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. Thank you so much...
    Its working super...

  2. Graet it's working

  3. it really works..

  4. Thanks...it worked

  5. thanks a lot its working fine.but when i enable the options again i am not able to open the attachments of mails what i have sent .Can you please give me permanent solution

  6. Thank you! it works for me, I was bored by this for several days, really a good tips.

  7. wow.... it worked!!.......thank u so much :) :)

  8. Thanku :)

  9. thank u so so so so much sir, u r gr8 :)

  10. MANTAPPPPPPPP

  11. Spot on!

  12. thk...

  13. Waaoooo!!!! its working now...

  14. THank u so much .. its helped me lot ..

    Sathish.K

  15. Awesome. Thank you!

  16. Thanks Dear ! its working fine.. :)

  17. Thanks a lot. The solution works

  18. Thank you so much! Microsoft was useless but your fix worked!

  19. verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry thanks

  20. VERY THANK.

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