Corrupted Excel File
 

I've got an Excel file that won't open due to unreadable content/corrupted content.

Does anybody have any recommendations on how to at least access the data?

Restore off your latest backup. :E


(Dunno... the very definition of corrupted data is that, per Monty Python, it's gone, ceased, no more, it's ex-data .... perhaps the "strings" CLI tool on a linux type machine ?)

Which version of Excel?

If 2010, try this:

Open Excel 2010.
Click on File > Options.
Select Trust Center > Trust center settings.
Select Protected view.
Uncheck all the options under Protected View > OK.
Restart Excel 2010 and try to open Excel documents.

Thread HERE.

Good link HERE.

Other Stuff.

Are you able to open it on another computer? Can you upload to Google docs and try from there?

Linux (or any other Unix) program "strings" will recover text fields, but not tell you which they were. It cannot recover numbers, formulae, or line/column data.

It might be worth trying a program that always has to take a guess about the internals of Microsoft's files, such as OpenOffice. But in the long run, the best solution to the problem of corrupted files is to take daily backups or use a plain-text storage that can be inspected and possibly repaired with a text editor, XML for example.


'b

aerobelly,


I suggest you run "man strings". A number was an ASCII char last time I checked.


The whole purpose of me suggesting it was as a last resort method, given that the file is corrupted he can't exactly expect a perfect recovery other than from backup ! You're lucky I didn't suggest he do a hexdump ! :cool:

If it's an XLSX document, try opening it with a ZIP reader program. (If you need one, I like 7-Zip Portable for quick jobs.)

The XLSX document format is a set of XML documents inside a ZIP enclosure. If you can open it, navigate to subfolder xl/worksheets, and there's something there, you're in luck.