Corrupted Spreadsheets: How to Recover The Data?

On one hand MS  Excel  offers some advanced features. On the other hand, it may create some serious problems like file corruption. This problem becomes big if we do not take a corrective measures to handle the file corruption.

There are several factors which are likely to be responsible for spreadsheet corruption:

1. Virus infection and bugs attack on spreadsheets and its application;
2. Improper system shutdown due to sudden power outage;
3. Abruptly or unexpected cancellation of files and application;
4. Hard drive contains bad sector or unwanted crash in hard drive;
5. Software malfunctions or collision with each other, etc.

Due to one or all these reasons (but not limited to), excel files become corrupted and through errors while opening them.

Error messages:

"Excel  cannot open the file abc.xlsx because the file format or file extension is not valid"

or

"The file is corrupt and cannot be opened".

When such errors take place in excel spreadsheets, they become inaccessible or unable to be opened. All the data and information stored in the files get corrupted or damaged. Under this circumstance, we have only an option to repair the corrupt file by using “Open and repair” function of MS Excel.

• Open and Repair: We can use this function to repair our corrupt files.
• First, we need to open MS  Excel  application on our system.
• Click on Office button.
• Now click on Open from the list.
• Select the corrupted file from the system directory.
• Now click on the arrow of Open button.
• Click on Open and Repair from available dropdown list

The corrupt file will be repaired and opened on MS  Excel . Or we may also try to import data from corrupt XLSX file to a new file. As practiced widely this solution can be very helpful when your spreadsheets are corrupted.