Spreadsheets are widely used by businesses to store and share data and financial records with others. However, they can often become inaccessible for reasons like sudden crashes or permission issues. As a result, your important data gets stuck in them and becomes useless. For businesses, this is a serious issue that requires immediate solutions.
Therefore, we will explain the top 5 Excel repair software that allows opening and extracting data from these files. You will also learn about a few important tips that will help you in choosing an ideal tool to repair your files.
In this article
Part 1. What Features You Should Look into Your Excel Repair Software?
Before discussing the top Excel corrupt file repair software, let’s see what features they should have to ensure successful repair:
| Features | Description |
| Format Compatibility | A good repair tool should support various file versions, including XLS and XLSX formats. This ensures that whether you’re working with older or newer versions of Excel, the tool can recover your data without compatibility issues. |
| Ability to Recover Data | Such software should restore not only numerical data but also formulas and formatting. That's because a simple repair tool that only retrieves raw data might not be helpful if your spreadsheet contains calculations. |
| Simple Interface | An effective Excel repair tool should have an intuitive interface that allows even beginners to restore files. On the other hand, software with multiple steps can make the repair process confusing for users with limited technical knowledge. |
| Preview and Selective Recovery | You should choose a tool that allows previewing the recovered data before saving it. This feature helps you verify if the repair was successful and lets you select specific sheets or elements for recovery. |
| Speed and Efficiency | When choosing for professional purposes, select a tool that quickly scans and repairs corrupted files. Some tools have advanced algorithms that repair files faster and with a higher success rate. |
Part 2.Best Excel Repair Software to Get Rid of Corrupted Files
By following the tips from the above section, you can easily choose a reliable tool to repair your files. To help you with the process, we have gathered the 5 best MS Excel repair tools below.
1. Repairit | One-Click Solution for All Files
Most tools that allow file repair come with limitations that prevent users from using them in the long run. However, Repairit is the ideal Excel file repair software with no limitations and instantly repairs your spreadsheets. It uses advanced algorithms to understand the damaged regions on your file and restore them accordingly.
Similarly, the tool ensures the original formatting and the data of the file remain intact during the repair process. Users can also use it to repair and extract data from their spreadsheets that were created in the older versions of the Office tools. Additionally, its online version is accessible on all devices to repair your Excel files on the go.
Key Features
- File Previewing: After repairing files, you can open them in a preview window within the tool to confirm the removal of corruption.
- Compatibility: It is compatible with all versions of Windows and supports Microsoft suite files even from the 2007 version.
- iWork Repair: Repairit also supports removing issues from iWork documents, including the Numbers files.
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Repair damaged Excel files with all levels of corruption, including blank files, files not opening, unrecognizable format, unreadable content, files layout changed, etc.
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Repairs all kinds of data stored in damaged Excel files such as tables, charts, formulas, comments, images, etc.
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Support all formats of Excel files: XLSX/XLSM/XLTX/XLTM/XLS
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Perfectly repair corrupted files with a very high success rate, without modifying the original file.
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No limit to the number and size of the repairable files.
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Support Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022, and macOS 10.12~macOS 13.
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Except for Excel, Repairit also supports all formats of PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, ZIP, and Adobe files.
After you’re satisfied with the tool’s features, follow the simplified guide given below to use this Excel repair software:
Step 1. Press the “+Add” button to select and import the damaged Excel files from your PC.
Step 2. Click the “Repair” button and wait for the tool to complete the repair process.
Step 3. Press the "Save" button to export it to your storage.
Repair Corrupted Excel Files
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2. MS Excel's Built-in Repair Feature
Instead of external tools, you can use the default repair feature of Excel to make your corrupted files accessible. It is ideal for removing minor glitches and problems that prevent a file from opening in the program. The good thing about this method is that it doesn't need any external software to function properly. As a result, it is the ideal free Excel repair software to quickly access your spreadsheets.
3. Recovery Toolbox for Excel
Recovery Toolbox for Excel is a dedicated file repair tool that helps recover data from corrupt spreadsheets in different formats. You should use this option when Excel fails to open files using its built-in repair feature. Additionally, it works well for retrieving numerical data and formatting while ensuring that most of your spreadsheet remains intact. To use this Excel repair tool freeware, you can either download its software or access it online.
4. Excel Repair Toolbox
Excel Repair Toolbox is another free Excel repair software that works the same way as the above one. You should especially use this tool when the files fail to open due to software crashes or power failures. Additionally, it quickly extracts data, tables, and even calculations without disturbing the formatting of the file. Due to its ability to manage complex data effectively, this is a recommended tool for business purposes.
5. ExcelFIX
For an offline solution, ExcelFIX is a reliable free Excel repair software that provides deep recovery options for severely corrupted files. It specializes in recovering charts, formulas, and even embedded images from broken documents. This tool is best for cases where the file appears blank or completely unreadable. Depending on the level of damage, you can choose either the Basic or Advanced recovery mode of the tool.
Part 3. Fastest Excel Repair Software to Repair Your Excel Data Efficiently
Since all these Excel repair tools have their pros and cons, we’ve created a detailed table to help you make a choice:
| Feature | MS Excel's Built-in Repair | Recovery Toolbox for Excel | Excel Repair Toolbox | ExcelFIX | Repairit |
| Supports Multiple Formats | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recovers Formulas | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Restores Formatting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Repairs Multiple Files Simultaneously | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| User-Friendly Interface | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Supports Password-Protected Files | No | No | No | Needs a password for XLS files. | Yes |
| Recovers Embedded Objects | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Available as Freeware | Yes | Limited Functionality | Limited Functionality | Limited Trial | Limited Trial |
| Offline Functionality | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion
In short, due to issues like sudden crashes or malware, your spreadsheets can become inaccessible. However, there are many Excel repair software that allow easy access to the information in these files. Tools like Recovery Toolbox for Excel and ExcelFIX are good solutions that work online and offline.
Similarly, Excel itself has useful repair features to remove minor glitches and corruptions from your files. However, for extended repair, Repairit is the recommended solution, as it restores your data without disturbing the original formatting of the file.
FAQ
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Q1. Can I repair an Excel file without installing any software?
You can use Microsoft Excel’s built-in "Open and Repair" feature to fix minor corruption issues. Additionally, some online repair tools, like Repairit, allow you to upload and repair files without installation. -
Q2. Why do Excel files become corrupted?
Your files can become corrupted due to sudden crashes, power failures, or improper file saving. Additionally, malware attacks and storage device failures can also lead to the corruption of your files. -
Q3. Is there a completely free Excel repair tool?
While Excel's own repair feature is free, it works for basic file corruption and error removal. However, for a complete repair of your essential data, you can use the free trial of Repairit.
