Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Tech News Today
Home»Software»Excel»Fix: Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension is Not Valid

Fix: Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension is Not Valid

AsmiBy AsmiOctober 21, 2022
excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid

As the error itself states, you may encounter the “Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid” because of an incorrect or unsupported file format or extension. When you run into this issue, you can no longer open or edit your files.

As MS Excel is mostly used by students and professionals, Excel failing to open a file can be quite problematic. If you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, allow this article to guide you around the issue. In this article, we have included the possible reasons for this error message with viable solutions, so keep reading!

Table of Contents

  • What is the “Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension is Not Valid” Issue?
  • How to Fix the “Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension is Not Valid” Issue?
    • Switch Workbook Format
    • Change Permission Settings
    • Repair Excel File

What is the “Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension is Not Valid” Issue?

You will generally run into this issue if you try opening an old Excel file in the updated version of the Excel program. The older Excel files use a different file format that is no longer supported in the newer versions of the Excel program. Similarly, Excel displays this error message if you have insufficient permissions to access the file or if the file has gone corrupt.
Here are the four possible causes we’ve gathered behind this error message:
  • Compatibility Issue
  • Unsupported File Format
  • Corrupted Excel File
  • Insufficient Permissions

How to Fix the “Excel Cannot Open the File Because the File Format or File Extension is Not Valid” Issue?

Although the issue can cause quite the panic, the workarounds are actually pretty simple! The solutions include changing the file compatibility to repairing corrupt Excel files. For each other issues we’ve presented in the section above, we’ve mentioned viable solutions in this section.

Switch Workbook Format

The newer versions of Excel no longer support files that were created in the older Excel versions. If you encountered this message when trying to open an older Excel file, you would need to change the format of your Excel program.

You can easily change the file format from your version of the Excel application itself. Follow along with these steps to switch the supported workbook format on the Excel program:

  1. Launch MS Excel.
  2. From the sidebar, select Options. If you do not see it, select More > Options.
    Excel Options
  3. Click Save from the panel to your left.
    Save Options for Excel
  4. Under the Save workbooks section, select the drop-down menu next to Save files in this format.
  5. Choose your file format from the list of options.
    Change Excel Save Format
  6. Click OK.

Change Permission Settings

You must have access to certain permissions before accessing any file on your device. Similarly, Excel could be displaying this error because you do not have adequate permission to access the file. In this case, you will have to change the permission settings from the file properties.

Here are the steps you can follow to change the permission settings in accessing the problematic Excel file:

  1. Open file explorer.
  2. Right-click on the problematic file and select Properties.
    File Properties
  3. Head to the Security tab.
  4. Click on the Edit button.
    Edit_Security_Properties
  5. Select Add.
    Add_Permission_to_Access_File
  6. On the new window, click on Advanced.
    Advanced_Permission_Settings
  7. Select Find Now on your left.
    Find_New_Permission
  8. From the options, click Everyone.
    Change_Permission_Settings_Excels
  9. Check all boxes under Allow in the Permissions for Everyone section.
  10. Select Apply > OK.

Repair Excel File

Your last resort to fix this issue will be to repair your Excel file if neither of the solutions presented above works for you. This solution is applicable if you’re dealing with an Excel file that has gone corrupt. When a file goes corrupt, the Excel program will not have enough resources to read and then open your file. This will trigger the program to display the mentioned error message.

To repair your Excel file, you can use the Open and Repair feature offered by MS Excel itself. Excel will try to repair your file so you can open your file as usual. If you wish to perform a repair, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel application.
  2. From the sidebar, select Open.
    Open Excel File
  3. Click Browse.
    Browse to Open Files in Excel
  4. From your device, navigate to the location of your file and select it.
  5. Drop the menu down next to Open in the bottom-right corner of the window.
  6. Select Open and repair.
    Open and Repair Excel File
  7. Select Repair in the dialog box.

Even after you perform the repair, Excel could fail to repair your file. In cases such as this, you could still recover the content of your spreadsheet. To recover your data, follow the same steps except for the last step, and select Extract Data from the dialog box. This will recover the data that is present in your Excel file.

fix
Asmi

Hello! I'm Asmi, and I've been writing professionally since 2020. I'm here to help you learn your way around Microsoft Office-based programs. Besides Office, I also write on technical fixes and general how-to(s). Apart from writing, I like giving back to the community by volunteering.

Related Posts

how to find unique values in excel

How to Find Unique Values in Excel

January 15, 2023
how to find links in excel

How to Find and Edit External Links in Excel

January 13, 2023
reference isn't valid excel

Reference Isn’t Valid Excel Error – 6 Ways to Fix it

January 6, 2023
how to set print area in excel

How to Set Print Area in Excel

January 5, 2023
excel find function not working

Excel Find Function Not Working? Here’s How to Fix it

January 4, 2023
excel trim function not working

Excel Trim Function not Working? Try these Fixes

January 3, 2023
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Latest Posts
what is ghost of tsushima legends

What is the Ghost of Tsushima Legends Mode

January 12, 2023
raid 5 vs raid 10

RAID 5 Vs RAID 10 – Which One Is Better?

January 12, 2023
best-tv-settings-for-gaming

Best TV Settings for Gaming

January 9, 2023
You may also like
pc stuck on boot screen

PC Stuck on Boot Screen? Here’s How to Fix It

January 16, 2023
tv-screen-goes-black-randomly

TV Screen Goes Black Randomly? Try These 11 Fixes

January 15, 2023
how to find unique values in excel

How to Find Unique Values in Excel

January 15, 2023
Recommended
Cookie Clicker Garden Guide

Cookie Clicker Garden Guide to Unlocking Every Seed

September 26, 2021
monitor no signal

Computer Turns On But Monitor Says No Signal (9 Ways To Fix)

November 10, 2022
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
© 2023 TechNewsToday.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.