excel files not appearing in finder or opening

Hello Carolyn B. Fraser,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A.

This usually happens when the files are either moved, deleted, or stored in a location that is not currently accessible, such as OneDrive or an external drive. Here are a few things you can try:

1. Check the original location If the files were on OneDrive, make sure you are signed in and that OneDrive is syncing. If they were on an external drive, reconnect it and check again.
2. Search for the files Use Spotlight Search on your Mac by pressing Command + Space and typing the file name. You can also check the Recent section in Excel under File > Open Recent.
3. Verify OneDrive sync status If you see a cloud icon in Finder, the file might not be downloaded. Right-click and choose “Download Now.” Also, open the OneDrive app and confirm it is running without errors.
4. Look for AutoRecover files Go to ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery to see if there are any recovery files.
5. Check permissions and updates Make sure you have permission to access the folder and that both Excel and macOS are updated to the latest versions.

If the files still show as “no longer available,” they may have been deleted. In that case, check your OneDrive Recycle Bin or the Mac Trash.

I hope this helps fix the issue. Warm regards,

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Hi,

Can you verify if you have saved the file locally or was it saved to your cloud storage?