Excel does not open file - what you can do

If Excel cannot open a file, then this can have different causes. It depends mainly on what problem you have. In some cases, the "Open" button is grayed out. It can also happen that you can select a file, but only an empty worksheet is displayed.

What you can do if Excel does not open a file

If you cannot open a file with Excel, there can be many reasons behind it. For this reason, it is necessary to proceed step by step.

1. First, check whether the file is in a format that Excel recognizes. On Microsoft's website you will find a list of supported formats.
2. Go to "File" in Excel and then to the "Backstage" view. Select "Options" > "Advanced." Under "General", uncheck the "Ignore other applications that use DDE" option. Exit the program and restart it. Then try again to open the file.
3. In addition, check whether there is an update for your computer or Excel, as these can also solve the problem.
4. If it still does not work, go in Excel again on "File". Now select the option "Open".
5. Navigate to the file that you can not open. Select the small arrow to the right of the "Open" button. Now click on "Open and repair".
6. In the next dialog, click on "Repair". If this did not work, select "Extract data" in the next step.