How to fix "The file is corrupted and cannot be opened" in Microsoft Excel
The file is corrupted and cannot be opened.
What this error means
Excel could not open the ZIP container at all, almost always because the file is cut short and the archive index at the end is gone.
Why it happens
- Interrupted download, sync or copy
- Storage errors on a USB stick or SD card
- Saving to a network drive that disconnected
How to fix it
- In Excel: File › Open › Browse › select the file › arrow next to Open › Open and Repair
- Try File › Options › Trust Center › Protected View and untick the boxes, then reopen (turn them back on afterwards)
- Upload it here to rebuild the workbook from the sheets that survived
About Excel workbook files
An .xlsx workbook is a ZIP of XML parts: each sheet is a separate file (xl/worksheets/sheet1.xml…), text cells share one string table, and xl/workbook.xml lists the sheets. When the workbook index is lost, the sheets are often still intact.