A sudden power failure or a system crash can affect an open or active Excel file in many ways. Any unsaved data or changes are lost or the file may get corrupted. If your Excel file is corrupted after a system crash, abrupt power outage, or any other reason, then you are at the right place. In this post, we will explain some solutions that can help you fix Excel file corruption and recover excel file.
How to Fix Corrupted Excel File after System Crash or Power Failure?
Follow the workarounds and solutions mentioned below to fix the corrupted Excel files.
Method 1: Use AutoRecover Feature to Restore the Excel File
There is an AutoRecover feature in MS Excel that lets you restore the last saved version of the Excel file. The feature, when enabled, periodically saves versions of the file on which you’re working. In case of a system crash or an abrupt shutdown, this feature can help you restore the last saved version of the Excel file. If you have enabled the AutoRecover option in MS Excel, follow the steps below to recover the previous version of your corrupted Excel file:
- Launch MS Excel and click on Blank Workbook.
- Next, go to File > Options.
- You will see the Excel Options window.
- Click on Save in the left panel.
- Now, look for the AutoRecover file location. Copy the path.
- Open Windows Explorer and paste the path in the address bar. Press Enter.
- You will see all the available AutoRecover Excel files. Select the required file and copy it to a folder of your choice.
Method 2: Open the Excel File using a Different Version of MS Excel
Sometimes, you cannot open an Excel file on your PC due to corrupted or damaged MS Office application files. You can move it to another PC and then try opening it. You can also try to open the problematic file using another version of MS Office, like Office 2010 or Office 365.
Method 3: Use Open and Repair Utility to Repair the Corrupt Excel File
When you try to open a corrupted Excel file, then the Excel application automatically begins the File Recovery mode and try repairing the file. If this mode doesn’t start, then you can manually repair the Excel file using the Open and Repair utility. Follow the steps given below:
- Launch MS Excel on your PC.
- Click on File.
- Go to Open > Browse.
- Locate the problematic Excel file and select it.
- Click on the downward-pointing arrow next to the Open button and click on Open and Repair.
- A dialog box will open. Click on Repair.
- After you have successfully repaired your file, click Close.
Note: If the Excel file is severely corrupted, the Open and Repair utility may not be able to completely repair it. In such a case, you can use the Extract Data option to recover values and formulas from the damaged workbook.
Method 4: Repair Corrupted Excel File using an Advanced Excel Repair Tool
If the Open and Repair utility fails to resolve Excel file corruption, then the file could be severely damaged. In such a scenario, you can use Stellar Repair for Excel. It is a powerful Excel repair tool that is available in both online and desktop-based versions. You can use the online tool to quickly repair corrupted or damaged Excel file that are ≤100 MB in size. The highlight of this tool is that it doesn’t need to be installed on the PC and can be accessed from any web browser.
To repair larger Excel files, you can use the desktop-based version of Stellar Repair for Excel. It is a powerful Excel file repair tool that is designed to help you repair severely corrupted or damaged Excel files with ease. You can use this tool to repair Excel files of .xls, .xlsx, .xltm, .xltx, and .xlsm formats. After repairing, you can save all the contents in a new Excel file and open it in your MS Excel program without any issues. You can use this tool to repair Excel files created with MS Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, or 2000.
Conclusion
An abrupt system shutdown or crash can corrupt the Excel files and damage the data. You can try the methods listed above to fix the corrupted Excel file. However, the best and easiest way is to use an advanced Excel file repair tool, like Stellar Repair for Excel, to repair the corrupted or damaged Excel file with ease. This tool, after repairing the file, restores all the objects to a new file. You can download the free desktop version of this tool to scan the corrupted Excel file and preview the data.
