Can't open excel file in MacOS/iOS - but does open in Windows 10 Enterprise and OneDrive (PC + iOS)

Question

I have an excel file I've been working on for years. Recently I'm unable to open on iPhone (Office365) or Mac but can open on Windows PC & in OneDrive on both PC and Mac versions. I want to have local download version on Mac that I can work on.

I'm getting an error message: "Can't open file. Excel cannot open the file XX because the file format or file extension is not valid. Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extensions matches the format of the file."

A compatibility report box comes up when I try to open with the following: "This file originally contained features which were not recognized by this version of Excel. These features are not preserved when saving an OpenXML file to the XLSB file format, or vice versa.". 1 occurrence.

How can I resolve this error please?

I'm willing to share a link to a version of the file if that would help.

Tried to upload screenshots but can't upload here, getting error messages on MS support!!

Answer 1

I too had this issue , it was with a file that was open when Ecel requested to go through a close and restart.

In my case it came up with a "grant access" challenge prior to rejecting the file for the above reasons.

I opened the file in Numbers , which complained about an unsupported formula but displayed the file correctly.

I then exported back to xlsx planning to see if I could open that version.

However, having closed Numbers I discovered I could open the original file under Excell with no issue (no challenge etc)

The last modified date remained as it was previously (i.e. Numbers hadn't written back the file).

I'm guessing there is some credential caching or excel introducing a bug that misinterpreted MAcOS return code.

Answer 2

Hello, David Kerr2.

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I understand you're experiencing difficulties “opening an Excel file on macOS and iOS, while it functions correctly on Windows and OneDrive.” This issue is often related to file compatibility or corruption. Kindly see some possible reasons:

***For The .xlsb (Excel Binary Workbook) format is not fully supported on all platforms, particularly on macOS and iOS*. Saving your workbook in the .xlsx format enhances compatibility. ****

Reasons:<br><br>Features that were used in this workbook will not be available in Excel 2007 when you save an OpenXML file to an Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb), or vice versa. When you continue saving the file, the features will be lost.	Some possible resolutions: <br> <br>If you know which features might be causing this issue, remove or replace them if possible, and then save the file in the file format that you want. (On your Windows Device)

Here are some steps to help resolve this problem:

1-> Verify File Extension and Format / File name:

• Ensure the file has a valid Excel extension, such as .xlsx.
• Open the file on your Windows PC, go to File > Save As, and select the .xlsx format to ensure compatibility. And upload this file again to your OneDrive, Then open it on the Mac device and observe whether the error still exists?
• See the advice from Jim_ Gordon in this thread “this is having special characters in the file name, an enclosing folder, or the startup volume name. Check to be sure all characters are either letters or numbers.”
• At the same time, please try to make sure the file name complies with the Excel naming convention in OneDrive. Kindly refer to: Restrictions and limitations in OneDrive and SharePoint - Microsoft Support

2-> Clear Excel Cache on Mac:

• Close Excel.
• Open Finder, press Command + Shift + G, and enter ~/Library/Containers
• Locate and move the folder com.microsoft.Excel to the desktop.
• Restart Excel and attempt to open the file.

Additionally, if your problem persists, could you please share additional information with me, such as:

1. What is your macOS version? For example, is it Monterrey/Ventura/Sonoma/Sequoia
2. And what is your Excel for Mac version? You can refer to the following articles: About Office: What version of Office am I using? - Microsoft Support
3. If the problem only occurs in a specific file, can your problem be alleviated by replacing/deleting key components in the document? For example, ActiveX controls and FILTERXML or PowerQuery are not supported in Excel for Mac. Of course, please make a backup of the original data before completing these steps.

Feel free to let me know if any updates, thanks!

Best Regards,

Hannah.Z- MSFT |Microsoft Community Support Specialist