‘Unable to Save Excel Workbook’ Issue [Fix 2024]

Summary: You may unable to save your Excel Workbooks due to several reasons. Many users have reported this issue on the Tech Forums. This blog will discuss a few instances when users cannot save their Excel files. It lists the causes behind the issue and their possible solutions. It also mentions the Stellar Repair for Excel to fix the saving error if it is due to corruption in the Excel file.

It is easy to work with Microsoft Excel but sometimes, the application may create issues thereby hampering the smooth functioning of the workbook. One such issue is “unable to Save Excel Workbook”.

Let’s take a look at the issue of Unable to Save Excel Workbook

Instance 1:

In an organization, users connected to one of the servers (Windows 2008 R2) using Citrix – a Terminal Server configured with Windows 2008 R2 –and accessed their data through a File Server, also configured with Windows 2008R2. Since the connectivity to Shared Drive was established through a Terminal server, any conflict amongst the server configuration may create conflict in shared file.

This issue was discussed at length at one of the Tech Forums , where the users were unable to access their workbooks stored on the shared drive. The File menu did not work. As a result, the users were forced to save the workbook by creating quick access shortcuts or locally on the desktop. In many cases, the saving option was ruled out completely.

Instance 2:

A similar problem was reported, wherein the users received an error when saving an Excel workbook after inserting a chart in an existing workbook (previously saved) or copying values from an existing workbook. A system is configured with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 10 configuration. The issue arises when the user is unable to save the changes after editing in a saved spreadsheet. The following message displays on the screen:

Figure: Unable to Save Excel WorkBook Issue

Further, if the user clicks ‘Continue’, the following error message is received:

“Excel encountered errors during save. However, Excel was able to minimally save your file to <**filename.xlsx**>”.

Note: This issue impacts build Version 1707 (Build 8326.2086) and later, and also only occurs with files that are stored locally, such as on the desktop. This problem does not occur if you manually enter values or insert a chart in a newly created workbook.

Plausible reasons for the ‘Unable to save Excel workbook’ Issue

1. The issue was detected in Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 32-bit, Service Pack 14.0.6029.1000.
2. Excel version on the user system may or may not match with Excel version on File server.
3. The issue of ‘Unable to Save Excel Workbook’ impacts only the Build Version 1707 (Build 8326.2086) and later.
4. In case of Issue 2, the problem surfaces when the user adds files, tables or charts in the locally saved excel files, such as on the desktop.

Methods to fix the ‘Unable to Save Excel Workbook’ Issue

There may be an issue with the Build version or the Registry Values settings may not be appropriate, which does not allow the Excel workbooks to save.

But, before starting to resolve the issue, verify the following:

1. The location where the file is to be saved may not have enough space to save the Excel file: Check the available space and save again. You may also use the option of ‘Save As’ to save the file at a new location.
2. Excel file may be a shared one where edits are not allowed by a specific user: There are restrictions attached to documents and other files shared over the network. Check for these restrictions.
3. Antivirus may interrupt in during file saving: Antivirus in the system may not allow saving of the files. Request the system administrator to uninstall the antivirus and reinstall after saving.
4. The file is not saved within 218 characters: If the file is not saved due to the naming issue, then check the character length and try again.
5. Differences in Windows versions of the local system and those on network drive may cause excel not saved issues. Check that all the systems have the same configuration and are updated to the recently available versions.
6. Excel spreadsheet is corrupt: If none of the above factors have not caused hindrance in saving the file, then there may be a probability of corruption in the Excel spreadsheet .

Once verified, look for a healthy and restorable backup. If backup is missing, resolve the issue of “Unable to open Excel File” with manual settings on local system or through a reliable Excel repair software.

Method 1: Modify Registry Entries

If multiple users are unable to access their workbooks stored on the shared drive and facing unable to save Excel file problem (see Instance 1 above), then follow the below steps:

1. Go to ‘Registry Entry’. To do this, type ‘regedit’ in the Start Search box, and press ENTER

Figure: Edit Registry

2. You are prompted for the administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue
3. Locate the following registry subkey, and right-click it: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC

Figure: CSC Location

4. Point the cursor to New, and click Key

Figure: Create new key

5. Type ‘File Parameters’ in the available box

Figure: File parameters

6. Right-click Parameters, point the cursor to New, and click DWORD (32-bit) Value

Figure: File parameter (DWORD – 32 bit) value

7. Type ‘FormatDatabase’, and press ‘ENTER’. Right-click ‘FormatDatabase’, and click ‘Modify’

Figure: Modify format database

8. In the Value data box, type ‘1’, and click ‘OK’

Figure: Value data

9. Exit ‘Registry Editor’
10. Restart the system and verify if the files can be saved now

Method 2: Try Google Uploads

If the user is unable to save the changes after editing in a locally saved spreadsheet (see Instance 2 above), then follow these steps:

1. Upload the unsaved Excel file to Google Docs. Ensure that the file gets converted to Google Sheets format.
2. Check if all the formulae are active and working.
3. Make changes to the Google Sheet and verify that all the changes are working fine.
4. Use the Google Sheets export feature to download the file in Excel format.

Method 3: Resolve manually with Open and Repair

If the Excel file is found to have corruption, try out the Excel Open and Repair utility:

1. Open a blank Excel File. Go to File and Click Open.
2. Go to Computers and click Browse.
3. Access the Location and Folder and click the arrow icon beside Open followed by Open and Repair.

Figure: Illustrates Steps to use ‘Open and Repair’ method

The Open and Repair utility is not competitive enough and may not fix corruption in severely corrupted files. Hence, if you are unable to save Excel workbook after applying the manual methods, then you can search for a useful software-based repair utility.

Method 4: Excel File Repair Software

Specifically meant to resolve Excel file corruption. Stellar Repair for Excel helps you to repair every single object including charts, tables, their formatting, shared formulae and rules and more.

1. Install and Open the software and select the corrupt Excel File. You can also click the Find option if the file location is not known.
2. Click Scan and allow the software to scan and repair the corrupt Excel file.
3. Once repaired, the software displays the fixed file components to verify its content.
4. Click Save to save the file data in a blank new file as ‘Recovered_abc.xls’, where abc.xls is the name of the original file.

See the working of the software which has been declared as a tool that provides 100% integrity and precision.

The Excel repair software takes care to save the repaired data in a new file to minimize the chances of further corruption.

Conclusion

‘Unable to save Excel file’ is a generic problem that may appear due to various reasons. In this blog post, we presented some of the actual instances reported by users on community forums.

Windows updates, the Build versions, the Service Packs of the local systems and those on the network drive must be either similar or in sync with each other. Any deviation may cause issues in accessing or saving the Microsoft files, as reported in Instance 1 is caused where user is unable to save Microsoft Excel file on the Network Drive. In case, the user is unable to save the file on network drive then the problem lies with the Registry value.

Another case is when the users receive an error while saving an Excel workbook after they insert a chart in an existing workbook or copying values from an existing workbook. This issue is known to affect build Version 1707 (Build 8326.2086) and later, and only occurs with locally stored files.

When a user is unable to save a specific Excel file, then the problem can be resolved using the manual methods or the software based utility. The mode of repair depends upon the level of corruption in Excel file.

Hence, it is suggested to analyze the nature of the problem and decide an appropriate resolution method.

Fix Cannot Paste the Data Error in Microsoft Excel

When copying and pasting the cell contents or attributes from one workbook to another, you can encounter the “Cannot paste the data” error. The error indicates that the values you are trying to paste do not match the cell format (Currency, Date, Text, etc.) used in the column. The error can occur if you are attempting to paste information into a merged cell. You can also get this error if the data you are trying to paste contains more columns than the destination worksheet can accept or if the copy area and paste area aren’t the same size.

Why you cannot Paste the Data in Microsoft Excel?

You can experience the “Excel cannot paste the data” error due to one of the following reasons:

• Locked cells
• Data size limitation
• Formatting issues
• The file size is too large
• Overloaded clipboard
• Data type mismatch
• Invalid range
• Lack of permissions
• Excel file is corrupted
• Compatibility issues
• While pasting the merged cells

Methods to Fix MS Excel Cannot Paste the Data Error

The “Microsoft Excel cannot paste the data” error usually appears when copying and pasting data within the spreadsheet. It primarily affects the copy-and-paste feature within the Excel file. However, the impact of this error may vary with the data you are working with. When this error occurs, first try restarting the Excel application. Ensure that you’ve saved all your important data before restarting the application to prevent data loss. If, after performing this basic step, you still face the issue, then try the following troubleshooting methods.

Method 1: Check and Unlock Cells in Excel

You can get the Excel cannot paste the data error if the cells you are trying to paste in the Excel file are locked. You can check and unlock the specific cells in the Excel file using the below steps:

• Go to the Home tab in your Excel file and click Format Cell Font popup launcher.

• In the Format Cells dialog box, click Protection.

• Under the Protection option, unselect the locked field and then click OK.

Method 2: Check and Fix the Cell Format

Sometimes, you can get the “Cannot paste the data” error in Excel if there is an issue with the formatting of the cells in the column (in which you are trying to paste the data). You can check whether the cell formats of the columns of the source file (from where you are copying data) match the destination file (in which you are pasting the cell data). If not, then change the cell format. Here’s how to do so:

• In the Excel file, click on the affected column heading (whose cells you need to modify).
• Navigate to the Home tab and click the General dropdown menu.

• Click on the desired cell format that matches the values you are trying to paste into the column.

Method 3: Check Copy and Paste Area Size

The “data cannot be pasted” issue can also occur if Excel detects the copy area of the range of cells is not of the same size and shape as that of the paste area. So, make sure the size of the range of cells for the paste area is same as the copied area. To ensure this, you can try the following:

• Use Upper-left Cell

 You can select the upper-left cell instead of the complete range to paste.

• Use Paste Special Option

• You can use the Paste Special option to paste the data. To use this option, go to Home > Paste Special.

• You can choose from the different options, such as paste all, formulas, operations, Transpose, skip blanks, etc. to take control over how the data is pasted.

Method 4: Check and Unmerge Cells

The merged cells in the workbook can create discrepancies when copying and pasting data. These can create mismatch between the source and destination cell areas, resulting in errors. Make sure you are not pasting the data copied from merged cells. You can check and unmerge the cells using the below steps:

• Open the Excel file (in which you are copying data) and go to the Home tab.
• Click Merge & Center > Unmerge Cells.

Method 5: Unselect the Excel DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) Option

Sometimes, you can get the Excel cannot paste the data error while copying and pasting data from Excel file to external data sources or applications. It usually appears if you have established DDE links between them. To resolve this, you can uncheck the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” option. Follow the below steps to do so:

• Open your Excel file.
• Go to File > Options.

In Excel Options, click Advanced and unselect “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). Click OK.

Here are some additional solutions you can try to fix the “Cannot paste the data” error in Excel

Check the Excel File Format

Sometimes, the copy and paste error can occur if you try to move data from an older version of Excel file (XLS) into a newer version file (XLSX) or vice versa. You can try to change or convert the file format to resolve the issue.

Clear Clipboard

Too many items on the clipboard can prevent you from copying and pasting the data. You can empty your clipboard  by deleting all clips. To do this, go to Home and click the Clipboard option.

Change the Column’s Cell Format

You can get the “Cannot paste the data” error when the information you need to paste does not match the cell format in the column. In such a case, you can change the column’s cell format. To do this, navigate to the Home option and then click on the General menu arrow. Then, change the cell format suitable to the type of information you are trying to paste in that column.

Add Columns

The copy-and-paste error in Excel can also occur if there are not enough columns to accept the data that you are trying to paste. You can insert more columns and then try copying and pasting data. To insert additional columns, click on the column heading, click Home, and then select Insert.

Remove Incompatible Add-ins

Sometimes, incompatible or faulty add-ins can also create conflicts with Excel’s clipboard operations, leading to the error. To check if add-ins are causing the issue, open the Excel file in safe mode. In safe mode, if you are able to paste the data, then check and uninstall the incompatible Excel Add-ins.

What to do if Nothing Works?

If the above methods do not work, then corruption in the Excel file could be the cause of the “Cannot paste the data” error. In such a case, you can use Excel’s built-in Open and Repair utility to repair the corrupted file. Here’s how to use this utility to repair the Excel file:

• Open your Excel application.
• Navigate to File and then click Open.
• Click the Browse option to select the affected Excel file.
• The Open dialog box opens up. Click on the corrupted file.
• From the Open dropdown, select the Open and Repair option.
• The Excel will prompt you to choose one of the below options:
• Repair
• Extract
• Cancel
• Select the Repair option to extract maximum data from the file. If the Repair option fails, choose the Extract option to recover the data, excluding formulas and values.

 The Open and Repair utility may not be able to repair your Excel file if it is severely corrupted. In such a situation, the best possible way out is to use a professional Excel repair software to repair the file. You can try Stellar Repair for Excel. It can repair highly damaged or corrupted Excel (.xls, .xlsx, .xltm, .xltx, or .xlsm) file and recover all the objects from the file by maintaining the original formatting. The tool supports 2007 and higher editions of MS Excel. You can download the demo version of the software to preview the repaired objects and verify its functionality.

Conclusion

The “Excel cannot paste the data” error in Excel can occur due to different factors. You can check and clear the clipboard, unmerge the cells, unlock the cells, and use various other methods mentioned above to troubleshoot the error. If you fail to copy and paste the data due to file corruption, then opt for an advanced Excel repair software, like Stellar Repair for Excel. It is a reliable tool that can help you repair highly damaged/corrupted Excel files. It enables you to recover all the objects from the corrupted Excel file, with complete integrity.

How to Fix ‘Sharing Violation Error’ when Saving Excel?

Summary: You may encounter the sharing violation error in Excel when you repeatedly save changes in a workbook. The error can occur due to different reasons. In this blog, we will discuss the possible reasons behind this sharing violation error and some effective solutions to fix it. If the issue has occurred due to corruption in Excel file, you can try the advanced Excel repair tool mentioned in the post to repair the corrupted file.

It is not uncommon to encounter errors while working with Excel application. One common error that Excel users face is the sharing violation error that occurs while saving an Excel spreadsheet. The complete error message says, “Your changes could not be saved to file because of a sharing violation.” When this error occurs, users won’t be able to save the changes in the file. So, it is important to fix this issue as soon as possible. But before fixing the error, let’s find out the causes behind this error.

Causes of Excel Sharing Violation Error

This error may pop up due to the below reasons:

• The file you are trying to save is corrupted.
• The Excel file is not in the trusted location.
• Sharing Wizard is disabled.
• You do not have permission to modify the Excel file.
• The Excel file is not permitted to get indexed.

Methods to Fix the Sharing Violation Error in Excel

You can move the affected Excel file to a new folder and save it with a different name. Then, see if it fixes the error. If it doesn’t help, you can try the below methods.

Method 1: Check and Change the Excel File Properties

You can get the sharing violation error in Excel if the file attribute options, such as “File is ready for archiving” and “Allow this file to have contents indexed in addition to file properties” are disabled. You can check the File Properties and enable these options to fix the issue. Here are the steps:

• Right-click on any Excel file and select Properties.

• In the Properties window, click on the Advanced option.

• In the Advanced Attributes window, select the below options under File attributes:
• File is ready for archiving.
• Allow this file to have contents indexed in addition to file properties.

• Click OK.

Note: If these options are already selected, then unselect and re-select them.

Method 2: Enable Sharing Wizard Option

The error “Your changes could not be saved to file because of a sharing violation” can also occur if the sharing wizard option is disabled on your system. You can check and enable the sharing wizard option using these steps:

• Go to your system’s Documents folder.
• Click View > Options > Change folders and search options.

• In the Folder Options window, click View.

• Under the View section, search for the “Use Sharing Wizard” option in the Advanced Settings.

• If the Use Sharing Wizard option is unselected, select it and then click OK.

Method 3: Move the Excel File to a Trusted Location

You can encounter the sharing violation error if the file you are trying to save is not in the trusted location. You can try moving the file to a trusted location by following these steps:

• In Excel, go to File and then click Options.
• Click Trust Center and then click Trust Center Settings.

• In the Trust Center window, click Trusted Locations and then click Add new location.

• In the Add new location window, select Browse to locate and choose the folder, and then click OK.

Method 4: Open Excel in Safe Mode

Incompatible add-ins can create issues in the Excel file. To check if the sharing violation issue has occurred due to add-ins, open Excel in safe mode. To do so, follow these steps:

• Open the Run window using Windows + R.

• Type excel /safe and click on OK.
• Open the affected file and then try to save the changes.
• If you are able to save the changes without any error, then it indicates add-ins are causing the issue. To fix this, you can remove the recently downloaded add-ins (if any).

Method 5: Repair the Excel File

Corruption in Excel file can also create issue while saving the changes. In such a case, you can repair the corrupted Excel file using the inbuilt utility in Excel, named Open and Repair. Follow these steps to use this utility:

• In Excel, navigate to File > Open > Browse.
• In the Open dialog box, click on the affected Excel file.
• Click the arrow next to the Open button and select Open and Repair from the dropdown.
• Click on the Repair option to recover as much data from the file as possible.

If the above utility fails to fix the corrupt Excel file, then you can use a more powerful Excel repair tool , such as Stellar Repair for Excel. This Excel repair tool can repair even severely corrupted or damaged Excel files (xls, .xlsx, .xltm, .xltx, and .xlsm). This tool can recover all the data from the corrupted Excel file, including images, chart sheets, formulas, etc., without changing the original format. It can help in fixing common corruption-related errors in Excel. You can download the software’s demo version to scan the corrupt file.

To Conclude

Above, we have discussed some effective methods to fix the sharing violation error in Excel. This error may also occur if you try to save the Excel file in an incompatible format. So, check the format and try saving the file in a compatible format. If the error occurs due to Excel file corruption, you can repair corrupt Excel file using the Open and Repair tool. If nothing works, then download a third-party Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It is an advanced tool that can fix severely corrupted Excel files. You can install this repair tool on any Windows system.

‘Open and Repair’ Doesn’t Work in MS Excel

Summary: In this Blog, we will go through Microsoft office most important product i.e Microsoft excel, let’s get into all possible Manual and an alternate method to deal with MS Excel open and Repair doesn’t work issue, read on to know more.

Whether you are a student or an entrepreneur, the features of Microsoft Excel do not delude anyone. Setting goals, creating budgets, analyzing data, calculating salaries, is there anything that Excel can’t do? All of us have used it and trusted it to calculate and provide a solution to our most difficult problems. However, like every other software application, this otherwise reliable application can sometimes fall prey to unexpected errors which can even threaten to make our critical data inaccessible.

A good idea to avoid loss of data when a Microsoft Excel file becomes corrupt is to take some proactive measures, such as saving a backup copy of your files and creating an automatic recovery file at periodic intervals. If you are faced with a corrupted Excel file, you know you can still use the ‘Open and Repair’ function provided by Microsoft to fix and open corrupt Excel file. However, what should a user do when ‘Open and Repair’ is not working? This is a query shared by millions of Excel users worldwide. Sometimes, the ‘Open and Repair’ functionality of Excel stops working due to unknown reasons. In such cases, if users face Excel file corruption, they get stuck with no idea how to fix the Excel file.

Manual method “Reference”

In this guide, we’re providing you with the solutions to this very problem. If Excel ‘Open and Repair’ is not working, read on to find out the procedures that you can perform to open corrupted files.

‘Open and Repair’ doesn’t work: Try an alternative solution i.e. Stellar Repair for Excel to recover everything from corrupt Excel files.

How to Fix Excel file that Won’t Open

If your workbook is opening in Excel, there are two options to recover its data. It would be best if you try to perform one, and if you are unsuccessful, move on to the next.

Revert the workbook to the version that was saved before the corruption

• Launch Excel and click File -> Open

• Select the file that is corrupted and open it
• Click ‘Yes’ to save the copy of the workbook that was saved before corruption

Important Note: If you use this method, you will lose all changes made to the file after it was corrupted.

Save the workbook in the SYLK file format

• Launch Excel and click File -> Save As.
• In the Save as Type field, select SYLK (Symbolic Link) from the drop-down menu, and click Save.

• To save only the active sheet in the workbook, click OK. The system will display a message that the sheet has features that are not compatible with the SYLK file format.
• Click Yes.
• In Excel click File -> Open.
• Select the file that you saved in SYLK file format and open it.
• In Excel click File -> Save As.
• In the Save as Type field, select Excel Workbook from the drop-down menu.
• In the File Name field, type a new name for your workbook and click Save.

The SYLK file format will filter out the corrupted elements from your workbook, thereby restoring your data.

Important Note: Using this method you only be able to salvage the active sheet in the workbook.

How to Open/Fix an Excel file that cannot be opened

In this case too, there are two options to recover the data. Try to perform one, and if you are unsuccessful, move on to the next.

Set the calculation option to Manual

• Launch Excel and click File -> New.

• From the Available Templates window, select Blank workbook.

• Click File -> Options.
• Under Formulas, in the Calculation options section, click Manual.

• Click OK.
• In Excel click File -> Open.
• Select the corrupted file and open it.

The system opens the corrupted file. Since the workbook won’t be calculated, it might open.

Link the workbook to external references

• Launch Excel and click File -> Open.
• Copy the name of the corrupted file and click Cancel.
• In Excel click File -> New.
• From the Available Templates window, select Blank workbook.
• In the new workbook, on cell A1, type the following:

=File Name!A1

In the above command, the filename is the name of the corrupted file.

• On the Update Values dialog box, select the corrupted file and click OK.
• On the Select Sheet dialog box, select the sheet and click OK.
• Select cell A1. Select the same range of rows and columns as occupied by the data in the corrupted sheet, including cell A1.
• Under the Home tab, in the Clipboard section, click Paste.
• While the range of rows and columns are still selected, click Copy.
• Click the Paste
• Under Paste Values, click Values.

Note: This method lets you recover only the data but not the values and formulas from the workbook.

Alternative Solution

In addition to the above-mentioned techniques, you can also use macros to extract data from a corrupted workbook. However, macros are generally risky, and executing them needs prior technical knowledge.

Thus, if the above methods do not yield the desired results, a quick and easy way for reconstructing Excel files is to use Excel Recovery Software . Stellar Repair for MS SQL software is the best choice for rebuilding damaged Excel files and restoring everything to a new Excel file. The product lets you recover table, chart, chart-sheet, cell comment, image, formula, sort and filter data from damaged workbooks and also allows you to fix multiple files at one go.

Wrapping it up

Though one of the above-mentioned techniques should recover Excel file if ‘_Open and Repair’ utility doesn’t work_, in case you’ve reached nowhere even after using them, contact Microsoft support for more help.

How to Fix Excel Run Time Error 1004

Summary: Run-time errors are windows-specific issues that occur while the program is running. This blog will teach you how to fix Excel run-time error 1004. In addition, you’ll learn about an Excel repair tool that can help fix the error 1004 if it occurs due to corruption in Excel files.

VBA (Microsoft Visual Basic for Application) is an internal programming language in Microsoft Excel. Sometimes, when users try to run VBA or generate a Macro in Excel, the Run-time error 1004 may occur. This error may occur due to the presence of more legend entries in the chart, file conflict, incorrect Macro name, and corrupt Excel files. In this blog, we have discussed the reasons and shared some solutions to resolve run-time error 1004.

Why This Error Occurs?

The run time error 1004 usually occurs when you run a VBA macro with the Legend Entries method to modify the legend entries in the MS Excel chart. It happens when the chart contains more legend entries than the available space, macro name conflicts, corrupt Excel files, or data-types mismatch in the VBA code.

Ways to Fix Excel Run-Time Error 1004?

Try the below workarounds to fix Excel run-time error 1004:

Create a Macro to Reduce Chart Legend Font Size

Sometimes, Excel throws the run-time error when you try to run VBA macro to change the legend entries in a Microsoft Excel chart. This error usually occurs when Microsoft Excel truncates the legend entries because of the more legend entries and less space availability. To fix this, try to create a macro that shrinks/minimize the font size of the Excel chart legend text before the VBA macro, and then restore the font size of the chart legend. Here is the macro code:

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VBCopy
Sub ResizeLegendEntries()

With Worksheets("Sheet1").ChartObjects(1).Activate
      ' Store the current font size
      fntSZ = ActiveChart.Legend.Font.Size

'Temporarily change the font size.
      ActiveChart.Legend.Font.Size = 2

'Place your LegendEntries macro code here to make
         'the changes that you want to the chart legend.

' Restore the font size.
      ActiveChart.Legend.Font.Size = fntSZ
   End With

End Sub
Note: Make sure you have an Excel chart to run the code on the worksheet.

Uninstall Microsoft Work

You may encounter a run-time error 1004 in Excel version 2009 or older versions due to conflicts between Microsoft works and Microsoft Excel. This error usually occurs if your system has both Microsoft Office and Microsoft Works. Uninstalling one of them will fix the issue. Try the below steps to uninstall Microsoft Work:

• First, open the Task Manager using the shortcut CTRL + ALT + DEL altogether
• The Task Manager window is displayed.

• Click the Process tab, right-click on each program you want to close, and then click End Task.
• Stop all the running programs.
• Open the Run window and type appwiz.cpl to open the Programs and Feature window.

• Search for Microsoft Works and click Uninstall.

Try Deleting GWXL97.Xla File

The Add-ins files with .xla extension in MS-EXCEL is used to provide additional functionality to Excel spreadsheets. Sometimes, deleting the GWXL97.XLA file fixes the run-time error. Here are the steps to delete this file:

• Make sure you have an Admins rights, open the Windows Explorer
• Follow the Path C:\Programs Files\MSOffice\Office\XLSTART.
• Find and right-click on the GWXL97.XLA file
• Click Delete.

Change Trust Center Settings

Sometimes, run-time errors might arise because of incorrect security settings. The Trust Center settings help you find the Privacy and security settings for Microsoft Excel. Follow the below steps to change the Trust center settings:

• Open Microsoft Excel.
• Go to File > Options.
• The Excel options window is displayed.
• Choose Trust Center, and click Trust Center Settings.
• Tap on the Macro Settings tab, and select Trust access to the VBA project object model.

• Click OK.

Run Open and Repair Tool

The Runtime error also arises when MS Excel detects a corrupted worksheet. It automatically begins the File recovery mode and starts repairing it. However, if the Recovery mode fails to start, use the Open and Repair tool with the below steps:

• Click File > Open.
• Click the location and folder with a corrupted workbook.
• In the Open dialog box, choose the corrupted workbook.
• Click the arrow next to the Open tab, and go to the Open and Repair tab.
• Click Repair.

You can also opt for Stellar Repair for Excel if the Microsoft Excel’s built-in tool cannot fix the error.

Use Stellar Repair for Excel

Stellar Repair for Excel is a professional software for repairing damage. xls, .xlsx, .xltm, .xltx, and .xlsm files and recovering all its objects. Here are the steps to fix the error using this tool:

• First, download, install, and run Stellar Repair for Excel.
• Click the Browse tab on the interface window to choose the corrupted Excel file you need to repair.
• Click Scan. You will see the scan progress in the scanning window.
• Click OK.
• The tool can let you preview all the recoverable Excel file components including tables, pivot tables, charts, formulas, etc.
• Click Save to save the repaired file.
• A Save File dialog box will appear with the below two options:
• Default location
• New location
• Choose a suitable option.
• Click the Save option to repair the Excel file that you have chosen.
• Once the repair is complete, it will display a message “File repaired successfully.”
• Click OK.

Conclusion

Now you know the Excel run-time error 1004, its cause, and solutions. Follow the workarounds discussed in the blog to rectify the error quickly. However, Stellar Repair for Excel makes your task of removing run-time errors easy. It’s a powerful software to fix all the issues with Excel files. Also, it helps in extracting data from the damaged file and saves it to a new Excel workbook.

Recover Excel Files from Virus-Infected Pen Drives for Free

Summary: Imagine you lost your important Excel file on which you had been working since the morning and in the next moment you realized that the file was not saved and you just lost hours of work. Wondering how to deal with this situation? Read this blog to know how Stellar free data recovery software can help you.

From making annual reports to business growth representation figures, excel is a commonly used program for organizing data, creating pivot tables, charts etc. People from all walks of life, know the importance of Excel and the part it plays. Although it is a common file, there is a probability that you may accidentally delete excel files while working or are unable to access it due to unexpected errors. In addition, one of the major issues users face is to recover excel files from a virus infected pen drive.

Pen drives have made it possible to store and carry our important files such as excel, word document, photos, videos, etc. with us day in and day out. They just fit perfectly in our pockets and are compatible with almost every device; hence, they are widely used for transferring data from one system to another. But what if your pen drive is infected by a virus and due to it you end up losing your excel files, how will you recover your excel files for free?

A user reported that his pen drive got virus-infected and to remove the virus from it, he ran an antivirus program which removed the virus but also deleted excel files stored on it.

When your pen drive is infected by a virus, the first thing you ought to do is stop using it, even not for removing virus as an antivirus utility may remove your files as well. Further, if you have a backup, then you can recover your excel files from it, else you can use these free data recovery methods to recover your excel files.

1. Free File Recovery Software Approach

Stellar Windows Data Recovery – Free Edition is an easy to use tool to recover files from a virus-infected pen drive. The software is equipped with powerful utilities to recover lost and deleted files for free. Further, it supports a wide range of file systems and is efficient in recovering files such as Excel, emails, word files, photos, audio and video files.

Using Stellar Windows Data Recovery – Free Edition, you can recover your files from all storage devices for free. Here’s how the software works:

• From the website, download Stellar Windows Data Recovery – Free Edition. Connect your pen drive to your system and launch the software
• On ‘Select What to Recover’ screen, select file types from the given option that you wish to recover. For instance, if you want to recover photos, then under Multimedia Files, select ‘Photos’ and click on ‘Next’

• From ‘Select Location’ screen, select the connected pen drive and click ‘Scan’

• The scanning process starts and once the process is complete, software lists all the recoverable files

• Select the files from the list and click on ‘Recover’ to save the files

2. Restore Excel File from the Previous Version

If excel files are deleted from your pen drive or from your system; then you can recover them from the previous version. This feature works when Windows Backup option is enabled, else, it will not work.

Follow these steps to recover excel files:

• Connect your pen drive to your system, go to This PC and navigate to the folder of excel files
• Select the folder, right-click on it and select ‘Restore previous versions’
• From the available version of excel files, select the required one and click on ‘Restore’

3. Use Command Line to Recover Excel Files

The Command prompt should be your first choice to recover excel files from the virus-infected pen drive. Here’s how command prompt recovers your files:

• Connect your virus-infected pen drive to your system and then in the search box type ‘CMD’ and hit ‘Enter’
• In the command window, type in attrib –h-r-s /s/ drive letter:\*.*”, for example, “attrib -h -r -s /s /d G:\*.*” and hit ‘Enter’

• Windows starts repairing the virus-infected pen drive and once the process is complete, you can access your pen drive and recover excel files.

Even after following the above-mentioned steps you’re unable to recover your excel files, then try a Home approach i.e. a data recovery tool.

To Sum Up

It is always a good idea to create a backup of important files since no one can anticipate what might go wrong. The scenario presented in the blog paints a clear picture of how you can recover your Microsoft excel files for free from a virus-infected pen drive. For quick and better results, you can always go with Stellar Windows Data Recovery – Free Edition.

[Fixed]: Freeze Panes not Working in Excel

Summary: This blog discusses the “freeze panes not working” issue in Excel. It mentions the possible reasons behind the issue and offers workarounds and methods to fix it. If the issue is associated with corruption in the Excel file, you can use the specialized Excel repair tool mentioned in the blog to repair the affected file.

The freeze panes feature in Excel is used to freeze the row/column headings to keep them visible while scrolling the worksheet. It is a useful feature when you’re working on a large worksheet containing data that exceeds the rows and columns on the screen. Sometimes, you notice that the ‘Excel freeze panes feature is not working’. There could be numerous factors that can trigger this issue. Let’s know the reasons for the freeze pane not working issue in Excel and how to resolve this issue.

Why can’t I freeze panes in excel?

Several factors may contribute to the Excel freeze panes not working issue in Excel. A few of them are:

• The cell editing mode is enabled in the workbook in which you are trying to use the Freeze Panes feature.
• The Excel file is corrupted.
• The worksheet is protected.
• Advanced Options are disabled in Excel Settings.
• The Excel application is not up-to-date.
• You might be trying to lock rows in the middle of the worksheet.
• Your Excel workbook is not in normal file preview mode.
• Wrong/incorrect positioning of the frozen panes.

How to fix ‘Freeze Panes not Working’ in Excel?

The freeze panes option is available in the View bar. Sometimes, you’re unable to see the View option. It usually occurs if you are using the Excel Started version. Check and try to open the file in the advanced Excel version, which supports all the features. If you are using the advanced Excel version, then try the below workarounds to fix the freeze panes not working issue in Excel.

Workaround 1: Exit the Cell Editing Mode

If your Excel file is switched from normal file view mode to cell editing mode, you can encounter the freeze panes not working issue. In cell editing mode, certain features in Excel, such as the freeze panes, are temporarily disabled to prevent any conflicts. You can disable cell editing mode by pressing the ESC or Enter key. Now locate the View tab and check whether the freeze pane feature is working. If not, then try the next workaround.

Workaround 2: Change the Page Layout View

The Excel freeze panes not working issue can also occur if your workbook is opened in Page Layout view. The Page Layout view doesn’t support freeze panes. If you select page layout, the freeze panes option gets disabled.

To enable the freeze pane option, go to View and click the Page Break Preview tab.

Workaround 3: Check and Remove Options under the Data Tab

Sometimes, you can experience the “freeze panes not working” issue if Sorting, Data Filter, Group, and Subtotal options are enabled in Excel workbook. Such options, when enabled, can lead to unexpected problems with the freeze panes’ functionality. You can check and remove these features from your workbook. To do so, follow these steps:

• Open the Excel file in which you are getting the issue.
• Navigate to the Data tab.
• Check and remove the below features (if enabled):
• Sort
• Filter
• Group
• Subtotal

Workaround 4: Check and Unprotect Worksheet

The freeze panes feature may stop working if your worksheet is protected. You can try to disable the worksheet protection option. Here are the steps:

• In the Excel file, go to the Review tab.
• Click Unprotect Sheet.

After unprotecting the sheet, check whether the “freeze panes not working” issue is resolved. If not, follow the next workaround.

Workaround 5: Use Correct Cell Positioning

The freeze pane is not working issue in Excel can also occur when you use incorrect cell positioning to apply the freeze panes feature. Several users have reported facing this issue when trying to lock multiple rows with the wrong cell selection. So, use correct cell positioning to freeze the rows. For example, if you are trying to lock two rows in an Excel worksheet, then you need to click on 3rd row’s column.

What if the above Workarounds Fail to Fix the Freeze Panes not Working Issue?

If none of the above workarounds works, then there are chances that the workbook is damaged or corrupt. In such a case, you can try the below methods to repair the corrupt Excel workbook.

Run Open and Repair Utility

In case of corruption in the Excel file, you can use the Open and Repair tool in Excel to repair the file. To use this utility, follow these steps:

• In the Excel application, navigate to File and then click Open.
• Click Browse to select the workbook in which you are facing the issue.
• The Open dialog box is displayed. Click on the affected file.
• Click the arrow next to the Open option and then click Open and Repair.

• Click on the Repair option to recover as much data as possible.
• You can see a completion message once the repair process is complete. Click Close.

Use a Professional Excel Repair Tool

If the Open and Repair tool doesn’t work to resolve complex file-related issues and your Excel file is severely corrupted, you can opt for a reliable third-party Excel repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool can help you repair the Excel file and recover all the data with complete integrity. You can try the software’s demo version to scan the affected file and preview the recoverable data. The software is compatible with all MS Excel versions and Windows operating systems, including Windows 11.

Closure

The “freeze panes not working” issue in Excel can occur due to several reasons, like protected worksheet, incompatible Excel version, and incorrect cell position. Try the workarounds shared in the blog to fix the issue. If the Excel file is corrupt, you can use Stellar Repair for Excel to fix the corruption issues in the file. This tool can quickly repair the Excel file and recover all the data from the file with 100% integrity.