Can't open an excel file

Try the following steps in order, testing the file after each step:

1. Check the file location and name
   • Confirm the file still exists in the folder being opened from (not moved, renamed, or deleted).
   • If opening from an email, first save the attachment to a local folder (for example, Documents) and open it from Excel via File > Open > Browse.
2. Check if the file is locked or in use
   • If the file is on OneDrive, SharePoint, or a shared drive, make sure it is not open by someone else.
   • If another person has it open, wait for them to close it, or ask them to close it or check it in if it is in a SharePoint library.
   • If offered, choose to open as Read-only just to confirm the file itself is accessible.
3. Try Open and Repair (in case of corruption)
   • In Excel, go to File > Open > Browse and navigate to the folder where the workbook is stored (do not use the Recent list).
   • Select the file once, click the arrow next to Open, then choose Open and Repair.
   • If prompted, choose Repair. If that fails, repeat and choose Extract Data if available.
4. Check for format/extension issues
   • If Excel reports that the format or extension is not valid or that the file is in a different format than its extension indicates, the workbook may be corrupted.
   • If the file came from email and is from a trusted sender, save it locally and open it from Excel.
   • If it still fails, ask the sender to resend it as Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb) or Excel 97–2003 Workbook (*.xls).
5. Update or repair Office if Excel crashes or hangs
   • If Excel becomes unresponsive or crashes when trying to open or save the file, update Office to the latest version, as some file-opening issues have been fixed in newer builds.
   • If multiple files fail to open or Excel shows generic errors and closes, run an Online Repair of Microsoft 365 from Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft 365 > Modify > Online Repair.

If none of these steps work and the file is critical, use Open and Repair as above and, if it opens even partially, copy the data into a new workbook and save that as a replacement.

References:

• Open a document after a file corruption error
• A file is in a different format than its extension indicates in Excel
• Excel file is locked for editing