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Summer_Chow's avatar
Summer_Chow
Copper Contributor
Oct 21, 2021

Cannot open Excel files after upgrading to Windows 11

Hi,

I just upgraded to Windows 11. Now, when I opened my excel files in my QNAP NAS, excel showed document recovery message: "Excel has recovered the following files. Save the ones you wish to keep.". I tried to click the file to recover it but it has no response. Excel stopped there. I had to close Excel. I tried to reopen Excel and reopen the same file. It repeated. I could not open the file. 

Initially, I suppose my excel file is damaged but I don't know why because I edited the file the night before. It had not problem. Finally, I copied the excel file from my NAS to my local drive in my laptop (i.e. the one I connected to my NAS).  I opened the file in the local drive with Excel. It worked. I had no problem. Why?

 

Please help, thanks.

 

Summer

  • Ricdog65's avatar
    Ricdog65
    Copper Contributor
    I had the same issue but came across this solution. Try to right-click on the file and select Open, instead of double-click.
    • homeuserhvp's avatar
      homeuserhvp
      Copper Contributor

      nsrumschlag I have exactly the same problem and it is related to the windows 11 install. All xlsx files now show with an IE symbol and will try to open in internet explorer (without success of course). The workaround is to right click on the file and select "open with" excel. That is necessary for all files with an xlsx extension. Files with an xls extension, however (older version of excel), show with the excel symbol and open directly. Once an xlsx file is open, saving it as a excel 2009 version with an xls extension solves the "open with" problem but some functions are obviously lost. 

      This is only an excel problem; the same issues do not exist with Word. 

  • Pete_59's avatar
    Pete_59
    Copper Contributor
    I am having the exact same problem as I just installed Windows 11 and now a very important excel file of mine won't open because it says it is corrupted?
    • toddk123's avatar
      toddk123
      Copper Contributor

      Same issue here with a macro enabled Excel 2007 workbook.

      Used OpenOffice to open & save to new workbook but macros were lost.

      Pete_59 

      • toddk123's avatar
        toddk123
        Copper Contributor
        Additional info & some good news: File is NOT corrupt. Same "Corrupt" Excel file opened OK with no issues on Win10 running on VMware.
  • Pensfold's avatar
    Pensfold
    Copper Contributor
    I have the same problem. Having loaded old Excel files (under Windows 7) into my new computer with Windows 11s, it can't open the Excel files. Tried "Open" and using the Excel versions offered but none work. Not sure an upgraded operating system could make a worse mistake than not being backwards compatible.
    • Pensfold 

      If you run clean Excel and try to open another Excel file from File->Open it also doesn't work and which exactly message do you have with that?

      • Pensfold's avatar
        Pensfold
        Copper Contributor

        SergeiBaklan 

         

        The message displayed is

         

        Recommended App

        Windows 10

        Download but doesn't download

         

        However, I have managed to access the old Excel files by using OPEN WITH instead of OPEN

         

  • BrunoBaronet's avatar
    BrunoBaronet
    Copper Contributor

    Summer_Chow 
    I found a solution to this curious problem!

     

    This problem seems to appear on machines that have Office (2016 in my case) installed on Windows10 or Windows11 or to newly created User accounts.  This problem and solution also applies to Word, and Powerpoint so the solution needs to be applied to all those softwares.

     

    Solution: Open "Excel Options", click on "Trust Center", click on "Trust Center settings", a "Trust Center" windows will open, click on "Protected view", Uncheck all 3 boxes.   

     

    Office blocking attachement coming from Outlook without saying precisely why is puzzling.

     

    • jmhubbard315's avatar
      jmhubbard315
      Copper Contributor

      BrunoBaronet  Please help a computor illiterate and cut the mumbo jumbo. Fact one no choice but to go to Windows 11 ! (: (:  (: Fact two have Excel files that will need to access. Fact three 1 plus 1 does not equal 3 so how can I have Win 11 and use Excel at the same time ? Does Einstein have a solution ???????

      • BrunoBaronet's avatar
        BrunoBaronet
        Copper Contributor

        jmhubbard315 
        Answer 1: Windows 10 or 11, doesn't matter, I have now found this problem on both versions.

        Answer 2: This solution applies to Excel, Word and Powerpoint as far as I can tell, so I would apply this solution to all 3 software.

        Answer 3: 1+1=2. Windows 11 is the Operating System, Excel is a software running on it. Both can and are used at the same time. Excel is part of "Office", which also contain Word, Powerpoint, Outlook and more. Both Windows and Office are made by the same company: Microsoft.

        Answer 4: I don't know if Einstein knew anything about the Windows environment, we would have to setup a séance and ask him.

         

        If you could tell me what your actual problem is, I will try and help you.  

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