[Solved] Excel Spreadsheet Disappears after Opening

Several Excel users have reported about experiencing ‘Excel spreadsheet disappears after opening’ issue. The problem occurs when attempting to open an Excel file by double-clicking on the file icon or name. The Excel file opens blank grey screen.

Figure 1 - Excel Blank Screen

User Instances of ‘Excel Open But Can’t See Spreadsheet’ Issue

Instance 1: The user said that “Excel 2016 opens to a blank screen and everything is greyed out. Ribbons at the top of Excel are also not present”.

Instance 2: The user reported that “Attempting to open a spreadsheet, either by double-clicking the file or by opening Excel, it opens but only a blank Excel window is visible. When trying to save that particular file, Excel behaves as though there is no file open at all and all the file saving options, such as save, save as, print, etc. are greyed out.”

Causes Behind ‘Excel Open But Can’t See Spreadsheet’ Issue & the Solutions Thereof

Following are some of the possible reasons behind the ‘Excel open but can’t see spreadsheet’ issue, along with their solutions:

Cause 1: Excel File is Hidden

You may have saved the Excel sheet as a hidden document.

Solution: Unhide Excel File

Verify if your Excel worksheet is hidden by following these steps:

• In Excel, click the View tab, and then click Unhide.

Note: If the ‘Hide’ tab under the View menu is greyed out, the sheet you’re trying to open is not hidden. In that case, proceed to the next workaround.

Figure 2 - Unhide Excel File

• A dialog box will pop-up showing the worksheet name that can be unhidden. For instance, below is an image of Unhide box that lists ‘Daily_Reports’ spreadsheet under Unhide workbook.

Figure 3 – Select and Unhide Excel Workbook

• Click OK to unhide your Excel sheet.

If this fails to work, there’s a possibility that the spreadsheet window pane may have slided to one side of the visible desktop. To bring back the displayed area, click the ‘Arrange All’ option under the View tab. If the issue persists, try the next solution.

Cause 2: Ignore Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) Option is Enabled

Another reason behind the ‘Excel opens to a blank screen’ issue could be that the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” checkbox is checked in Excel options.

Usually, when you double-click an Excel file, a DDE message is sent to Excel instructing it to open that particular file. But, if you have the ‘Ignore DDE’ option selected, the DDE message sent to Excel to open a workbook is ignored. As a result, the Excel workbook opens a blank screen.

Solution: Uncheck the Ignore DDE Option

Make sure that the ‘Ignore DDE’ option is unchecked by performing these steps:

Note: Skip these steps for Excel 2019 and Excel Office 365.

• In your Excel window, click File > Options.

Figure 4 - Select Excel Options

• From the left-side of the ‘Options’ window, choose Advanced.

Figure 5 - Excel Options Window

• In ‘Advanced’ window, locate the General section, and then uncheck the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” checkbox.

Figure 6 - Uncheck Ignore Other Applications that use DDE

• Click OK to apply the changes.

If these steps don’t work, proceed to the next workaround.

Cause 3: Issue within Office Program

Sometimes, problem within your Microsoft Office program might cause Excel to behave oddly and may result in an Excel spreadsheet disappeared issue.

Solution: Repair Office Program

Try repairing your Office program by executing the steps listed below, based on your Windows OS:

For Windows 10:

• Type Settings in the Windows search box.
• Click Settings.
• In ‘Windows Settings’ screen, select Apps.

Figure 7 - Windows Settings Screen

• In ‘Apps & features’ screen, scroll down to your Microsoft Office program and tap on it, and then click the Modify

Figure 8 - Modify MS Office Program

• In ‘How would you like to repair your Office programs’ dialog box, select the Online Repairradio button, and then click the Repair

Figure 9 - Repair MS Office Program

For Windows 8:

• Open Control Panel and click the Uninstall a program option under Programs.
• Select Microsoft Office 365 and then click Change.
• In the window that opens, select Online Repair and then hit the Repair

You may be asked to restart your system after completion of the repair process.

For Windows 7:

• In ‘Control Panel’ window, double-click Programs and Features.
• Under Uninstall or change a program section, select the Office program, and then select Change.
• In the dialog box that appears, choose Online Repair and then choose Repair.

If repairing your Office installation fails to resolve the issue, continue to solution 4.

Cause 4: Problematic Excel and COM Add-ins

Sometimes, Excel and COM add-ins may cause Excel file open a blank grey screen problem.

Solution: Disable the Add-ins

Disabling the Excel and COM add-ins one at a time may help resolve the problem. The steps are as follows:

• Click the File menu in your Excel file and select
• From ‘Excel Options’ left-side panel, click Add-Ins, and then choose COM Add-ins from the ‘Manage’ drop-down. Click the Go

Figure 10 - Select COM Add-ins

• Uncheck one of the add-ins checkbox from the COM Add-ins window, then select OK.

Figure 11 - Uncheck and Disable COM Add-ins

• Restart your Excel program.

If the issue persists, repeat the above steps (1 till 4), except that you need to choose a different add-in in step 3.

If you’re still experiencing the same problem after unchecking all the COM add-ins, repeat all the above steps, except choose ‘Excel Add-ins’ in step 2.

If Excel can load the file, then the add-in that you disabled last leads to the problem. If turning off add-ins does not work, try the next solution.

Cause 5: Problem with Excel File Associations

The Excel file opening a blank screen problem may occur if the file associations are not performing correctly.

Solution: Reset Excel File Associations

Try resetting the file associations in Excel to their default settings. For this, follow the below steps based on your OS.

For Windows 10 and Windows 8.1:

• Select the file that is opening incorrectly and copy it to the desktop.
• Right-click the file and click Properties.
• In the File’s ‘Properties’ window, check your file type next to Type of Filefrom the General tab. For instance, (.docx), (.csv), or (.pdf).
• Next, check to which app your file is associated with from the Opens withoption

If the file type is different than .xlsx, open the file in a different application by following these steps:

• Click the Change button next to the ‘Opens with’ option.
• Click More apps.
• From the list of applications, select the desired app and then check the Always use this app Click OK.

For Windows 8:

• Open Control Panel, click Default Programs, and then select Set your default programs.
• Choose Excel and then tap the Choose default for this program
• In ‘Set Program Associations’ window, choose Select All and then click Save.

For Windows 7:

• In Control Panel, choose Default Programs.
• Click the Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program
• Choose Microsoft Excel Worksheet and click on change program.
• Choose Microsoft Excel under Recommended Programs.
• If you’re unable to find Excel, browse the Excel installation folder.
• Select exe and then choose Excel.

What Next? Use Stellar Repair for Excel to Recover Your File

If the above solutions don’t help recover your Excel file, use an Excel file repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel to recover it. The software can restore the Excel spreadsheet and its components, including tables, pivot tables, charts, formulas, etc. while preserving the spreadsheet properties and formatting.

Check out the video to recover Excel file by using Stellar Repair for Excel software.

Conclusion

This article described the possible causes behind the ‘Excel open but can’t see spreadsheet’ issue, along with their solutions. The manual solutions to resolve the issue require time and efforts. But, if you need to access your Excel file without any delay, use Stellar Repair for Excel software to recover your .xlsx/.xls file in just a few clicks.

How to Fix “File Not Loaded Completely” Error in Excel?

Summary: You may get the “File not loaded completely” error when opening a large-sized Excel file. Read this post to understand the causes behind this issue and the troubleshooting solutions to fix this Excel error. Also, you’ll get to know about an Excel repair tool that can help fix the issue if the cause is corruption in the Excel file.

Several users have reported experiencing the “File not loaded completely” error while opening Excel spreadsheets or when importing CSV file into Excel. This error can occur if the worksheet has crossed the maximum rows and columns limit , i.e., 1048576 rows by 16,386 columns. However, this issue can also occur due to various other reasons. Let’s take a look at the possible causes behind this error.

Why this Error Occurs?

The “File not loaded completely” issue can occur due to one of the following reasons:

• The Excel file you are trying to open is corrupted.
• The Excel file is too large.
• The Excel file has crossed the rows limit.
• Memory issue in your system.

Methods to Resolve the “File not Loaded Completely” Error

Following are some methods you can try to fix the Excel file not loaded completely issue.

Method 1: Try to Import the Spreadsheet into MS Access

A large-sized Excel file takes time and memory to load. When you try opening a large file, you may get the “file not loaded completely” error. It indicates your file contains unwanted rows and columns. In such a case, you can try importing your spreadsheet into Access. By doing this, you can easily access the rows and columns in the database table, and then remove the extra rows. Follow the steps below to import your spreadsheet into Access:

• Open a blank database in Access application.
• Navigate to the External Data tab and then click on the Excel button.

• In the Get Data-Excel Spreadsheet window, click Browse.

• In the File Open dialog box, select the Excel file (in which you are getting the error) and click Open.

• Select Import the source data into a new table in the current database and click OK.

• In the Import Spreadsheet Wizard window, you’ll see all the rows and columns of your Excel file. Click Next.

• In the dialog box that appears, you can modify the field information (extra columns or rows).

• Once you performed the changes, click on the Next button.

• Provide a name to the table.

• Next, select the option “I would like a wizard to analyze my table after importing the data” (if you want to analyze the data) and click Finish.
• You will get a dialog box with a message. Click Yes.
  
• The Table Analyzer wizard will appear on the screen.

• Click on the Next button.

• Follow the instructions of the Table Analyzer wizard.
• Once you complete all the steps, select “Save import step” and click Close.

Method 2: Split Your Large Excel File

You may face the Excel file not loaded completely issue when importing a large Excel file. In such a case, you can try splitting your large file into smaller ones. To split the file, you can use VBA codes or the move or copy feature.

Method 3: Stop Unwanted Processes Running in the Background

Sometimes, you get the “File not loaded completely” error if you are running multiple files or programs simultaneously. You can check and stop unnecessary background processes in Windows using your system’s Task Manager. Here are the steps:

• Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open the Task Manager window.

• Navigate to the Processes tab and check the Memory section.
• You can see the memory consumption of all the applications in your system.
• Select the unwanted applications and click on End Task.

Now, try to open the Excel file.

Method 4: Repair your Excel File

Sometimes, Excel throws the “File not loaded completely” error if it fails to read the data in your file. This might happen if your Excel file is corrupt. You can use the Open and Repair utility in Excel to repair your Excel file. Follow the below steps:

• In Excel, click the File tab and then click Open.
• Click Browse to select the desired file.
• In the Open dialog box, click on the corrupted file.
• Click on the arrow next to the Open button and then select Open and Repair.

•  Click on the Repair button.

• After repair, you will see a message as shown in the below figure.

• Click Close.

An Alternative Solution

If your file gets corrupted, then repairing it using the “Open and Repair” utility is a good option. However, the Open and Repair utility may not work if the file is severely damaged or corrupted. In such a case, you can use a professional Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool is primarily designed to repair inaccessible or corrupted Excel files. It can effectively work even if your file is too large or severely damaged. It can recover all the data from the corrupted Excel file without impacting its actual format. The software supports Excel files of almost all Excel versions.

Conclusion

The File not loaded completely issue in Excel may occur due to numerous reasons. Try the troubleshooting methods listed above to resolve the issue. If the Excel file is corrupt, then you can try repairing your file using the Open and Repair tool. However, it can fix only minor corruption issues. If your file is severely corrupted, then use Stellar Repair for Excel . The software offers you the safest way to repair your Excel file without making any changes in the formatting. You can download the free trial version of the software today to scan and preview the Excel file.

How to Repair Excel Document on a Flash Drive

Summary: Microsoft Excel files are stored on flash drives if they need to be transferred between systems or if they need to be backed up. But sometimes unforeseen issues can corrupt the Excel sheets stored on flash drives. When that happens, it can be an arduous task to repair Excel documents on a flash drive. Through this post let us try to understand the reasons why Excel sheets stored on flash drives can get corrupted and how users can resolve them easily.

In this digital age, we all work with computers, files, and documents. Flash drives or USBs are common ways of storing data in an external place. Be it for a meeting or for a party playlist, these devices come handy when one wants to transfer data or access the files stored elsewhere.

You may need to access your data from another location. That’s when a USB flash drive might come in handy. And, that’s exactly why Excel sheets too end up on flash drives; either that or for backup purposes. However, there are many instances where an Excel file stored in a USB gets corrupted when one tries to access the file. The error message you get while trying to open the Excel file would be a great clue for figuring out the exact reason behind corruption.

This blog will provide insights into what are the reasons for the corruption of a USB and how the users can repair Excel on flash drive that has been corrupted.

Reasons for USB inaccessibility

Sometimes flash drives or USBs can become unresponsive due to numerous reasons. There are two types of corruption – logical and physical. Physical corruptions occur due to broken stems and connectors, broken circuits, NAND gate, not recognised, RAW, need to format, not accessible, and dead drives (no power supply).

One of the main reasons behind such an error could be that the USB drive has been infected by some virus. This can affect any file – not only the ones which are there in the USB drive but also the ones which are there in the PC/Laptop where you connect the USB drive. It is recommended that you scan the USB drive with reliable antivirus software to detect viruses.

There can be various other reasons that may make your USB corrupt or unresponsive. But there are very slim chances that you will be able to recover a flash drive that has physical damage. However, you can try to run the check disk on the USB drive to fix the drive. We will be discussing this as you read on.

Recovery Methods for Corrupted Flash Drives

There are 3 tried and tested recovery methods. Try them and see which one works out for you.

1. Restoring Excel Files from Windows backup

To bring back your old Excel files, fixing up the corrupt file is your best option. Importantly note that this method would work only if your system’s Windows backup option has been enabled.

Step-by-step process for restoring your older Excel files:

• Connect your USB drive
• Go to “My Computer”->USB Drive->Check if the file exists
• Right click on the excel file and click on the restore previous versions

• You will now see a list of older versions which were created
• Select one the backups and click on “restore”

2. Using Command Line to Recover Excel Files

In case you are looking to repair Excel on flash drive, you can also resolve it by using the command line. Just follow the below steps to see if you can recover the excel files.

• Connect your USB Flash drive
• Open “Run” (press Windows+R) and then open “cmd”

• Type “attrib -h -r -s /s /d (USB Drive Letter):\*.*” where the (USB Drive Letter) is the drive letter you can find using “My Computer”
• Once this has been completed, Windows will start repairing your files
• After the process gets over, try accessing the excel file to see if the data has been recovered

3. Running a “Check Disk” on flash drives

Follow the below steps while the USB flash drive has been plugged into your computer:

• Open “Run” and then open “cmd”
• Type in “chkdsk /X /f (USB Drive Letter)” where the “(USB Drive Letter)” is the letter of the corrupted USB Drive. You can get this letter easily from the “My Computer”.

It will now check your disk to and correct any corrupted records.

What if none of these methods works?

In case none of the above methods works to repair Excel document on a flash drive, then you would need a professional Excel repair software such as Stellar Repair for Excel to restore your files. Such software not only help repair corrupted Excel files on flash drives but also help in recovering the data stored within them in their original format.

Stellar Repair for Excel resolves corruption problems in Excel files and recovers all formulas, charts, cell formatting, and more from them. It can repair multiple Excel files in one go. Equipped with a fully interactive GUI, working with this product is extremely easy.

To sum it up

Although flash drives are quite popularly used, they are not the most reliable of storage devices. These drives can fail anytime without warning. Thus, always back up your data on other more robust devices instead of flash drives. We hope that with the above tried and tested methods you will easily be able to repair Excel document on flash drive if need be. For any queries that you have, feel free to leave a comment below!

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Unable to Open an Excel File Due to Invalid Extension?

You may face an error - “Excel cannot open the file .xlsx” in Excel 2021, 2019, 2016, etc., leading to data loss. This error occurs when you try to open corrupt Excel file or an invalid file format. Using the correct extension can resolve the issue, if there is no corruption. However, you need an Excel repair tool if the file is corrupt. Stellar Repair for Excel can repair the corrupt file and recover all objects in intact form.

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Excel File Not Opening Due to Corruption?

You cannot open an Excel file if it is corrupted. For example, opening an Excel file created in a lower version like Excel 2007 in Excel 2010 or later version can throw a corruption error message. Or, the file may open in a ‘protected view,’ not allowing any write operations. The Excel repair tool from Stellar provides a comprehensive solution to fix corrupt Excel files across all versions, including Excel 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, and older.

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Excel Found Unreadable Content?

You may encounter an error message – “Excel found unreadable content in filename.xls”, with a message to recover the contents of the workbook. Clicking ‘Yes’ to recover the contents may lead to loss of formatting, replacement of formulas, and inconsistencies. Stellar Phoenix Excel Repair software now Stellar Repair for Excel can scan the workbook and recover its contents.

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KEY FEATURES FOR REPAIR FOR EXCEL

Software Important Capabilities

Repair Large-sized Excel Files

Stellar Repair for Excel software previously known as Stellar Phoenix Excel Repair can repair & fix corrupt Excel files of any size. It removes corruption from individual objects, fixes the damage, and restores the Excel file back to its original state. The Excel repair tool can repair multiple Excel files in a batch.
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Resolves All Excel Corruption Errors

This Excel file repair tool fixes all types of Excel corruption errors, such as unrecognizable format, Excel found unreadable content in name.xls, Excel cannot open the file filename.xlsx, file name is not valid, the Excel file is corrupt and cannot be opened, etc. It provides a comprehensive solution for fixing Excel file issues.
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Preview the Repaired Excel File

The software shows a preview of the repaired Excel file and its recoverable contents in the main interface. This functionality allows you to verify the data in your repaired Excel file, including all of its objects, before saving the file. The Excel File Recovery software helps in determining the final state of data you will receive after repairing the corrupted Excel file.
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Recovers All Excel file Objects

The software repairs the corrupt Excel file and recovers all objects, including tables, charts, series trendline, conditional formatting rules, and properties of the worksheet. The software also recovers embedded functions, group & subtotal, engineering formulas, numbers, texts, rules, etc. It recovers Excel file data in its intact form.

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Stellar Excel repair software helps users unaware of the Excel file location to search for all the Excel files on the computer. It provides ‘Find’ option to quickly locate and list all the Excel files for repair. You can select single or multiple files from the list that you want to repair.

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Stellar Toolkit for File Repair provides essential tools to repair corrupt Office files via a single interface. It comprises tools like MS Excel Repair, MS Word Repair, MS PowerPoint Repair, and PDF Repair to fix corrupt documents while maintaining the original file format.
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Stellar Repair for Excel

Version:	6.0.0.7
License:	Single System
Edition:	Standard, Technician, & Toolkit
Language Supported:	English
Release Date:	February, 2024

Processor:	Intel compatible (x64-based processor)
Memory:	4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended)
Hard Disk:	250 MB of Free Space
Operating System: (64 Bit only)	Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7

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How do I repair multiple Excel files by using Stellar Repair for Excel software?

After launching the software, click Select File button in the Home tab. Next, click Browse and select the checkbox against all the Excel files you need to repair. Then, click the Repair button to start repairing all the Excel files.

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Browse and select the file(s) to repair. The software will start scanning the Excel files once you click the Repair button. Next, it will display the files in the left pane. You can preview their contents in the right pane.

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The software saves the repaired file with the prefix “Recovered” at the user-specified location. You can find the recovered file using the Search box utility in the taskbar.

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Resolve Compile Error in Hidden Module in Excel: Causes & Solutions

The hidden module in Excel refers to a container with VBA codes, custom queries, and complex macros. The compile error in a hidden (protected) module in the Excel worksheet usually occurs when doing different activities on a macro-enabled sheet, such as merging .xls files. The error can result in macros execution failure. You need to quickly resolve this compile error to restore full functionality of the VBA code. Below, we’ll be discussing the solutions to fix this Excel error. But before that, let’s see why this error occurs.

You may encounter the Compile error in hidden module due to one of the following reasons:

• The code in the workbook is not compatible with the Excel application.
• Manual queries created in a previous version are no longer compatible with your current version of Excel.
• Missing references.
• Invalid .exe files (control information cache files) are automatically created with ActiveX control insertion in Excel file.
• Protected module is corrupted.
• The workbook with hidden module is damaged or corrupted.
• Incompatible add-ins.
• Incompatible Excel file version.
• The module is protected or password-protected.
• Missing or corrupted mscomctl.ocx file.

Excel can throw the compile error while compiling the code that exists in the protected module. So, first check the error and identify the hidden module that is creating the issue. You can unprotect the module. Also, ensure that you have permission to access the VBA code in the module. If the error still exists, follow the below troubleshooting methods.

Method 1: Re-register ActiveX Control Files or mscomctl.ocx Files

You can get the compile error in the Excel file, containing the VBA code related to ActiveX controls or OCX files. The ActiveX control files and OCX files (mscomctl.ocx files) are the components of Microsoft’s standard controls library. The compile error in the hidden module can occur if these files are missing. In this case, you can use the Regsvr32 tool to re-register the OCX files. The Regsvr32  is a command-line utility to register and unregister OLE controls in the Windows registry.

Method 2: Delete .exd Files

 The .exd files are temporary files created by Excel when inserting ActiveX controls objects. These temporary files can lead to a compile error if they are corrupted. So, if this issue has occurred, particularly in the Excel file containing ActiveX controls, then deleting .exd files might fix the issue. To delete the .exd file, follow the below steps:

• First, open the Run window by pressing the Windows+R keys.

• In the Run window, type %appdata%.

• In the Roaming window, click on the Microsoft option.

• Under Microsoft, you will see a list of folders. Search and click on Forms.
• Right-click on a file with .exd extension and select Delete.
• Once you delete the .exd files, restart your Excel application.

Method 3: Rollback the Office Updates

MS Office updates or upgrades may also cause the compile error in hidden module in Excel. If the error has occurred after downloading the recent Microsoft Office updates, try reverting to the previous version or uninstalling the recent updates to fix the issue.

Method 4: Unselect Missing References

The compile error in hidden module determine path in Excel can also occur if your file contains a reference to object library/type library, which is labelled as Missing. You can locate, check, and uncheck the references marked as ‘Missing’ to fix the issue. Here are the steps:

• Open your Excel and press Alt + F11 keys.
• The Visual Basic Editor is displayed.

• Go to the Tools option and then click References.

• In the References-VBAProject window, under Available References, search and unselect the references starting as “Missing”.

• Click OK.

Method 5: Check the Code in Module

The compile error in hidden module can occur if there are issues in the code within the module. The problems include incorrect or missing syntaxes, missing parameters/references, or the code contains incompatible functions or a wrong name of the object. You can check and fix these issues in the code by opening the VBA editor.

Method 6: Check and Remove Add-ins

In Excel, the compile error in macro-enabled files can also occur due to incompatible add-ins. You can check and disable the add-ins in Excel using the below steps:

• First, open the Run window and type excel /safe and then click OK. The Excel application will open in safe mode.
• Now try to open the affected Excel file. If it opens without the error, then check and remove the latest installed Excel add-ins.
• Navigate to the File option and then select Options.
• In the Excel Options window, click Add-ins.

• Under Add-ins, search and select the latest add-ins, and then click on Go.
• In the Add-ins window, uncheck the add-ins and then click OK.

• Restart Excel and then check if the error is fixed or not.

Method 7: Repair the Corrupt Excel File

Corruption in the Excel file can affect the macros in the hidden module, which may result in the compile error. In such a case, you can try repairing the Excel file using Microsoft’s inbuilt utility -Open and Repair. To use this tool, follow these steps:

• Open your Excel application.
• Click the File tab and then click Open.
• Click Browse to select the affected workbook.
• The Open dialog box will appear. Click on the corrupted file.
• Click the arrow next to the Open button and then Open and Repair.
• You will see a dialog box with three buttons - Repair, Extract Data, and Cancel.

• Click on the Repair button to recover as much of the data as possible.
• After repair, a message is displayed. Click Close.

What if None of the Above Solutions Works?

If the above methods fail to get rid of the “compile error in hidden module” in Excel, then use an Excel repair tool such as Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool is specifically designed to repair the corrupted Excel file. It can recover all the components from corrupted Excel file (macros, queries, formulas, etc.) without changing their original formatting. The tool is compatible with all Excel versions and can be downloaded on a Windows system. You can download the free trial version of Stellar Repair for Excel to scan the corrupted Excel file and preview the data.

Closure

You can get the “compile error in hidden module” when Excel detects any issue while compiling the code in a protected module. It can occur when there is an issue with the macro-enabled Excel workbook or Excel add-ins. You can follow the above-mentioned methods to fix the issue. If the error occurs due to corruption in the database file, then you can try Stellar Repair for Excel . It can repair severely corrupted Excel files. It also helps recover all the Excel workbook’s components, including macros and queries. The tool has a simple and user-friendly interface.

How to fix Microsoft Excel has stopped working error?

Summary: This blog discusses the possible reasons behind ‘Microsoft Excel has stopped working’ error and solutions to resolve the error manually. You can use Stellar Repair for Excel to quickly repair the file and recover all its data in a hassle-free manner.

Has your Microsoft Excel program stopped working or is acting strange? Excel not responding is a common issue you may experience on launching the application or opening a spreadsheet.

Figure 1 – Microsoft Excel Has Stopped Working Error Message

Possible Causes behind ‘Microsoft Excel has Stopped Working’ Error, and Solutions Thereof

Note: Several users have reported about encountering the ‘Excel has stopped working’ issue on Windows 10, 8, and 7 OS after installing an update for Excel (KB3118373). If you too have installed the update, then uninstall it and check if it solves the error. For detailed information, refer to this link .

How to Fix a Corrupted .xls File? The Everything Guide

Undoubtedly, Excel is so powerful that it can help you to process, analysis, and store data, in masses.

That’s the reason it has been there for years and helping this world in data.

But…

With all those powers comes some nasty problems which no Excel users like to face. Can you guess what I’m talking about?

Think about a Corrupted Excel File. Nightmare? Isn’t it?

And do you remember that last time when you have opened a workbook and you got a message that this workbook is might corrupt?

The TRUTH is, this is something which you cannot avoid, but, you can prepare yourself in the best way and deal with it like a PRO.

So today, in this post, I’d like to share with you to everything you need to know about a corrupt Excel file (.xls), why it happens, how to fix it like a PRO, and much more.

…let’s get started.

Note: In this post, we’ll be covering the .xls version (which is the extension for the file which is created in Excel 2007 or the earlier versions) and if you want to know about the new version, here’s the quick fix for that.

Why My Excel File Got Corrupted?

There can be one or multiple reasons for an Excel file to get corrupted. Below I have detailed about some of the major of them.

1. Large Excel File

You can store data in a workbook the way you want but sometimes using excessive thing can make an Excel file bigger in size.

And that kind of data files can crash at any point in time. Here are a few things which make the Excel files heavy, like

• Conditional Formatting.
• Colors formatting.
• Using merged cells in place of text alignment.
• Volatile functions: Formulae that iterate every time you open or change a cell value; OFFSET, NOW.
• Using a complete column or row as a reference than the data set range.
• Using complex formulas; VLOOKUP in place of Index/Match, Nested If in place of MAXIFS, MINIFS.
• Calculations or reference across workbooks.

Related: How to Fix Formatting Issues in Excel

2. Abrupt System Shutdown

Shutting down the system without following the procedure can corrupt your data file.

This shut down can be due to a power failure or any other unexpected technical challenges.

So it is always important to follow the procedures and shut down your system properly to avoid data losses.

3. Infected Excel File (Virus Attack)

This is the most common and obvious reason for Excel file corruption.

Although we always keep our system safe using various Antiviruses, still there is always a probability of virus attacks and loss of important files.

It is always advised to use a safe and strong antivirus compatible with your system requirements.

What are the Signs to Know When an Excel File is Corrupted?

In this section, we will discuss what are the signs which you can get when an Excel file is corrupted, let’s dig into it.

1. The File is Corrupt and Cannot Be Opened

This is one of the most common messages you can see when your workbook is corrupted.

But there is also a chance that it is just because of the version compatibility where you have a .xls file but you are using the latest version of Excel check out this detailed post by Priyanka

2. We Found a Problem with some Content in this File…

There’s another error message which you can get while opening a file:

We Found a Problem with some content in Do you want us to recover as much as we can? If you trust the source of this workbook, click yes.

There are a lot of applications out there (I think almost every) which exports the data as a .xls format. Those files have a greater chance of having this kind of error.

3. “Filename.xls” cannot be accessed

There can also be a situation where you get the error:

“Filename.xls” cannot be accessed. The file may be corrupted, located on a server that is not responding.

Well, this message is a bit misleading.

You won’t be able to decide that your file is actually corrupted or just not on the location.

My Excel File Got Corrupted, now What Should I Do?

There are many ways to recover the data from the corrupt excel files. But before you start, it is always advised to create a copy of the corrupted file.

You can save a lot of time with Stellar Repair for Excel, which make data recovery just with few clicks.

But before you go for a data recovery software, let’s try out some manual steps which can help.

When a workbook get corrupted the first thing comes to the mind is to recover data from it…

…and you what there’s a simple option there in the Excel which you can use to do this. Below are the steps you need to follow:

• First of all, open the Excel and click on the office icon.

• After that, go to the “Open” and select the file which is corrupted.

• Now, click on the open drop-down and select “Open and Repair”.

• At this point, you have two options:

1. Repair File
2. Extract Data

Let’s get into both of these options one by one…

1. Repair File

This option helps you to repair the file and the moment you click on it it takes a few seconds afterward and shows you the result with a message box and also provide you a log file.

And once it is done with repairing, you’ll get your file opened and you can save that file as a new copy.

Yes, that’s it.

2. Extract Data

If somehow you aren’t able to get your file repaired, you can also extract data from that file using “Extract Data” option.

Even in this option, you can get data in two ways.

1. As Values
2. With Formulas

In the first option, Excel simply extracts data as value ignoring all the formulas driving those value (which is the best way if you just need to have that data back ).

But in the second option, Excel tries to recover the formulas as much as possible.

Check out this smart technique by Jyoti which you can use it you aren’t able to recover data from the file.

Preventions to Not to have any Excel File Go Corrupt in Future

Future is fragile, what I’m trying to say is the more you work in Excel and process data there could be a chance that your workbook goes corrupt.

If there’s no security then what an EXCEL POWER user should do?

Well, there are few things which you can do or take care of while working with Excel so that you won’t have to worry about corruption of Excel workbooks.

Let’s see what you can do…

1. Change Recalculation Option

Now here’s the thing when you work with a hell lot of data, there a common thing that you gotta using formulas. Right?

But, the thing these formulas are something which makes your Excel file slows down sometimes make them go corrupt.

There’s one small tweak you can do in your workbook is change the calculation method.

Now with the manual calculation, you just need to whenever you open your file it won’t recalculate all the formulas.

And when you update your data you can simply click on the “Calculate Now” and it will calculate all the formulas again.

Quick Tip: Beware of Volatile Functions and use them with caution as recalculates them every time you change something in the worksheet.

2. Use VBA Codes Instead of Formulas

Now, this is what I do when I need to use complex formulas in a workbook.

Here’s how you can do this: Let’s say you have a formula in the cell A1, like below, which calculates the age.

=“You age is “& DATEDIF(Date-of-Birth,TODAY(),”y”) &” Year(s), “& DATEDIF(Date-of-Birth,TODAY(),”ym”)& “ Month(s) & “& DATEDIF(Date-of-Birth,TODAY(),”md”)& “ Day(s).”

Now, instead of simply entering it into the cell A1 which I would write a macro code which inserts this formula into the cell A1 and then convert it into the a value.

Here’s the code:

Sub CalculateAge()
Range(“B1”).Value = _
“=””Your age is “”” & _
“&DATEDIF(A1,TODAY(),””y””)” & _
“&”” Year(s), “”” & _
“&DATEDIF(A1,TODAY(),””ym””)” & _
“&”” Month(s), and “”” & _
“&DATEDIF(A1,TODAY(),””md””)” & _
“&”” Days(s).”””
Range(“B1”) = Range(“B1”).Value
End Sub

Note: To write these code you need to have basic understading of VBA (make sure check out this guide for this).

3. Use a File Recovery Application

Recently we asked a quick question to our readers on ExcelChamps that if they have ever faced a situation where they got a corruption message in Excel.

You’ll be astonied to hear that 50% percent of the people said “YES” they faced this thing in the past.

Now, this is alarming, if you are heading a team or you have a bunch of people in your company who use Excel…

…there’s a high probability that half of them gonna face this issue. So the best way to deal with this to have an App FIX your Excel file for you.

With STELLAR REPAIR FOR EXCEL, you just need a few clicks, yes that’s right. Let me show you with the below steps:

• First of all, download the app and install it (it’s simple).

• After that, open the app and click on the “Browse” and simply select the file which is corrupted.

• In the end, click on the REPAIR to let the Excel repair software fix your file (it takes a few seconds).

Once you complete repairing your file, you’ll get a message in your on the status bar and after that, you can open your file.

Final Thoughts

If you are a POWER Excel user then there’s a must for you to have known how to deal with a situation where you got a corrupt Excel file.

But I must recommend you to TRY OUT Stellar Repair for Excel so that’s you don’t have to worry about your Excel files anymore.

I’m sure you found this post helpful, and please don’t forget to share this tip with your colleagues, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.