How to Fix a Corrupted Excel Spreadsheet

To fix a corrupted Excel spreadsheet in Microsoft 365 for Windows, first make a copy of the file, then try Excel’s built-in repair: choose File > Open > Browse, select the copy, open the arrow beside Open, and choose Open and Repair. Start with Repair; if it fails, try Extract Data or restore an earlier version. The aim is to recover as much workbook content as possible without damaging the original or exposing sensitive data.

What You’ll Need

A copy of the affected workbook, saved separately from the original. Do not overwrite the only copy while testing repairs.
Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, preferably updated. The steps below use its desktop app; Excel for the web and Excel for Mac do not offer the same Open and Repair workflow.
Access to the folder, cloud account, or backup where the workbook is stored. If it is on OneDrive or SharePoint, you may be able to restore an earlier version.
Enough free disk space to save a recovered workbook, and the password if the file is encrypted.

Step-by-Step

Stop editing and preserve the original. Close the workbook if Excel is open, and do not keep trying to save changes to it. In File Explorer, copy the file and paste it into a separate folder, such as a folder named Recovery Copies. Rename the copy clearly, for example Budget-repair-copy.xlsx. If the file is on a shared drive, download or copy it locally before attempting repair. This protects the source from a failed repair, accidental overwrite, or sync conflict. If you suspect a drive problem, avoid repeated copying attempts and first make sure the storage device is accessible and stable.
Check whether Excel is already reporting a specific issue. Try opening the copied file once. Note the full message and whether Excel says the file format or extension is invalid, the workbook is unreadable, or the file is password-protected. A damaged workbook can sometimes open with a warning: if it does, do not dismiss the warning without reading it. If Excel opens the file, use Save As to create another new copy before inspecting it. Avoid enabling macros or updating external links simply because a recovery prompt appears; those actions are not needed to assess whether the workbook’s contents can be recovered.
Use Open and Repair in desktop Excel. Open Excel, then select File > Open > Browse. In the file picker, go to the copied workbook and select it once. Do not double-click it. Select the small arrow on the Open button and choose Open and Repair. If Excel asks whether to repair or extract data, choose Repair first. Let the process finish; a large workbook may take some time. If Excel opens the result, inspect the sheets, formulas, charts, and named ranges before saving. Save the recovered file with a new name and, if possible, in the modern .xlsx format. Keep the original and the first recovery copy until you have verified the new workbook.
Try Extract Data if Repair cannot restore the workbook. Repeat File > Open > Browse, select the same copy, choose the arrow beside Open, and select Open and Repair. When prompted, choose Extract Data rather than Repair. Excel may offer to convert formulas to values or recover values and formulas. Choose the option that best fits your need: formulas preserve calculations when they can be recovered, while values may retain visible results without the original calculation logic. Extraction may omit formatting, charts, objects, or other workbook features. Save any extracted content to a different file and compare it with whatever source information you have.
Look for an earlier, healthy version. If the file is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, open its location in a browser, find the workbook, and use its Version history option to inspect earlier saved versions. Restore an earlier version only after confirming that it is the right one; alternatively, download or open that version and save it under a new name so you do not replace the current file immediately. In Windows File Explorer, you can also right-click the file, choose Properties, and check the Previous Versions tab if File History or another backup system is enabled. A previous version may be more complete than a repair, but it may not include recent edits.
Check Excel’s recovery and unsaved-file options. Reopen Excel after an unexpected crash and look for the Document Recovery pane. Open the most recent plausible recovered version, verify its contents, and save it as a new file. You can also check File > Info > Manage Workbook for available recovered or unsaved workbook versions. The wording and availability can depend on how the workbook was saved and Excel’s recovery settings. These options are not a substitute for a backup, and they may not contain the last changes made before the failure.
If the workbook opens, move the content into a clean workbook. Create a blank workbook and, from the damaged workbook, copy one sheet at a time by right-clicking its sheet tab and choosing Move or Copy. In the dialog, select the new workbook and tick Create a copy. If copying a sheet causes an error, try copying its used cells and pasting into a new sheet instead. Check formulas, formatting, print areas, data validation, charts, pivot tables, and named ranges afterward; not all workbook features transfer perfectly. Save the clean workbook under a new name, close it, and reopen it to confirm it works.
Test whether the problem is the file or the Excel environment. If Excel crashes while opening several workbooks, start Excel in Safe Mode by holding Ctrl while launching Excel and confirming the prompt. Safe Mode starts Excel without most add-ins and custom startup files. If the workbook opens there, an add-in or startup customization could be involved; disable add-ins one at a time through File > Options > Add-ins, then test again. Safe Mode is a diagnostic step, not a repair method. If only one workbook fails, focus on recovery copies, version history, and the file itself.
Try another trusted copy or compatible application only on a duplicate. If the file was emailed, ask the sender to resend it or create a fresh copy from their source. If a trusted alternative spreadsheet application is available, you may test a duplicate to see whether it can read and export the data. Compatibility tools can change formulas, formatting, macros, or other features, so do not treat the exported file as an exact replacement without checking it. Do not upload confidential or regulated workbook data to an online repair site unless your organization has approved that service.
Verify and protect the recovered workbook. Compare key totals, row counts, dates, and formulas against a reliable source or earlier report. Check each important worksheet, hidden rows and columns, filters, charts, and any linked data. Look for formula errors such as #REF! and for cells that have changed to static values. Save, close, and reopen the recovered workbook. Keep the original file and recovery copies until the owner confirms the recovered data is complete. If the workbook contains financial, operational, or compliance records, have another person verify the critical results before relying on them.

Common Mistakes

Saving over the damaged file. A repair can remove content or leave the workbook in a worse state. Work on a duplicate and use a new filename for every recovery result. Keep track of which copy is the untouched original.

Choosing Extract Data before trying Repair. Extraction is useful when normal repair fails, but it can discard formulas or workbook features. Try Repair first, then use extraction if needed, and label the output so it is not mistaken for a complete workbook.

Assuming a file extension is the cause. Renaming a file from .xlsx to .xls does not convert its contents and can make the problem harder to diagnose. If Excel says the extension does not match the format, confirm where the file came from and ask for a fresh copy rather than changing extensions at random.

Trusting a workbook because it opens. A workbook may open while still missing sheets, formulas, links, or objects. Check important content and compare critical values with a trustworthy source before using the recovered file.

Using an unapproved online repair service. Uploading a workbook can disclose customer, employee, financial, or business information. Use a local recovery method or an organization-approved provider when data is sensitive.

Tips

Keep the original file unchanged and make recovery copies with dates or clear labels, such as workbook-repair-2026-11-02.xlsx. This makes it easier to return to an earlier attempt.
For a workbook that is still open and responsive, use Save As to create a separate copy before trying more recovery steps. If Excel is frozen, wait briefly before force-closing it, because the app may still be processing the file.
If a repaired workbook opens, consider saving a verified copy as .xlsx when it does not need macros. For a workbook that uses VBA macros, keep a macro-enabled .xlsm format; saving to .xlsx removes VBA macros.
For important workbooks, store them in a location with managed backups or version history, and periodically test that earlier versions can be accessed. AutoSave and AutoRecover help in some situations but are not the same as a separate backup.
Make a note of the exact error text, the file’s original location, and what changed shortly before the problem began. That information can help distinguish a damaged file from a sync, permission, storage, or add-in issue.

Troubleshooting

There is no Open and Repair option. Make sure you are using the desktop Excel app on Windows and are opening the file through File > Open > Browse. Excel for the web does not provide the same repair command. Excel for Mac also does not use the Windows Open and Repair menu; make a duplicate, try opening it in desktop Excel, and look for AutoRecovery or a cloud version history if available. Menu labels can vary slightly by release.

Excel says the file format or extension is invalid. Confirm that the file finished downloading or syncing and that its size is plausible. Ask the sender to resend it, or download it again from the original cloud location. Do not rename the extension as a conversion shortcut. If the file was saved with another program, ask for a genuine Excel export from that program.

The workbook is password-protected. You need the correct password to open an encrypted workbook. Repair does not bypass encryption. Contact the file owner or your organization’s administrator for the password or an authorized unencrypted copy. Do not use password-cracking services, especially for confidential data.

The repaired file opens but important content is missing. Try Extract Data on another copy, then compare its results with a cloud or Windows backup. If the file opens inconsistently, copy sheets individually into a blank workbook and identify which sheet or object triggers a problem. Some damaged charts, macros, pivot caches, or embedded objects may not be recoverable from the file itself.

Excel crashes on every workbook. Test a known-good workbook, restart Windows, and try Excel Safe Mode. If Safe Mode works, investigate add-ins and startup files. If Excel still crashes, install available Microsoft 365 updates and use Windows Settings to repair Microsoft 365, following your organization’s IT guidance. A general Excel failure and a single corrupted workbook are different problems, so keep testing with a separate known-good file.

The file is on a network drive or removable disk. Confirm that the drive is connected and that you have permission to read and write files. Copy the workbook to a local folder and attempt repair on the local duplicate. If copying fails or other files on the device are also unreadable, stop repeated attempts and contact your IT team or storage provider; the device or connection may be the underlying issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I repair a corrupted Excel file without losing data?
Sometimes. Open and Repair may restore the workbook intact, but no repair method can guarantee every formula, chart, or object will survive. Preserve the original, try Repair before Extract Data, and verify important results afterward.

Does Open and Repair work in Excel for the web?
No. The Windows desktop Excel app provides the Open and Repair command described here. For a workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint, use desktop Excel for repair or inspect Version history for a healthy earlier copy.

Can I recover a workbook I forgot to save?
Possibly. After reopening Excel, check the Document Recovery pane and File > Info > Manage Workbook for available recovered or unsaved files. Recovery depends on whether Excel had a recoverable copy, so it may not include the latest edits.

Will changing .xlsx to .xls fix corruption?
No. Changing the extension only changes the filename, not the workbook’s internal format. It can cause Excel to show a format warning and does not repair damaged content. Use Excel’s repair option or obtain a clean copy instead.

Can Excel recover formulas as well as displayed values?
Sometimes. Choose the formulas option if Excel offers it during Extract Data, then inspect the recovered formulas. A displayed result may be recoverable even when its original formula is not, so compare important calculations with a reliable source.

What if the workbook contains macros?
Keep the original .xlsm file and make a duplicate before repair. Verify whether the repaired copy retains its macros, and save it as .xlsm if macros are needed. Saving as .xlsx removes VBA macros, so do not use that format for a macro-dependent workbook.

Try it: the Formula Explainer: paste any formula and see each function and reference in plain English.

More in Errors & fixes

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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