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Excel cannot open a file called file.xlsx.

The error states this is because the file format or file extension is not valid, and I should verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file.

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  • IIRC, this can be caused by a bad setting inside Xcel. But unfortunately I don't recall what the setting is. Apr 19, 2012 at 0:37
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    Have you tried opening any other .xlsx files? It might be that your file really is corrupted. It could also be that the file isn't actually an xlsx file.
    – Wolfcow
    Apr 19, 2012 at 0:38
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    Or you are running a version of Excel that doesn't support xlsx by default. Please include your excel version by editing the question.
    – Paul
    Apr 19, 2012 at 0:52
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    @Ricky It would be nice if you would look at some of these solutions, unanswered questions are annoying.
    – cutrightjm
    Apr 30, 2012 at 12:41

4 Answers 4

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Do you perhaps have an old version of Excel? If so, if you can use a newer version (maybe at your office), and save the file as .xls instead of .xlsx, you will be able to open it with your older version of Excel.

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To open the newer file format Excel files in older versions of Excel you can install the "Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint"

By installing the Compatibility Pack along-side of Microsoft Office XP, or Office 2003, you will be able to open, edit, save, and create files using the formats that are used by Office 2010 and the 2007 Office system. Office 2000 users, as well as users of Windows 2000 SP4 and later, can convert Open XML Formats to binary file formats from within Windows Explorer.

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  • @Ricky, this answer should be accepted! Click the check mark on the left.
    – Tomas
    Apr 23, 2013 at 13:49
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MS Dos, the clear winner.................

I tried multiple fixes but all in vain. very simple fix I got is as below.

1- Copy your filename.xlsx on C drive (for quick finding)

2- Run command prompt as an administrator (for all roghts)

3- Change file extension to xls using rename commsnd "rename filename.xlsx filename.xls"

4- Open file in excel.... enjoy

My xlsx had very complex formulas and charts, surprisingly complete data is repaired and restored by Excel 2010.

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  • Winner, winner, chicken f'ing dinner. Thanks!
    – Cougar9000
    Sep 12, 2016 at 19:58
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If you have Excel 2003 and also installed Office Compatibility Pack, make sure that if you also installed Office 2003 SP3 and Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack Service Pack 2 (SP2).


However, after trying every solution I've found in top20 Google results, the only solution left is to completely reinstall Windows 7 I have.

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