How to repair a corrupted Excel file
- Choose your file. Pick the damaged .xlsx or .xlsm file. It is read by your browser and never sent to our server.
- Wait a few seconds. The tool scans the file, rebuilds the broken structure and repairs each sheet. A progress bar shows each step.
- Check the preview. You see the sheets that were recovered, the number of rows, and the first rows of data, so you know what you are getting.
- Download the repaired file. It is a clean .xlsx copy that Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice can open. Your original file is not changed.
What this tool can and cannot recover
Usually recovered
- Sheet names and the data in the cells
- Text, numbers, dates and formulas (with their last saved results)
- Cell formatting, when the style data is readable
- Every sheet that is still intact
Not carried over
- Charts, images and shapes
- Pivot tables, macros and VBA
- Comments, data validation links and external connections
- Anything that was physically lost from the file
The repaired workbook is rebuilt as a clean file, so the data comes back but some advanced objects do not. Our report after each repair tells you exactly what was recovered and what was lost.
Common Excel errors this tool can help with
- "We found a problem with some content in 'file.xlsx'. Do you want us to try to recover as much as we can?"
- "Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid."
- "The file is corrupt and cannot be opened."
- "Excel found unreadable content in 'file.xlsx'."
- A workbook that opens blank, freezes, or closes right after loading.
If Excel's own Open and Repair option did not work, this tool is a good second attempt because it rebuilds the file from the raw data instead of trusting the damaged structure.
When a file cannot be repaired
Some files have nothing left to recover. We tell you clearly when this is the case, so you do not waste time:
- The file is empty inside. A file can show a normal size such as 1 MB and still contain only blank bytes. This happens when a save, copy or download is interrupted. No software can restore data that is not in the file.
- The file is not really an Excel file. A web page, a CSV text file or a file from another program saved with an .xlsx extension will trigger the "file format or extension is not valid" message.
- Old .xls files and password-protected workbooks. These use a different format that this tool does not handle yet.
In those cases, look for another copy: the email attachment, a cloud backup, OneDrive or Google Drive version history, the Windows Previous Versions tab, or Excel's AutoRecover folder (File > Open > Recover Unsaved Workbooks).
Why Excel files get corrupted, and how to avoid it
An .xlsx file is a zip package of many small XML files. If even one part is cut off or damaged, Excel may refuse to open the whole workbook. The usual causes are:
- Power loss or a crash while saving
- An interrupted download, email transfer or USB copy
- A failing disk, memory card or pen drive
- Saving directly onto a network drive or cloud folder with an unstable connection
- Third-party tools that generate or edit Excel files incorrectly
To protect your work, turn on AutoRecover in Excel, keep regular backups, save important workbooks to a local disk first and copy them afterwards, and avoid opening a file directly from an email or a zip without saving it first.
Other ways to recover an Excel file
Not every lost workbook is corrupted. Depending on what happened, one of these may get your data back faster.
Recover an unsaved Excel file (Windows 10 and Windows 11)
Open Excel, go to File > Open > Recent and choose Recover Unsaved Workbooks at the bottom of the list. Excel also keeps AutoRecover copies in the folder C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\. To avoid losing work again, open File > Options > Save and make sure AutoRecover is switched on.
Restore a previous version of an Excel file
If the file is on OneDrive or SharePoint, open it and use File > Info > Version History. For a file on your computer, right-click it, choose Properties and open the Previous Versions tab. This only works when File History or System Restore was turned on before the problem.
Recover an Excel file that was moved, renamed or deleted
Check the Recycle Bin first, then search your drive for the file name or for *.xlsx. If Excel says a linked file was moved, renamed or deleted, the workbook is usually fine and only an external link is broken: use Data > Edit Links > Break Link.
Recover an Excel file on your phone
The Excel mobile app has no Open and Repair option, but this page works in any modern mobile browser. Choose the damaged file, download the repaired copy, then open it in the Excel app.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Excel file uploaded to your server?
No. The repair runs inside your browser using JavaScript. Your file stays on your device and we do not save it or see its contents.
Can you guarantee 100% recovery?
No, and be careful with any website that promises it. We recover everything that is still readable. If part of the file was cut off or overwritten, that part is gone, but earlier rows and other sheets can often be saved.
Why does Excel say the file format or extension is not valid?
The file is either damaged, completely empty inside, or is a different kind of file (for example a web page or an old .xls file) with an .xlsx name. Upload it here and the tool will tell you which case it is.
Why are some text cells blank in the repaired file?
All text in a workbook is stored in one shared table. If that table was lost or cut off, numbers and formulas are recovered but the matching text cells stay empty. The report shows how many cells were affected.
Will my formulas still work?
Yes. Formulas are kept, and Excel recalculates them when you open the repaired file. Formulas that depended on lost data may show errors.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes, it works in modern mobile browsers. For very large files, a computer is faster.
Is the tool free?
Yes. There is no signup, no watermark and no limit on how many files you repair. The page is supported by advertising.
Does it repair macros (.xlsm)?
The data in an .xlsm file is repaired, but macros are not carried over. The result is saved as a regular .xlsx file.
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Privacy
Your Excel file is processed locally in your browser and is never uploaded, stored or shared by us. To keep this free tool running we use Google Analytics to count visits and Google AdSense to show ads; these services may use cookies, and they never receive the contents of your file. We record only anonymous events such as "a repair finished". Read our Privacy Policy for details.
Microsoft and Excel are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. This tool is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. Results depend on the condition of your file, and we cannot guarantee that any file can be fully recovered. Keep your original file until you have checked the repaired copy.