Workbook suddenly broken

Question

Hi,

I'm using exclusively Excel for the web and one of my workbook can't be opened anymore for no reason. The web app suggests me to open it in the desktop app but I don't own any version of it so now I can't access it at all. Even a manual backup I did a few weeks ago is considered broken though I can at least access it in read-only mode. I tried copying the sheets from my backup one by one (they're completely independent anyway) to a new file and depending on the sheets ordering, it either works fine or breaks again.

What can explain this sudden behaviour and how can I retrieve the last version of my file?

Answer 1

Update on the issue. I found someone with an Office 365 license so he can try to open my file with the desktop app. It works without any trouble, no need to repair or launch in safe mode, so we saved a copy of the file without any modification. I could then open this file in Excel for the web once, but when trying to open it a second time it was broken again.

After it autosaves, I noticed my file is down by a few KB though absolutely nothing was modified and I can't open it again. If I restore the previous version, everything is fine again and I can work on it as long as I don't close it.

Also, as a test, I tried opening the working backup and moved one of the sheet. Then I could close and open it without any trouble but as soon as I moved back the sheet to where it was, the file was broken again (it's 100% reproducible).

Even though it seems to be in some very specific cases, as everything was still working fine a few days ago with the exact same file, it clearly tells me a recent update to Excel for the web is the culprit here.

Answer 2

I apologize for not fully addressing your concerns in my previous response. I understand that the solutions I provided may not be helpful since you don't have access to the desktop app, and the workbook can't be opened in safe mode. I also acknowledge that your backups are not working as expected.

Given the limitations you have described, it's possible that the workbook file has become irreparably corrupted, and you may not be able to recover it without assistance from Microsoft support or a third-party recovery service.

One other option you could try is to open the workbook on a different computer or device to see if it opens properly there. You could also try contacting Microsoft support to see if they have any additional suggestions or if they can help you recover the file.

Regarding your backups, it's unfortunate that they're not working as expected. It's possible that there was an issue with the backup process that caused the backups to become corrupted or that the backups themselves were affected by the same issue that caused the original file to become corrupted.

In any case, it's important to have a backup strategy that includes regular backups to an external device or cloud storage, as well as testing your backups to ensure they can be restored properly. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and hope you are able to find a solution that works for you.

If you have any other questions or need assistance with anything, please don't hesitate to let me know. It will be my pleasure to Assist you.

Best Regards, Sneha

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Answer 3

Hi,

I think you didn't fully read what I said.

• The resources you linked are useful only when you have a desktop app, which I don't
• I can't open the file in safe mode for the same reason
• I tried copying from my backup but depending on the sheets' order, it can either work fine or break the exact same way so I obviously can't rely on that

And again, I do backup my work regularly, but here my backups are suddenly broken too so what's the point?

Answer 4

Hello,

Unfortunately, I don't have any further troubleshooting to offer.

There are many knowledgeable users active on the forum and I hope that someone else can offer further insight on your issue.

Thanks, Sneha

Answer 5

Hi,

I'm Sneha and I'd be happy to help you out with your question. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Based on what you've described, it's possible that the workbook became corrupted due to a software bug or a system error.

To retrieve the last version of your file, there are a few steps you can try. First, try opening the workbook in different web browsers to see if the issue is related to a browser-specific problem. If that doesn't work, you can try opening the workbook in Safe mode by pressing and holding the Ctrl key while opening the file. If that works, try saving the file under a new name and reopening it normally.

Lastly, if you are unable to retrieve the data from the original workbook, you can try opening the backup copy and manually copying the data from the broken sheets to a new workbook.

It's always a good idea to regularly backup your important files to prevent data loss in case of unexpected issues.

For more Information, please refer to following resources :-

1. Repair a corrupted workbook - https://support.microsoft.com/office/repair-a-corrupted-workbook-153a45f4-6cab-44b1-93ca-801ddcd4ea53
2. Repairing a corrupted workbook - https://support.microsoft.com/office/repairing-a-corrupted-workbook-7abfc44d-e9bf-4896-8899-bd10ef4d61ab

If you have any other questions or need assistance with anything, please don't hesitate to let me know. It will be my pleasure to Assist you.

Best Regards, Sneha

Give back to the community. Help the next person with this problem by indicating whether this answer solved your problem. Click Yes or No at the bottom.