3 WAYS TO FIX EXCEL CAN NOT OPEN THE FILE Book1.XLSX’ BECAUSE THE FILE FORMAT, OR FILE EXTENSION IS NOT VALID ERROR

Sometimes Excel files don’t open properly or don’t open at all, which can cause a lot of stress and terror. No one likes to lose important information or create another document from scratch, especially when dealing with a large data set. There are several explanations why an Excel workbook will decline to open, and understanding the cause is the key to fixing it.

 

Signs That Excel Won’t Open

Sometimes the Excel program doesn’t react when you double-click on a file. Sometimes it opens, but the page is blank with empty cells or grey with no cells. The grey display usually takes place after program upgrades. If you have recently upgraded from MS Office 2006 to 2010, 2013, or 2016, you may experience this problem.

After opening a file, you may get a white screen if you’re running Microsoft Excel 2016 on Windows 10. In most of these issues, Excel won’t open unless you identify the root cause and recover the document.

How to Fix the Issue?

It isn’t constantly possible to recover a damaged file as well as restore data, which is why customers must always back everything up. We have some methods that can aid you recoup a lost file. Right here are some ideas to attempt if Excel will not open:

1. DDE Checkbox

DDE stands for Dynamic Data Exchange, and it is a system that allows communication between two documents. If this system is switched off and the ‘Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)’ box is checked, it can cause issues. People often face problems opening documents because the DDE isn’t functioning, and there’s no communication between the operating system and Excel. The simplest way to resolve the issue is to uncheck the box, and here’s how you can do that:

• Open any Excel document.
• Go to File > Options > Advanced > Locate General Section
• Uncheck the ‘Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)’ box
• Click on ‘OK’

Try to open the document you had an issue with after completing these steps. In most cases, engaging DDE will resolve the issue, and you will access the data. We recommend making another copy of the file regardless to ensure no issues.

2. Excel File Associations

Occasionally it isn’t possible to identify the root cause of the problem, so finding a specific solution isn’t an option. Reset the Excel file associations will restore Excel to its default settings, undoing any damaging alterations to the program. In most possibilities, that can help resolve all problems and ensure the program runs smoothly once again. Here’s a look at how to restore file associations if Excel won’t open:

In Windows 10:

• In the Windows Search Box, Search for ‘Default apps’.
• Click on the ‘Set defaults by app’ option lower down in the list.
• Select Excel in your Default Programs list and click the ‘Manage’ button.
• Review the list of File type and protocol associations, and ensure the Excel extension of your file is associated correctly.

In earlier versions of Windows:

• Go to ‘Start’ and open ‘Control Panel’.
• Click on the ‘Programs’ option.
• Choose the ‘Default Programs option.
• Select the ‘Set your default programs option.
• Select Excel in your Default Programs list.
• Click ‘Choose default for this program.
• The ‘Set program associations’ screen will appear.
• Click ‘Select All’ and then click ‘Ok’.

This will reset Excel and undo errors, hopefully giving you access to the Excel document once again.

3. Repair Microsoft Office

Fixing the entire office suite when Excel won’t open may sound like overkill, but it can help fix the issue.

In Windows 10:

• In the Windows Search Box, search for ‘Add or Remove Programs
• Scroll or search the list until you find ‘Microsoft Office’, then click on ‘Modify.’
• A confirmation dialogue will appear that you’ll need to accept to perform the repair.
• Choose ‘Quick Repair’, which will fix most issues.
• Alternatively, try ‘Online Repair’, which takes a little longer and requires an internet connection.

In earlier versions of Windows:

You can do this by accessing the ‘Programs’ option in the ‘Control Panel’. Click on ‘Uninstall Programs’ and select ‘Microsoft Office Application. Right-click on the name and click ‘Change’. Choose ‘Online Repair’ and then click ‘Repair’.

The best method to ensure you don’t lose information is to maintain a copy of the document off-site. You can save a copy in cloud storage services like Google Drive or OneDrive Any Cloud Platform. Be sure to update your backup copy regularly to ensure there’s no data loss.