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!

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390 comments

  1. you are a GOD... Thanks

  2. thanx

  3. Problem wasn't solved unless unchecking all options related to older version of excel's in File Block Settings.

    • Thank you!

  4. not workn

  5. Awesome! Thanks

  6. Thank u for ur valuble information.it's working nice.

  7. Finally!! Thanks a million for posting this - Microsoft is the worst user experience ever!!

  8. I have spent and entire month using a flash drive to save my excel files, as I thought my microsoft outlook was corrupting them when it gave me the error message 'The file is corrupt'. You just saved me from a heart-attack due to frustration. Thanks a million times. Wish my I.T guy could have just told me this.

  9. Thanks a lot....this really works for me..

  10. Awesome! THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH! It worked so easily.

  11. EXCELLENT! Great tip!

  12. yeap! it worked here too!

  13. Worked! Thanks bro

  14. Thanks for valuable post

  15. Ohh it works,

    Thanks buddy.

  16. Thanks a lot. It worked for me.

  17. its working , Thank u very much

  18. works man,
    thanks a lot
    rgds
    chetan

  19. well you just fixed a problem that suddenly popped up two days ago - and, of course, just when I most needed the file - utterly ridiculous this should suddenly be a problem but there you go. It worked in under a minute. Wish I had the 180 minutes back that I spent reconstructing a file that existed...

  20. Thank you very much! It worked!!

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