Recover data from damaged MS excel file

Some times Microsoft office excel files get damaged. MS Excel stops responding while opening damaged excel files.

But don’t lose hope as you can try some methods given below to recover your data from your excel.

Method 1:

Open the recovered copy of the excel file.

1. Open Start >> All programs >> Microsoft Office >> Microsoft Office Tools and click “Microsoft Office Application Recovery”

2. In application list click Microsoft Excel , click recover application.

Note: Don’t click End Application, otherwise recent changes to your workbook will be lost.

3. Open Microsoft Excel , the excel workbook you want to recover will be listed Document Recovery task pane.

4. To open or save your workbook, click the arrow on the right of the workbook in the task pane.

Method 2:

Use “Open and Repair” command

1. Start Microsoft Excel.

2. On the File menu, click Open.

3. In the Open dialog box, select the damaged excel file, Click the arrow on the Open button, and then click Open and Repair. Click the image below to enlarge.

4. When prompted click Repair to try to recover your most recent changes.

5. If you receive the following error message, click Yes.

The document file name caused a serious error the last time it was opened. Would you like to continue opening it?

6. Save your recovered workbook, that’s it done!

Method 3:

Save the file in HTML format

This method is useful when you are not able to save the files as .xls file, see the steps below:

1. In Microsoft Excel the File menu, click Save as Web Page.

2. Under Save, click Entire Workbook, and then click Save.

3. Close the file and open the file again in Excel.

5. On the File menu, click Save As.

6. In the Save as type list, click Microsoft Excel Workbook.

7. Change the name of the file to create a new copy without replacing the original.

Method 4:

Through Recovery Toolbox tool

Last but not the least if none of the above methods works, you can try this software called RECOVERY TOOLBOX FOR EXCEL 1.1.5 which is free to try.

Some Features:

Recover style of table
- Recover number formats (except colors, used in a number format)
- Recover fonts
- Recover worksheets
- Recover columns width and rows height
- Recover cell data of workbook

and so on.

Download RECOVERY TOOLBOX FOR EXCEL 1.1.5

We hope at least one of the above methods will work for you.

Author + Admin: Rohit Khurana
Software Engineer by profession. I am a part time tech blogger and believe in blogging because I enjoy writing on technology. I also write about Cars and Bikes at www.carblogindia.com. You can catch me on twitter @rohit_khurana. Get in touch with me at RohitKhurana.in.