will set the security options back. Sure, you don't want to open any file unsafely.

That's it. Hope it will work for you and your documents :).

Thanks and see you!

Table of contents

390 comments

  1. Thanks in tons

  2. Thanks to Mr.Rajesh Peshiya who helped to recover all data from that file. Thank you so much i got back files which corrupted.

  3. Someone pls reply if u know the route cause i lost my most imp excel and i dont have any copy of it.

  4. not working please give alternate option for 2007 version as we have option of macro setting not protected view

  5. not working ,give option for 2007 version where there is option of macro settig

  6. still cant :(

  7. Working now...Thanks

  8. Perfetc :D

  9. thanks a ton buddy

  10. Thank you so much

  11. Superrrrrrrrrr.... nice

  12. great..issue resolved

  13. Woo Hooo...
    You sir, Deserves a Cookie!!!

  14. Hello,

    I had excel sheet (no backup) which i opened after 10 days, now it shows .xls: file format is not found. I tried using repair and open option and unfortunately not working.

    Kindly help

  15. Thanks a lot

  16. excel canot open the file beccause the file format or file extension is not vaild. verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file -how to recover the file

    Only one file i see this msg other files are ok

  17. Thanks!

  18. Yesterday I had a password protected spreadsheet open for a couple hours. I saved and closed the file, then about 3 hours later I went to open it and it said the file was corrupted and couldn't be opened. Also the date of the file was from the previous day not yesterday. I have tried all the online solutions I can find as well as yours and they do not work. At work I use Excel-2010 and at home I use Excel-2016 This is a very important file to me, Can you help?

  19. ok. thanks sir

  20. Hello,
    I have tried this settings and also tried the dcomcnfg settings but still the problem is not resolve.I have also repair the MS office 2010 but no use.Still the files are showing the same error.
    This file is working on normal PC but showing error in thin client which is connected to windows server2008r2

Post a comment



Thank you for your comment!
When posting a question, please be very clear and concise. This will help us provide a quick and relevant solution to
your query. We cannot guarantee that we will answer every question, but we'll do our best :)