Many a time, while opening your Excel file, you might come across an issue, “Excel file won’t open.” You might notice a blank sheet instead of the file supposed to be opened. This is a common issue, and in this article, we will come across simple ways by which you can resolve this.
Reasons why Excel file won’t open
There can be some possible reasons as to why you are not able to access your Excel file. Some of them are listed below:
- Excel file you want to open is corrupt.
- Excel application is corrupt.
- Excel application is unable to communicate with other applications.
- The file association is broken.
How to fix the Excel file won’t open issue?
To solve the problem manually, you will have to try different solutions to see which suits the best. Below are some of the ways that can be used to resolve the issue.
Method 1: Uncheck the Ignore DDE box
This is one of the easiest ways to resolve the issue. The default setting of Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is disabled. The Excel file will not open if, by any chance, this setting is enabled. Below are the steps to fix the DDE issue:
Step 1: Open the Excel file from the Start menu.
Step 2: Click on the File tab.
Step 3: Select Options.
Step 4: Under the Options dialogue box, select the ‘Advanced’ option on the left pane.
Step 5: Under the General section, ensure that the dialogue box, ‘Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)’ is disabled.
Step 6: Close the Excel Options dialogue box.
Method 2: Check Hide/Unhide
If you wish to open a particular file, it might happen that the file is open but it is hidden. In that case, you need to follow few steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Open the Excel application.
Step 2: Click on the View tab.
Step 3: Under the Window section, check if the Hide option is selected.
Step 4: If it is so, select the Unhide option.
Step 5: Select the file you want to view and click OK.
Method 3: Disable Add-ins
Add-ins might cause a conflict with the Excel application. Although they boost the Excel functionality and allow the use of many Excel features, they can turn out to be problematic at times. You can manually fix this issue by following these steps:
Step 1: Open the Excel file from the Start menu.
Step 2: Go to the File tab and select Options.
Step 3: Under the Options tab, select the ‘Add-ins’ option on the left pane.
Step 4: At the bottom of the Add-ins dialogue box, select the Manage drop-down.
Step 5: Select COM Add-ins and click on Go.
Step 6: Below the COM Add-ins dialogue box, disable all the add-ins dialogue boxes.
Step 7: Click OK.
Method 4: Reset Excel File Associations
It might happen that the settings of the Excel File Associations are being altered. In that case, the Excel file will not open. You can reset the settings by following the below steps:
Step 1: Open Control Panel
Step 2: Select Programs.
Step 3: Click on Default Programs
Step 4: Under Default Programs, select ‘Set your default programs.’
Step 5: Locate and click on the Excel application in the left pane.
Step 6: Select ‘Choose defaults for this program.’
Step 7: Check the Select All box.
Step 8: Click on Save and OK. This will reset all your Excel File Association settings.
Method 5: Repair Microsoft Office
There might be some issue with Microsoft Office which could be the reason behind your Excel file not opening. Follow the steps below to solve this procedure.
Step 1: Hold the Windows key and press R key. Run dialogue box will open.
Step 2: Enter the text, ‘appwiz.cpl’ in the run box.
Step 3: Now, locate Microsoft Office.
Step 4: Right-click on Microsoft Office option and click on Change.
Step 5: In the dialogue box, select Quick Repair.
Step 6: Click on the Repair button.
Method 6: Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration
Hardware Graphic Acceleration helps in boosting the performance while working with Microsoft Office Applications. But sometimes, this can also cause an error in opening your Excel file. Below are the steps to resolve the issue via this method:
Step 1: Open the Excel application and click on the File tab.
Step 2: Under Options, select the Advanced tab on the left pane.
Step 3: Under Display settings, check the box ‘Disable hardware graphics acceleration.’
Step 4: Click OK.
We hope that the issue gets resolved by one of more solutions explained above. But even after all the methods, you are not able to open your Excel file then it is a significant issue. We have a quick and easy solution for this problem. Excel Repair Software is a one-stop solution for all the Excel related issues. This result oriented and professional tool repairs and recover the corrupt file and makes it accessible in no time. It is a user-friendly product and is great in demand.
