HomepageJoin Waitlist
Tutorials

How to Fix Corrupted Excel Files: Recovery Methods That Work

Learn proven methods to repair corrupted Excel files. Discover recovery techniques, prevention strategies, and tools to restore your damaged spreadsheets.

RowTidy Team
Dec 2, 2025
10 min read
Excel, File Recovery, Troubleshooting, Data Recovery, Excel Errors

How to Fix Corrupted Excel Files: Recovery Methods That Work

"Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid."
This error message strikes fear into anyone who's spent hours working on a spreadsheet.

Corrupted Excel files can happen due to:

  • Unexpected shutdowns
  • Power failures
  • Disk errors
  • Virus infections
  • File transfer issues
  • Excel crashes

This guide shows you proven methods to fix corrupted Excel files and recover your data.

🚨 Signs of a Corrupted Excel File

Common Symptoms:

  • File won't open
  • "File is corrupted" error message
  • Excel crashes when opening file
  • Data appears garbled or missing
  • Formulas don't work
  • File size is 0 KB or unusually small
  • Excel freezes when accessing file

If you see these signs, don't panic—there are recovery options.

🛠 Method 1: Excel's Built-in Repair Tool

Step-by-Step Recovery

Step 1: Open Excel

  1. Launch Excel (don't double-click the file)

Step 2: Use Open and Repair

  1. File > Open
  2. Navigate to corrupted file
  3. Click the dropdown arrow next to "Open"
  4. Select "Open and Repair"

Step 3: Choose Repair Option

  • Repair: Attempts to recover as much as possible
  • Extract Data: Extracts values and formulas if repair fails

Success Rate: 60-70% for moderately corrupted files

🛠 Method 2: Open in Safe Mode

Problem: Excel Crashes on Open

Solution: Safe Mode Opening

Windows:

  1. Hold Ctrl key
  2. Double-click Excel icon
  3. Click Yes to safe mode
  4. Try opening file

Mac:

  1. Hold Shift key
  2. Double-click Excel icon
  3. Try opening file

What Safe Mode Does:

  • Disables add-ins
  • Skips startup files
  • Uses minimal features
  • Often allows corrupted files to open

🛠 Method 3: Change File Extension

Problem: Extension Mismatch

Solution: Try Different Extensions

For .xlsx files:

  1. Copy the file
  2. Rename extension to .zip
  3. Extract the zip file
  4. Look for xl/worksheets/ folder
  5. Extract data from XML files

For .xls files:

  1. Try renaming to .xlsx
  2. Or try .xlsm (macro-enabled)
  3. Or try .csv (if data is simple)

Note: This method requires technical knowledge.

🛠 Method 4: Use Previous Versions (Windows)

Problem: Recent Corruption

Solution: Restore Previous Version

Steps:

  1. Right-click corrupted file
  2. Select Properties
  3. Go to Previous Versions tab
  4. Select a version before corruption
  5. Click Restore

Requirements:

  • File History or System Restore enabled
  • Previous version must exist

🛠 Method 5: Open as HTML/Web Page

Problem: Standard Methods Don't Work

Solution: HTML Import

Steps:

  1. Rename file extension to .html
  2. Open in web browser
  3. Copy visible data
  4. Paste into new Excel file

Limitations:

  • May lose formatting
  • Formulas won't work
  • Complex structures may break

🛠 Method 6: Use Google Sheets

Problem: Excel Won't Open File

Solution: Import via Google Sheets

Steps:

  1. Upload file to Google Drive
  2. Right-click file
  3. Open with > Google Sheets
  4. Google Sheets may recover more data
  5. Download as Excel file

Benefits:

  • Different recovery engine
  • Often recovers more data
  • Free to use

🛠 Method 7: Extract Data from Backup

Problem: File is Completely Corrupted

Solution: Use Backup Files

Check These Locations:

AutoRecover Files:

  • Windows: C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\
  • Mac: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Excel/

Temporary Files:

  • Windows: C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Temp\
  • Look for files starting with ~$ or ~

OneDrive/Google Drive:

  • Check version history
  • Restore previous version

🛠 Method 8: Use Third-Party Recovery Tools

When Built-in Methods Fail

Popular Tools:

  • Stellar Repair for Excel: Commercial, high success rate
  • DataNumen Excel Repair: Good for severely corrupted files
  • Kernel Excel Repair: Handles various corruption types

Considerations:

  • Cost: $50-200 typically
  • Success rates vary
  • May recover partial data
  • Read reviews before purchasing

🛠 Method 9: Recover from AutoRecover

Problem: Excel Crashed While Working

Solution: Use AutoRecover

Steps:

  1. Open Excel
  2. File > Info
  3. Look for "Manage Versions"
  4. Select "Recover Unsaved Workbooks"
  5. Choose your file

AutoRecover Settings:

  • File > Options > Save
  • Check "Save AutoRecover information every X minutes"
  • Set to 5-10 minutes for safety

🛠 Method 10: Manual Data Extraction

Last Resort Method

If file partially opens:

  1. Copy Visible Data

    • Select and copy what you can see
    • Paste into new file
    • Work in small sections

  2. Export to CSV

    • If file opens in read-only mode
    • Save as CSV
    • Import CSV to new Excel file

  3. Screenshot and Recreate

    • For critical data
    • Take screenshots
    • Manually recreate in new file

🤖 Advanced: AI-Powered File Recovery

For complex corruption scenarios, RowTidy can help:

  1. Analyze File Structure

    • Identifies corruption type
    • Suggests best recovery method
    • Validates recovered data

  2. Recover Data Intelligently

    • Extracts maximum data possible
    • Preserves structure when possible
    • Handles partial corruption

  3. Clean Recovered Data

    • Fixes formatting issues
    • Validates data integrity
    • Standardizes recovered data

Benefits:

  • ✅ Handles complex corruption scenarios
  • ✅ Maximizes data recovery
  • ✅ Cleans recovered data
  • ✅ Validates results

✅ Prevention: How to Avoid Corruption

Best Practices:

  1. Regular Backups

    • Save frequently (Ctrl+S)
    • Use cloud storage (OneDrive, Google Drive)
    • Enable AutoRecover

  2. Safe File Handling

    • Close files properly
    • Don't force-close Excel
    • Avoid opening files from network during saves

  3. Maintain System Health

    • Keep Excel updated
    • Run disk checks regularly
    • Use antivirus software

  4. File Size Management

    • Keep files under 50MB when possible
    • Split very large files
    • Remove unnecessary data

  5. Version Control

    • Save versions with dates
    • Keep multiple backups
    • Use version naming (v1, v2, etc.)

📊 Recovery Success Rates by Method

Method Success Rate Best For
Open and Repair 60-70% Moderate corruption
Safe Mode 40-50% Excel crashes
Previous Versions 90%+ Recent corruption
Google Sheets 50-60% Alternative recovery
Third-Party Tools 70-85% Severe corruption
Manual Extraction 30-40% Partial recovery

🔗 Related Guides

  1. How to Fix Corrupted CSV Files - CSV recovery
  2. Excel Data Recovery Best Practices - Prevention strategies
  3. How to Backup Excel Files - Backup methods
  4. Excel Error Troubleshooting - Error fixing
  5. Complete Excel Data Cleaning Guide - Comprehensive guide

📌 Conclusion

Corrupted Excel files are frustrating, but recovery is often possible. The methods in this guide will help you:

  • Recover data from corrupted files
  • Use built-in Excel repair tools
  • Try alternative recovery methods
  • Prevent future corruption

For recent corruption: Try Previous Versions first
For moderate corruption: Use Open and Repair
For severe corruption: Consider third-party tools or RowTidy

Remember: Prevention is always better than recovery. Enable AutoRecover, save frequently, and maintain backups to avoid data loss.

✍️ Need help recovering your corrupted file?

👉 Try RowTidy today for intelligent file recovery and data extraction. Get started with a free trial and see how AI-powered recovery can help restore your corrupted Excel files.

This guide is part of our comprehensive series on Excel data management. Check out our other tutorials on data recovery, error fixing, and best practices for complete Excel solutions.