Solutions to open Excel 2013 Read Only Documents
![](/images/site-logo.png)
Solutions to open Excel Read Only Documents
‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ is an error message that usually appears when you try to open an Excel (XLS or XLSX) file downloaded from the Internet, email, or the network server. It may also appear when you try to open an encrypted or password-protected Excel document. In such a case, MS Excel prevents the user from making any changes to the document.
Reasons behind the “Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be read-only or encrypted” Error
There could be several reasons that may cause the error. Some of them are as follows:
- Corrupt or damaged Excel workbook
- Incompatible or unsupported add-in
- Antivirus or malware software conflict
- Read-Only Excel file
- The file is encrypted
- File or drive read/write permissions issues
- Protected Excel workbook
- Damaged or missing MS Office (MS Excel) program files
Solutions to Open and Edit Read-Only Excel Documents
Below are a few solutions that can help you fix the ‘Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be read-only or encrypted’ error and allow you to open and edit Excel documents.
- Remove Read-only Attribute from Excel File Properties
The ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ error message may appear when the Excel file property is set to read-only. To check if this is the case, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the particular Excel (xls/xlsx) document and select ‘Properties’.
- Uncheck the ‘Read-only’ attribute and then click the ‘OK’ button.
Now try to open the Excel document and check if the problem is fixed.
- Adjust Antivirus Settings
A few antivirus programs block Excel files and other Office documents by opening those in ‘read-only’ mode. In such cases, try adjusting the antivirus settings to open the Excel files normally. This will allow you to edit, modify, and save the Excel workbook without encountering the “Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be a read-only or encrypted” error message.
- Disable Protected-View
The error may appear when you try to open an Excel file received as email attachments or downloaded from unsafe source. The file may potentially contain viruses, worms, or other types of malware that could damage the system or the server.
To safeguard the system, MS Excel opens such files in Protected View. It may also open an Excel workbook in Protected Mode when it detects a problem with the file. This security feature allows you to read or view Excel files and reduces the risks to the computer system or PC.
However, you can click File > Info and then click ‘Edit Anyway‘ to access and edit file content. You may also disable the Protected View setting via File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings…> Protected View. However, we do not recommend this.
- Renew/Activate Microsoft Office
If MS Office is in a deactivated state or its subscription has expired, the Office documents, including the Excel, could be in ‘read-only reduced functionality mode.’
In such a scenario, activate Microsoft Office or renew the Office subscription. Then open the Excel workbook and check if the problem of ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ is resolved.
- Check if OneDrive Storage is Full
If Excel files are saved on OneDrive with low or no storage space, you may encounter such issues with your files.
To know the amount of free space on OneDrive, follow these steps:
- On your PC, open Settings and navigate to OneDrive.
- Click ‘Sync Settings > File Storage‘ to see available space.
You may also visit onedrive.live.com, sign in to the account, and then check the available space. If there’s no space available or the drive is full, empty the storage space and see if the problem is resolved.
- Check and Update MS Office and Windows
Microsoft releases updates to fix known errors. Thus, it is critical to update both Windows and MS Office to the latest release and avoid issues, such as ‘Excel cannot access ‘xxx.xls.’ The Document may be read-only or encrypted.’
- Repair MS Office (MS Excel)
The error ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ may appear due to a problem with your MS Office (MS Excel) program. You can repair the MS Office program to resolve such errors. The steps are as follows:
- Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a Program link under Programs.
- Choose Microsoft Office from the list and click the Change button.
- Select Quick Repair and then click Repair to fix problems with MS Office and MS Excel. It will also restore any missing or damaged program files.
After the Repair, open the Excel workbook and check if the error is resolved.
- Check Permissions
The error message may also appear if you access an Excel workbook from a network or shared drive due to lack of write permission. Make sure you have read and write permissions assigned for the particular network drive. Alternatively, you can copy the file from the network drive and save it in your local folder to access and edit it without encountering this error message.
- Repair MS Excel File
If none of the solutions worked, the Excel workbook could be damaged or corrupt. To repair such damaged Excel workbook or spreadsheet, you can use the inbuilt ‘Open and Repair…’ option in MS Excel or install an Excel repair software , such as Stellar Repair for Excel. The software comes in handy when the Open and Repair option fails to fix the Excel workbook problems. It repairs the corrupt or damaged Excel workbook, extracts all components and content from the file with 100% integrity, and saves them in a new Excel workbook.
Conclusion
Sometimes, the ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ error can be resolved by a simple restart. But if it doesn’t work, you can follow the solutions discussed in this article to resolve the ‘Excel cannot open read-only documents’ issue. However, if the issue is caused due to a damaged or corrupt Excel workbook, these methods may not work. In such a case, you can use Excel’s inbuilt repair utility, i.e., Open and Repair, or install Stellar Repair for Excel software recommended by MVPs and industry experts to fix all kinds of problems with MS Excel workbooks.
Also read:
- Your Complete Guide To Reset Motorola G24 Power | Dr.fone
- Different Methods for Resetting OnePlus 12R Phones with Screen Locked and Not | Dr.fone
- Things You Dont Know About Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G Reset Code | Dr.fone
- Your Complete Guide To Reset Oppo Reno 9A | Dr.fone
- Hard Reset Infinix Hot 30 5G in 3 Efficient Ways | Dr.fone
- How to Recover Apple iPhone 15 Data From iOS iTunes? | Dr.fone
- Your Complete Guide To Reset Xiaomi Redmi K70E | Dr.fone
- Undelete lost photos from Galaxy A05.
- Is your Realme GT Neo 5 working too slow? Heres how you can hard reset it | Dr.fone
- How to Perform Hard Reset on Meizu 21 Pro? | Dr.fone
- How to Easily Hard reset my Meizu 21 | Dr.fone
- Undelete lost music from Infinix Hot 40 Pro
- Recover Apple iPhone 7 Plus Data From iOS iTunes | Dr.fone
- Full Guide to Hard Reset Your Oppo Find N3 | Dr.fone
- The way to get back lost data from S18
- Video File Repair - How to Fix Corrupted video files of Lava ?
- How To Erase Private Data From Apple iPhone 7 | Dr.fone
- How To Transfer WhatsApp From Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max to other iPhone 12 devices? | Dr.fone
- Use Device Manager to identify missing hardware drivers with Windows Device Manager in Windows 11
- Unlock a disable iPhone X without itunes or icloud
- The way to convert MTS for P60
- How to Downgrade Apple iPhone 7 Plus without Losing Anything? | Dr.fone
- How to Factory Reset Oppo Find X7 Ultra in 5 Easy Ways | Dr.fone
- How to Soft Reset Xiaomi Redmi 12 phone? | Dr.fone
- 4 Solutions to Fix Unfortunately Your App Has Stopped Error on Tecno Camon 30 Pro 5G | Dr.fone
- In 2024, How to Track OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G Location by Number | Dr.fone
- Updated In 2024, Mastering Twitter Video Aspect Ratios Made Easy
- How to Change Spotify Location After Moving to Another Country On Vivo V27 | Dr.fone
- Calls on Xiaomi Redmi 13C Go Straight to Voicemail? 12 Fixes | Dr.fone
- Forgotten The Voicemail Password Of Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G? Try These Fixes
- Top 11 Free Apps to Check IMEI on iPhone 6s
- Possible solutions to restore deleted videos from C53
- Updated How to Edit A Time Lapse Video on iPhone, In 2024
- Forgot Apple iPhone 12 mini Backup Password? Heres What to Do | Dr.fone
- Reasons why Pokémon GPS does not Work On Realme GT 5? | Dr.fone
- Title: Solutions to open Excel 2013 Read Only Documents
- Author: Ian
- Created at : 2024-05-20 10:20:29
- Updated at : 2024-05-21 18:20:57
- Link: https://techidaily.com/solutions-to-open-excel-2013-read-only-documents-by-stellar-guide/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.