Many users may encounter an error when trying to open or edit an Excel file in Office 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019. The error message displays, 'Excel cannot open the file because the extension is not valid'. This article will provide you with the effective solutions to resolve Excel cannot open the file error, and get your MS Excel data back right here now.
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Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
---|---|
Fix 1. Change File Extension | Open Microsoft Excel and go to 'File' > click Export and choose Change File Type..Full steps |
Fix 2. Open in Safe Mode | Press Windows+R key, type: excel.exe /safe and click 'OK' > Save the file as .xlsx..Full steps |
Fix 3. Use Open and Repair | Start Office Excel > click File and Open > select the inaccessible Excel file..Full steps |
Fix 4. EaseUS File Repair Tool | Use EaseUS MS Office document repair tool to fix corrupted or damaged Excel files when Excel cannot ..Full steps |
Today, Excel has amassed a user base in the hundreds of millions and is by far the most successful application of its kind with over two decades of providing the ultimate in spreadsheets. The 2016 version of Microsoft Excel is the latest one, introducing numerous upgrades and new features that will help pros and amateurs alike in their work.
Error 'Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extinction Is Not Valid'
Sometimes, when you try to open or edit an Excel file on Microsoft Office 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 or 2016, you may encounter the following problem:
'Excel cannot open the file 'filename.xlsx' because the file format or file extension is not valid. Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file.'
It usually indicates the file is not compatible with the Excel version or the file has come corrupt or damaged. In this article, we will show you all the possible solutions, and you can try them respectively until fixing the issue.
4 Effective Fixes for Excel Cannot Open the File Because the Extension Is Not Valid
There are four useful solutions in total to solve the Excel cannot open the file issue. Besides, two methods are provided to recover Excel when the file format or file extension is not valid.
Fix 1. Change the Excel File Extension
Many times, this error occurs due to the incompatible file extension of the Excel file. MS Excel saves Excel workbooks as XLSX or XLS file by default. Excel 2003 and earlier version save files as XLS, whereas Excel 2007 and later versions like the Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016 and 2019 save files in XLSX file format. You can change the default file format for the corresponding Excel version to any other file format supported by MS Excel.
Step 1. Open Microsoft Excel and go to the 'File' tab.
Step 2. Click 'Export'and choose 'Change File Type'.
Step 3. Change the file extension to any other file format that MS Excel supports and click 'Save As'. Then, Check if Excel can open your file or not.
Fix 2. Open the Excel File in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins
If Excel cannot open the file, try running Excel in safe mode to see if it can be accessed successfully. This method also checks if there are any errors in MS Excel.
Step 1. Press Windows+R key, type excel.exe /safe,and click 'OK'. Loading Excel without templates and add-ins allows you to see if the program works as it should or if it is corrupted.
Step 2. If Excel opens normally, check for any add-ins that are causing problems in Excel. Disable the add-ins and click on the 'OK' button.
Step 3. Restart Excel to check if the problem is fixed. If not, move on to the next approach.
Fix 3. Open Excel File Using Open and Repair Feature
The 'Open and Repair' is a built-in easy-to-handle MS Excel utility that allows you to correct the error Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid.
Step 1. Start Office Excel. On the File menu or the Microsoft Office button, click 'Open'.
Step 2. In the Open dialog box, click to select the inaccessible Excel file.
Step 3. Click the down arrow on the Open button, and then click 'Open and Repair'. Microsoft Office will then start to check the Excel document and repair problems or corruption it found.
Fix 4. Use EaseUS File Repair Tool to Fix Excel Cannot Open the File
If Excel cannot open the file because the extension is not valid problem is caused by file corruption rather than file compatibility, you need a professional file repair program to help you fix the problem.
EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is an all in one tool that can help recover deleted files and restore corrupt files easily and efficiently. It can help to repair corrupted JPEG/JPG or recover damaged MP4 and MOV files on both Windows and Mac computers.
This professional MS Office Excel file repair tool has the following salient features.
- Recover corrupted Excel files in XLSX/XLS formats
- Repair single or multiple Excel file without quantity limit
- Restore Excel data including table, chart, formula, chart sheet, and more
- Real-time preview of repairing corrupted Excel file
- Supports MS Excel 2019/2016/2013/2010/2007/2003/XP/2000/97/95 versions
Now, download EaseUS MS Office document repair tool for free and follow the step-by-step guides below to repair damaged Excel files with three steps.
Step 1. Select a location to start finding corrupted Excel files
Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and then scan the corrupted or damaged Excel files.
Step 2. Repair and recover corrupted Excel document
First, find the damaged files through the filter, file path, search, etc.
Second, preview and repair. This program will automatically repair corrupted and damaged Excel files.
Tip: It supports single file size <= 100MB.
Step 3. Save the Excel file to a secure location
Click 'Recover' to save the repaired Excel files to a safe location ( DO NOT save the files back onto the same hard drive partition or external device where you lost the data from).
How to Recover Excel File When the File Format or File Extension Is Not Valid
If your unsaved Excel file cannot be opened because the file format or file extension is not valid, how to recover unsaved Excel file? Try the two ways below.
1. Restore Unsaved Excel Wordbook from Previous Versions
This method can only restore lost files to a previous version. It means that you may lose some changes you may have made to the document.
Step 1. Right-click the inaccessible Excel document and choose 'Properties'.
Step 2. Open the 'Previous Version' tab to list all the previously stored version of the Excel file.
Step 3. Choose the right version and click 'Restore' to retrieve the document.
2. Restore Unsaved Excel File Using AutoRecover
This method only works when you have turned on the AutoSave feature in Office Excel. And it's also helpful for recovering unsaved Word document.
Step 1. Open Office Excel and got to the 'File' tab > click 'Info'.
Step 2. Besides Manage Versions,you'll see all autosaved versions of your file.
Step 3. Open the file in Excel and click 'Restore'.
Step 4. Save the file with another file name and set the extension as .xlsx.
Worthy Tips to Prevent Excel File from Loss
There are many ways to prevent data loss. If you have lost important Excel files due to careless deletion, hard drive formatting, or virus attack, you can use the data recovery tool to retrieve lost data. There is another crucial point to avoid data loss, which is backing up your Excel file at any time.
1. Recover Deleted or Lost Excel File with File Recovery Software
3d drucker software mac. Except for restoring unsaved Excel caused by Excel crashes when saving or other reasons, many users need to recover lost excel spreadsheets caused by accidental deletion, OS crash, hard drive damaged/corrupted, or lost partition. On this occasion, you have to resort to a professional file recovery tool for help. And EaseUS file recovery software is worth to try. It allows you to recover deleted DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, PDF, CWK, HTML/HTM, INDD, EPS, etc. with a few clicks.
Give it a try to get your lost Excel back immediately:
Step 1. Specify a location.
Run EaseUS Data Recovery Software. Choose the drive X: or a specific folder on Desktop or somewhere else where you lost the excel files, and then click 'Scan'.
Step 2. Scan for data.
During the scan, you'll see more and more data showing up very quickly in the 'Deleted files' result. Wait for the scanning process finishes. To quickly find the Excel files from the scan results, click on the 'Filter' on the top area and choose 'Excel'. Or, search .xls or .xlsx in the Search box.
Step 3. Preview and recover.
You can double click on the Excel file to preview its integrity. Finally, select the desired Excel files and click 'Recover'.
2. Back Up Excel File Automatically
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If you need to modify and change your worksheet frequently, turning on the AutoSave feature is also necessary. Or you can also copy and backup your file to another safe location manually in case of accidents.
Final Words
'Excel cannot open the file '(filename)' .xlsx because the file format for file extension is not valid' is a usual error that you can face while opening an Excel file. With the help of the above methods, this error can easily be resolved without data loss.
If Excel cannot open the file problem is due to file corruption, EaseUS file repair tool can help you fix and recover the Excel file with a few clicks in a short time. It is good at repairing photos, videos, documents, and other files on the hard drive, SD card, memory card, or any other storage medium. No matter they are lost or existed on your devices. It's worth a shot.
Excel Cannot Open the File Because the Extension Is Not Valid FAQs
The following four frequently asked questions are highly related to Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid. If you also have any of these problems, you can find the methods here.
How do I fix file format or file extension is not valid?
You can try to fix Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid by changing the file extension:
Step 1. Open your Excel file. On the taskbar, select 'File'. Then select 'Options' > 'Export' > 'Change File Type'.
Step 2. You can directly change the file extension depending on the version of Excel installed. Click 'Save As'. Then, check if the error 'Excel cannot open the file' is resolved or not.
How do I recover an Excel file format or file extension is not valid?
You can restore Excel file format, or file extension is not valid from previous versions.
Select the damaged file. Right-click it and click 'Properties' > 'Previous Version'. A list of previous versions will appear; you need to select the option you are interested in and click 'Restore' to recover. Previous versions come file File History or from restore points. How to get google chrome on your macbook air.
What does file extension not valid mean? Free unzip software for mac.
'Excel cannot open the file '(filename)' .xlsx because the file format for file extension is not valid' is a common error that many users may encounter while opening an. xlsx file, especially when opening a spreadsheet received through an email. The possible reasons for this issue might be:
- The Excel file is corrupt or damaged.
- The Excel file is not compatible with the version of MS Excel you're using.
Why can't I open an XLSX file?
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When the Excel file is corrupted, not compatible with the Excel version, infected by the virus, or received by email are the common cause of 'Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid' problem. Any of these problems appear, you could not open an XLSX file.