Encountering the “Excel found unreadable content” error can be quite challenging, especially when you’re working on an important project. This issue typically arises due to corrupted files or incompatible file formats.
To resolve this problem and successfully open your Excel file, follow the steps below:
Saving the File with a .xlsm Extension
Compatibility issues can cause this error. To avoid such problems, save your file in the .xlsm format, which is compatible with all versions of Excel.
Open the corrupted file in Excel. Click on “Save As” in the File menu. In the “Save as type” drop-down list, select “Excel Binaries (*.xlsm)”. Save the file with a new name, ensuring it has a .xlsm extension. Open the saved file again to check if the error is resolved.
Repairing the File Using Excel’s Built-in Repair Feature
Microsoft Excel offers a built-in feature to repair corrupted files, which can often fix the “unreadable content” error.
Double-click on the corrupted file to open it in Excel. If Excel recognizes the file as corrupt, a message will appear at the top of the window with the text “File is damaged and could not be repaired automatically.” Click on “Details” for more information about the corruption. Close the corrupted file without saving. Open a new Excel workbook. In the File menu, click on “Open.” Navigate to the folder containing the corrupted file, select it, and click “Open.”
If the file is still not opening, try opening it in compatibility mode: Right-click on the file icon and select “Open with Microsoft Excel.” Choose a version of Excel that is compatible with the file format. If this doesn’t work, try opening the file in an earlier version of Excel.
Converting the File to CSV Format and Re-importing
If the previous methods don’t work, try converting the file to CSV (comma-separated values) format and then re-import it into Excel.
Open a new Excel workbook. Click on “Open” in the File menu, and navigate to the corrupted file. Select the corrupted file and click “Open.” Instead of double-clicking on the file, right-click on it and select “Open with Notepad” or any other text editor. Copy the contents of the text editor.
In the new Excel workbook, go to “Data” in the ribbon and click on “Text Import Wizard.” Select “Delimited” as the file type, then click “Next.” Check the box for “Comma” under “Other delimiter,” and click “Next.” Choose “Microsoft Excel” as the destination for the imported data, and click “Finish.” Excel will now import the data from the corrupted file into a new worksheet. Save the workbook in .xlsx or .xlsm format.
Using Third-Party Data Recovery Software
If none of the above methods work, consider using third-party data recovery software to fix the corrupted Excel file. Several tools are available online that can help recover and repair damaged Excel files.
Encountering the “Excel found unreadable content” error can be quite challenging, especially when working on an important project. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve the issue and regain access to your Excel file. Always remember to save your files regularly and use cloud storage solutions to prevent data loss due to corrupted files.
