Imagine you have saved the work in an Excel document and when you try to open the file again, it would appear as a blank workbook. Isn’t it frightening?
A majority of users have submitted such reports putting light on this dreadful MS Excel error. They reported that they had successfully saved the workbook but when they opened the file again, it appeared blank and they were prompted with a grey screen.
There could be several reasons behind it, including corrupted files, inappropriate MS Excel settings, and more. If you are facing such trouble and looking for a way out, continue reading the guide and learn about the major reasons and possible fixes to resolve the Excel blank error.
Part 1. Why Does Excel Blank Workbook Issue Happen?
Before you get down to the list of effective methods to fix the trouble, it’s always recommended to learn about the root causes that trigger the error. We have listed some of them here that are most often responsible for generating the blank workbook issue.
1. Startup Preferences
One of the basic reasons that generate the issue is your MS Excel startup preferences. Sometimes, the folder where these preferences are stored gets corrupted or becomes outdated, resulting in an error.
2. Faulty MS Excel Settings
Microsoft Excel Settings include various things, such as Hardware Acceleration, DDE, and more. The Excel blank error usually appears when these settings are inappropriate. However, you can easily deal with these by enabling or disabling them, based on the requirement.
3. Corrupted Excel File
MS Excel, like all other applications, is unable to open the corrupted file, hence leading to trouble. The file could be damaged due to several reasons, like sudden system shutdown, inappropriate file transfer, malware infection, and more.
Part 2. How Do I Fix Blank Workbooks in Excel?
Since now you have the basic knowledge about the potential reasons behind the error, it’s time to unwrap the possible solutions to troubleshoot the query.
Method 1: Reset the file associations in Excel
Resetting file associations in MS Excel is the basic and easiest way to resolve the Excel blank error. First, you should verify if the file associations are appropriate and reset those creating troubles to their default settings. Here’s how you can do it.
-
Windows 10
Launch Windows 10 settings and click on "Apps".
Under the "App Settings" tab, hit the "Default Apps" option. Now, go to the "Reset to the Microsoft recommended default" and tap on the "Reset" button.
-
Windows 8/ Windows 7
Go to the Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs.
Click the "Set your default programs" to launch the currently installed programs. Choose Excel and then tap on "Choose default for this program."
Under the "Set program associates" window, click the "Select All" and tap the "Save" button to modify the settings.
Method 2: Disabling Ignore DDE
DDE is a Dynamic Data Exchange message which is sent to the MS Excel application when a user tries to open the Excel workbook in Windows. It mainly instructs the software to open that specific file.
However, the trouble arises when the DDE message is set to be "ignored" in the application. In that case, double-clicking the file just opens a blank workbook in Excel.
The users can easily fix this error by unchecking the ignore DDE option if enabled. Follow the instructions to carry out the process.
-
Go to Files > Options to access the Excel Options window.
-
Under the Excel Options tab, click Advanced and scroll down to the "General" section.
-
Locate the "Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange" box and uncheck it.
-
Click Ok to save the changes.
Method 3: Turn off add-ins
Sometimes, Excel Add-ins start interfering with the loading of documents, thus resulting in the Excel Blank error. In that case, you must disable the add-ins to resolve the error. Follow the steps here.
-
Launch the MS Excel application and go to Files > Options to open the Excel options.
-
On the Excel options page, you can select the Add-ins from the sidebar panel.
-
Here, check if there is any active add-in listed in the past. Disable them to check whether they are causing the blank workbook trouble. However, you can turn them on if they are not responsible for the error.
Method 4: Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration
Excel might generate a blank screen error if you are using graphics like advanced charts in your workbooks. In that case, turn off the Hardware Acceleration and check if it resolves the error.
-
Select the File > Options to launch the Excel Options window.
-
Go to the "Advanced" tab and then locate the "Display" section.
-
Tick the checkbox saying "Disable hardware graphics acceleration". Click Ok to apply the changes.
Method 5: Repairing Microsoft Office Installation
The Excel Blank error might occur if your MS office installation gets damaged or interrupted in between. In that case, you should try repairing it by using the guide mentioned below.
-
Go to the "Control Panel" and select the "Programs and Features."
-
Under the Programs tab, choose the ‘Microsoft Office" and click the "Repair" option.
-
Click Continue to complete the process.
Part 3: Repair Blank Excel Workbook with Repair Software – Wondershare Repairit
Are you still getting the blank workbook in Excel? If the problem persists even after using all the methods listed above, it simply indicates that the Excel file gets corrupted. To fix the trouble, use professional file repairing software that can fix the corrupted file in no time.
Wondershare Repairit is a one-stop solution to repair blank Excel workbooks with three simple clicks. It can easily regain unreadable files, irrespective of the level of damage.
Features:
-
Repair damaged files with all levels of corruption, including blank files, files not opening, unrecognizable format, unreadable content, files layout changed, etc.
-
Support to repair all formats of PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zip, and Adobe files.
-
Perfectly repair corrupted files with a very high success rate, without modifying the original file.
-
No limit to the number and size of the repairable files.
-
Support Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022, and macOS 10.10~macOS 14.
A Guide to Repair Blank Excel Workbook With Wondershare Repairit
Wondershare Repairit is an easy-to-use tool. With only a few simple clicks you can resolve issues related to Excel files. In the below section, we will briefly take you through the steps to help you understand better.
Step 1: Upload Corrupted Files
-
First, download and install the Repairit to your system. Launch the application and go to the File Repair section from the side dashboard "More Types Repair".
-
Click on the "Add" button and a browser window will open that allows you to browse the folder where the corrupted file is stored.
-
Select the desired file and load it to the application. You can also choose multiple files and the tool will repair them at once via a batch processing feature.
-
Once the tool uploads the file, you can check their details on the screen.
Step 2: Repair the files
-
Click the "Repair" button from the bottom to commence the Excel blank file repairing process. The tool scans the document and fixes all sorts of minor and major issues.
-
Check the progress on the screen and wait for a while until the tool finishes the process. The interface will also let you know how many files are successfully repaired and how many are currently in progress.
Step 3: Preview and Save
-
As soon as the tool completes the repairing process, it notifies you of the same. After that, you can click on the "Preview" button available next to the file to check the end result.
-
The users can then tap the "Save" button to export the repaired files to a dedicated folder. You can also click the "Save All" button to save all files at once.
The Bottom Line
That’s it!! We hope our guide has given you a detailed insight into the blank workbook trouble and will help you in fixing the error with ease. It is one of the most annoying MS excel glitches so far. Since the error can cost you the essential data, it should be addressed as soon as possible.
All the methods listed above can resolve the error but you should turn to the Wondershare Repairit if blank excel appears due to file corruption. This powerful tool can fix any kind of file corruption in just three simple steps.
FAQs
-
1. How do I fix Excel 2016 that opens a blank workbook?
There are several methods to fix the Excel 2016 blank workbook error. Some of them are listed here. Copy the content to a new workbook. Check the add-ins Repair MS office installation Reset file associations to the default settings Turn hardware graphic acceleration off Uncheck DDE option -
2. Why is nothing showing in my Excel file?
If you double-click the excel file and nothing appears on the screen, it simply means that the application is encountering the Excel Blank error. This problem often occurs if "ignore other applications that use DDE checkbox is selected in the MS Excel. This option instructs the application not to open the file, thus resulting in a blank screen.
