How to recover corrupt Excel 2010 files?

Read time 8 minutes

Excel spreadsheets play a crucial role in storing and managing important data, offering a wide range of functions essential for efficient data management. Microsoft Excel is a trusted choice when it comes to handling extensive datasets, whether in a home or office setting, and for both small-scale and large-scale industries. The introduction of Excel 2010 has ushered in a new era of enhanced user experiences with its improved features and innovative functions.
From data organization and calculations to formatting, chart and graph creation, data arrangement, adding hyperlinks, text, numbers, and more, Excel 2010 excels in producing high-quality work. However, like any other computer file, Excel 2010 files are susceptible to errors, with one of the most common being the dreaded “The File Is Corrupt & Cannot Be Opened” error.
So, what triggers this error? What are the consequences when it occurs? And how can you resolve issues with inaccessible and corrupted Excel files? In this blog post, we will delve into these questions and provide solutions.”

Reasons for occurrence of the error in Excel 2010

The ‘The File Is Corrupt & Cannot Be Opened’ error in Excel 2010 can be attributed to various causes. Understanding the specific reason behind this error is crucial, as it not only aids in finding the right solution but also empowers you to adopt improved practices to prevent such errors in the future. Let’s explore these causes in detail:

• An unexpected equipment damage or power failure
  An unexpected and sudden power failure can lead to the forced closure of all files that were open just before the shutdown. Consequently, the Excel file becomes unavailable, potentially causing the ‘The File Is Corrupt & Cannot Be Opened’ error.
• Mishandling Excel files
  Mishandling files always poses a risk. Accidental deletions, formatting of drives or folders, and inattentively closing a running Excel document without saving it can all lead to data loss. Such actions may ultimately trigger the ‘The File Is Corrupt & Cannot Be Opened’ error.
• Defect in the Excel application
  When an application or program becomes unresponsive during your work, necessitating its closure, you risk losing unsaved data and potentially causing errors. Another scenario is encountered with newer Excel versions, where files upgraded in these versions may become inaccessible or uneditable in many cases. Engaging with unfamiliar new features without proper understanding can further jeopardize your files
• Hardware issues
  Hardware failures also stand as a common factor contributing to the corruption error. This includes hardware components such as CD/DVD drives, USB flash drives, removable hard disks, and more. Issues like damaged heat assemblies and connector problems are quite prevalent in this context. While these problems can often be resolved, repairing Excel files becomes more challenging in the event of a storage media breakdown.
• Bad sectors in hard drives
  Usually, after an extended use, your hard drives might develop bad sectors in it. Other causes of bad sectors are improper shut downs resulting in the data that falls in bad sectors to become inaccessible.
• Large size Excel files
  MS Excel, being a spreadsheet software, isn’t designed as a database with extensive data storage capabilities. Consequently, it may close automatically when faced with the challenge of handling a large quantity of data. As the size of an Excel file increases, the likelihood of file corruption also rises.
• Hacking or virus attack
  Virus attack and hacking causes a significant amount of damage to your Excel files. The data might disappear, and you might lose it. Since much of your information stored in these files can be misused by hackers. In case of a viral infection, these files cannot be opened and hence become inaccessible.
• Natural calamities
  In addition to the previously mentioned factors, several other elements can potentially damage your Excel files, making them inaccessible. Natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, and others are unpredictable events that can directly or indirectly harm Excel files by affecting your system and infrastructure.

Similar to other errors, this one can also significantly disrupt work by impeding the proper functioning of Excel 2010. To rectify this error, specific procedures must be followed, encompassing both manual and mechanical techniques. The following passages elaborate on the manual techniques.

Follow the methods given below to recover corrupted Excel 2010 files. From normal settings configuration of the Component Services to changing to symbolic link format, follow our stepwise guidance now.

• Click ‘Start’. Type ‘Run’. Type ‘dcomcnfg’ and then click ‘OK’.
  
• On the Component Services window, expand ‘Computers’ section.
  
• Now press ‘My Computer’>More Actions (click on arrow)> click ‘Properties’.
  
• ‘My Computer Properties’ Dialogue box appears. Click ‘Default Properties’.
  Set the following Values:
  Default Authentication Level: ‘Connect’
  Default Impersonation Level: ‘Identify’
• Click ‘OK’ to change ‘Default Properties’.
  

• Open MS Excel 2010, go to File menu, Click ‘Options’. ‘Excel Options’ window appears. Click on Trust Center. Then ‘Trust Center Settings’.
  
• Now select Protected View. Unselect all the three options, which includes ‘Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments’. Click ‘Ok’.
  
• Restart Application, try opening the file again.

One of the best ways to open corrupt Excel 2010 files is to save them in symbolic link format. With this, you will be able to easily recover the corrupted files. Here is how:

• Open Excel and navigate to the File menu. Click on Save As.
• Within the Save as type dropdown list, select the option SYLK (Symbolic Link). Click on Save.
• Click Yes if the warning message appears.
• Click on the File menu and tap on Open.
• Search for the corrupt workbook with SYLK format (.slk) and open it.
• Save the file with the Save As option.
• Within the ‘Save as type’ dialog box, select Excel workbook.
• Provide a name to the workbook and hit Save.
• Under the specified location, you will get a copy of your original workbook you had created.

Kernel, a renowned name in the industry, offers a solution to eliminate this error, aptly named Kernel for Excel Repair. Furthermore, the company has recently released an updated version of the tool, designated as 19.7. This tool showcases exceptional performance by accomplishing the following tasks:

Having noted the above, we need to see how the tool works. The following are the procedures by which we repair corrupt Excel files that have been subject to “The File Is Corrupt & Cannot Be Opened” error in Excel 2010:

Browse to select the Excel file you need to Recover.

Select the appropriate file from its proper location and click Open.

Click Repair.

The process begins.

On completion, you will receive a report, Click on Save

Select Path or Destination where you wish to save by clicking Select Path and Click Save.

These methods might help you recover your data. Nevertheless, you should take some preventive measures to prevent losing the data. Automatically backing up your workbook is one such measure. If a workbook is unexpectedly deleted or corrupted, such a step will help you recover the data. Here are the steps you can follow to create an Excel backup copy automatically:

• Tap on Save As from the menu of your Excel app.
• Go to the location where the corrupt Excel file is saved.
• Under the Save As dialog box, choose General Options.
• Check mark the box ;Always create backup’. Click OK.

This setting instructs Excel to make a backup of every Excel file you create or open.

Conclusion

Mistakes are never welcomed, yet they can’t be entirely avoided. It’s an unfortunate reality. When a mistake does happen, it often disrupts our workflow, and this holds true for all applications, including Excel 2010. If you encounter errors like “The File Is Corrupt & Cannot Be Opened” in Excel 2010, consider employing manual solutions to address the problem. Should manual recovery fail, you might want to explore the option of using third-party software, such as the tool mentioned here, designed to repair Excel files and retrieve lost data.