How to fix corrupted Excel files effectively on your computer

Join TipsMake to learn how to fix Excel files with errors such as not being able to open, font errors or automatic calculation errors, helping you recover Excel files quickly and easily.

1. Restore by manual method

Step 1: Select File --> Open .

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Step 2: A dialog box appears, (1) select the Excel file you want to restore --> (2) from the Open button drop-down list , select Open and Repair

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Step 3: A dialog box appears:

+ Step 3.1: Select Repair to repair the file

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+ Step 3.2: If the file is still corrupted, select Extract Data again to restore the data.

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2. Turn off automatic calculation mode For Excel 2003

Step 1: Open a spreadsheet file with empty content.

Step 2: (1) Select Tools --> (2) Options

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Step 3: The Options dialog box appears , (1) select the Calculation tab --> (2) select Manual --> (3) press OK .

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For Excel 2007

Step 1: Open a spreadsheet file with empty content.

Step 2: (1) Select Office ---> Excel Options .

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Step 3: A dialog box appears, (1) select the Formulas tab --> (2) select Manual --> (3) press OK .

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For Excel 2010

Step 1: Open a spreadsheet file with empty content.

Step 2: (1) Select File ---> (2) Options

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Step 3: A dialog box appears, (1) select the Formulas tab ---> (2) select Manual ---> (3) press OK . (similar to Excel 2007).

Then open the corrupted file, maybe you will be able to open the problem file.

3. Using Microsoft Office Tools

Step 1: Select Start Menu --> Microsoft Office

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Step 2: Select Microsoft Office Application Recovery

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Step 3: Select Microsoft Office Excel in the dialog box.

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Step 4: Select Recover Application . Excel will shut down and restart the list of spreadsheet files to be recovered, the corrupted Excel file may be in this recovery list. Open it and use it.

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4. Fix There Was A Problem Sending The Command To The Program error

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The error There was a problem sending the command to the program often occurs during the process of opening a file and this is an error that prevents users from opening that Excel file. To fix the error of the Excel file with There was a problem sending the command to the program, follow the instructions below.

Step 1: First, open Excel, it doesn't have to be the file you want to open, it can be any file, here you click on File.

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Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom to see Options, click on it to access Excel Options.

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Step 3: In Excel Options, go to Advanced > scroll down to General and check Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange and click OK to close.

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So we have completed fixing the Excel file error with the error There was a problem sending the command to the program.

When using Excel, corrupted Excel files are a common problem that users often encounter. To fix this, you can apply methods such as recovering corrupted Excel data via Open and Repair or using tools such as Microsoft Office Tools to repair. If the problem is still not resolved, try turning off automatic calculation mode or fixing the Excel unresponsive error to ensure your file opens again.

Micah Soto

Update 25 February 2025