#UNKNOWN! error

Question

In excel, document prepared by another person in our organization, clipped picture which is set in excel by inserting fit in cell shows #UNKNOWN! when I open the doc. We both have latest 365.

Answer 1

Hello @Minna Lahtinen, 

Good day! I hope you are doing well. 

Based on your description, I understand that you are opening an Excel workbook created by another user in your organization, and a picture that was inserted and set to “fit in cell” displays as #UNKNOWN! when you open the file, even though the original author can see the image correctly. You have also confirmed that both users are on the latest version of Microsoft 365. 

Please let me know if I misunderstood any part of your issue or if there are additional details you’d like to share. 

To help us provide the most accurate and effective solution for this behavior, could you please share a bit more information about your setup: 

• How was the image originally inserted? (For example: Insert > Pictures >Place in Cell / Fit in Cell vs. a normal floating image inserted over cells, copy and paste the image) 
• Can you test if you share an excel file with images to the creator or other users, will they see the same error?
• Can you provide the screenshots showing the exact Excel version, build number, and update channel for both you and the file creator (Go to File > Account > About Excel)? 
• How the file is stored and opened (SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, email attachment, local drive)? 
• Whether the file shows the image correctly if: 
  • The creator opens it on another device 
  • You open it in Excel on the web or on a different machine 
  • The creator share it to another colleague? 
• Are you and the creator using the same operating system (both Windows, or the creator use MacOS,…)? 

This additional context will help us understand whether this is related to newer image‑in‑cell features, version or update‑channel differences, or how the file is being accessed, so I can tailor the guidance to your environment. 

In the meantime, here are some basic checks you can try: 

• Ask the file creator to reinsert the image as a standard (floating) picture instead of “fit in cell” and see if it displays correctly for you 
• Open the workbook using Excel for the web to check if the image appears there 
• Try opening the file by downloading it locally rather than opening directly from Teams or SharePoint 
• Run Office Repair from Control Panel for Windows device: 
  • Close all office apps completely.   
  • Go to Control Panel > Program > Programs and Features   
  • Right click on the Microsoft Office you've installed > Change.   
  
  • Select Quick Repair first (fast and doesn’t require internet).   
  
  • If the issue persists, run Online Repair (requires internet and takes longer).   

I apologize if I could not jump straight to a solution. I want to avoid suggesting anything that might be inaccurate or unhelpful. Once I have the details above, I’ll be able to assist you more effectively and guide you toward the right resolution. 

Looking forward to your response so we can get this sorted out for you together.  

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