File always corrupt

Hey!

I am experiencing the same problem! My VBA and Macro enabled file has not been able to be opened properly since March 16th - before that it worked very well. Also now trying to open saved AutoSave versions from before do not work. Excel always tries to repair the file and strips it off all formulas. I guess there is some case of problems with OneDrive / AutoSave; and or files with sophisticated structures (LET/LAMDA) formulas, that then get too much. Was in contact with support and they were not able to help unfortunately.

Excel for Mac corrupts .xlsm after editing VBA – “Removed Records: Formula / calcChain.xml” on reopen

Hello,

I am experiencing a reproducible issue in Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365).

Environment

• macOS: [please insert your macOS version]
• Excel for Mac version: [please insert exact version from About Excel]
• File type: .xlsm (macro-enabled workbook)
• Storage location: Local disk (NOT iCloud, NOT OneDrive)
  
  

  I can open an existing .xlsm workbook without any issues.

  However, the moment I:

  1. Open the VBA Editor
  2. Add or modify any macro (even something as simple as:)

  Sub TestStability()

  End Sub

  1. Save the file
  2. Close Excel
  3. Reopen the file

   

  Excel displays a repair message stating that content was removed, such as:

  • Removed Records: Formula from /xl/worksheets/sheetX.xml
  • Removed Records: Shared formula
  • Removed Records: Table
  • Removed Records: Formula from /xl/calcChain.xml
    • Formulas are deleted
    • Tables are broken
    • Workbook structure is modifiedNamed ranges may also be removed
      

      After the repair process:

    • The issue occurs even if the macro is NEVER executed.
    • The issue occurs even if only an empty Sub is added.
    • The file works perfectly until VBA is modified and saved.
    • Restarting Excel allows previously saved (older) versions to open normally.
    • The issue persists even after:
      • Resetting the Excel container
      • Removing ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel
      • Removing ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office
      • Reinstalling Excel
        • Saving macro-enabled workbooks
        • calcChain.xml rebuild
        • ListObject / table XML regeneration after VBA modificationThe problem does NOT occur if no VBA changes are made.
          

           

          This appears to be related to:

          • calcChain.xml regeneration
          • ListObject (Table) XML rewrite
          • VBA project save interaction with worksheet formula XML
          • Possibly a Mac-specific saving engine issue

           

          It seems that saving the VBA project triggers corruption of worksheet XML structures.

          Is this a known issue in the current Excel for Mac build?

          Is there a known bug related to:

      • Any technical clarification or official workaround would be appreciated.

        Thank you.

I have the exact same problem! Also mac, although the problem reoccurs on my Dell as well, when opening the files saved on onedrive.

All of my Excel files appear to be corrupted. When I open them, Excel attempts to repair the file and restore as much as possible, but in the process all formulas in the worksheets are removed.

This has affected all of my Excel files, regardless of location — locally stored files, files on OneDrive, and files on Google Drive.

The issue started on February 21st after a computer crash. Since then, I have:

- Restored files using OneDrive version history

- Reinstalled Microsoft 365

- Cleared all caches

- Freed up disk space

Despite these efforts, the problem persists.

The file i was working on when the computer crashed was a heavy file with macros, but the issue appears on all of my files.
I'll give you the link to one of my files that is corrupted, but as mentioned: all of my files have the same issue regardless of the complexity of the formulas.

https://1drv.ms/x/c/4d9934c66df2404b/IQBy0If9C1f2Sat_FCftG2WAAZihfJVPsg_wlb3EGnORQA0?e=Web7dU

I completely agree with mathetes; those diagnostic questions are spot on and will help us pinpoint the root cause. However, while you are checking those details, I’d like to offer a few "first aid" steps that commonly resolve this specific Mac/Office 365 behavior.

Since this happens specifically when you save after using formulas, it sounds like a calculation engine hiccup or a file structure issue. Here are a few things we can try immediately to stabilize the file:

 1. The "Binary" Save (Highly Recommended for Mac)

Mac versions of Excel can sometimes be sensitive to the standard .xlsx format (which is actually a zip file of XMLs).

• Try this: Go to File > Save As and change the file format to Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb).

 2. Check Calculation Settings

Sometimes, if the calculation mode gets stuck or conflicts with volatile functions, it causes save errors.

• Go to Excel > Preferences > Calculation.
• Ensure "Calculate workbook automatically" is selected.
• Also, check if you are using "Volatile" functions (like OFFSET, INDIRECT, NOW, RAND) heavily. Sometimes these force a rewrite of the file structure upon saving that triggers the error on Mac.

 3. The "Printer" Glitch (A classic Mac quirk)
It sounds strange, but corrupted printer drivers on Mac can cause Excel to crash or corrupt files upon saving.

• Try this: Go to File > Print. Change the printer to "Microsoft Print to PDF" or "Save as Adobe PDF". Try saving the file. If it works, the issue is a conflict with your default physical printer driver.

 4. Clear the "Ghost" Links
If your formulas reference other closed workbooks or external data sources, Excel might be failing to update the links during the save process, causing the corruption flag.

• Go to Data > Edit Links (if available) and break any external links you don't absolutely need, or ensure the source files are accessible.

Regarding mathetes questions:
If you could let us know if this happens with new files (as mathetes asked), that tells us if it’s a "Template/File" problem or a "System/Installation" problem.

• If it’s just one file: The sheet itself is damaged (try copying all data to a new blank .xlsb file).
• If it’s all files: It might be a corrupt Office installation or a problematic Add-in. (Try holding Shift while opening Excel to start in Safe Mode).

Don't forget no one in this forum can see what you see.

In this link you will find some more information about it:

Welcome to your Excel discussion space!

It's hard to diagnose with the information you've given so far. So I hope you're able to answer a few questions.

1. Does this happen with multiple Excel files--three or four different ones--or is this experience solely with a single file?
2. What is the nature of the file in question (assuming it is just one particular file) --- what kind of data, what kinds of formulas? Please give examples.
3. Would you be willing to attach the file to your next posting here in this forum? Or the post the file on Google Drive or some other publicaly accessible location, with a link pasted here that grants access?