How to Resolve the "Excel Found Unreadable Content" Error (Simple Guide)

When attempting to open Excel 2007/2010, you might encounter this error message: "Excel found unreadable content in 'filename.xlsx'. Do you want to recover the contents of this workbook? If you trust the source of this workbook, click Yes." To resolve the 'Excel found unreadable content in filename.xls' error in Microsoft Excel, follow these steps: 1. When the error message appears, click on the "Yes" button to allow Excel to attempt to recover the workbook. 2. Excel will then scan the file and try to fix any corrupted or damaged content it finds. 3. After the recovery process is complete, a new window will open with a message stating that the file has been recovered. It may also mention any issues or changes made during the recovery. 4. Save the recovered file as a new workbook by clicking "File" > "Save As" and give it a distinct name to differentiate it from the original file. 5. Close the original problematic workbook without saving any changes, to prevent overwriting the recovered version. 6. Check if the newly saved workbook is functioning correctly. If there are still issues, you might need to restore a backup copy of the file, if available. 7. To prevent future occurrences, ensure that your files are regularly backed up and that your Excel version is up-to-date with the latest updates and patches. By following these steps, you should be able to recover and continue working with the contents of the corrupted Excel workbook.

"Excel encountered unreadable content in 'Filename.xlsx'"

"Hello Team, I am utilizing this module to generate files. Some files open seamlessly without any problems. However, for others, I encounter errors stating 'Excel found unreadable content in XXXX.xlsx'. I haven't been able to rectify the issue. Could you kindly verify whether the problem lies with the file itself or the module, and assist me in resolving it? I have attached two files for reference, among which 'Export_201605.xlsx' is the one that opens without any issues."

This image represents an error message in Microsoft Excel that states "Excel found unreadable content." It typically occurs when the program encounters corruption or damage in an Excel file, preventing it from opening properly. The software offers to recover the readable parts of the file, potentially with some data loss.

Is your Excel file displaying unreadable content? You can find a solution right here! What is Excel file corruption? It occurs when the contents within an Excel workbook become chaotic or disordered. An workbook can become corrupted if it's improperly handled by any application that reads or writes .xlsx files.

Translate into English.

Workable Solutions	Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Recover/Repair Corrupted Excel	Download, install, and launch Fixo Document Repair tool. Proceed to the software's main screen and...Full steps
Set Excel as Read-only	In Excel, click "File" from the main menu. Choose "Save As" for a new...Full steps
Install Visual Basic Component	Navigate to "Control Panel > Programs > Select Microsoft Office 2010"...Full steps

What Causes the "Excel Found Unreadable Content" Error

This error can stem from various reasons. The primary ones are outlined below:

The Excel cache might be full
Your PC has experienced a virus attack or file corruption
The Excel application is not fully installed on your computer
System errors or failures leading to complete or partial file corruption

As you can observe, corruption can be a factor that triggers this error. Here are some troubleshooting methods you can attempt to rectify the issue:

Method 1: Repair Corrupted Excel Content with File Repair Tool

To repair damaged Excel files and recover tables, images, charts, and formulas from Excel, utilize professional file repair software - Fixo Document Repair Tools. This software is specifically designed to effectively repair corrupted Office files and PDF documents.

Repair corrupted files while preserving their original format
Support for repairing multiple files in a batch process
Fix damaged, corrupted, or inaccessible PDF documents

Step 1. Download and install Fixo on your PC or laptop. Select "File Repair" to fix corrupted Office files, including Word, Excel, PDF, and others. Click "Add Files" to choose the corrupted documents.

Step 2. To repair multiple files simultaneously, click the "Repair All" button. If you wish to repair a single document, hover your pointer over the targeted file and select "Repair." You can also preview the documents by clicking the eye icon.

Select documents to repair

Step 3. Click "Save" to save the selected document. Choose "Save All" to save all the repaired files. Select "View Repaired" to locate the repaired folder.

Method 2: Set the Excel File as Read-only

You can attempt to use the Read-Only mode to rectify the error "Excel found unreadable content." Here are the steps: 1. Open Microsoft Excel. 2. Locate and right-click on the problematic Excel file that is giving the error. 3. From the context menu, select "Open" instead of double-clicking it. 4. In the dialogue box that appears, click on the "Open" button but before that, make sure to check the box next to "Open in read-only" option. 5. Excel will now open the file in read-only mode, which might allow you to access its contents without causing further damage. 6. If the file opens successfully, you can try saving a copy of it by going to "File" > "Save As" and giving it a new name to prevent overwriting the original file. 7. Once saved, you can对比新副本进行编辑，而原始文件保持不变。 If the issue persists, there might be corruption in the file, and you may need to use Excel's built-in recovery tools or seek professional assistance.

Step 1. In Excel, click "File" from the main menu.

Step 2. Choose "Save" for a new document or "Save As" for a previously saved document.

Save as Read-Only to fix 'Excel found unreadable content'

Step 3. From the "Save As" dialog box, click "Tools" > "General Options".

Step 4. Click the "read-only" checkbox to make the document read-only, and then click "OK".

Fix 'Excel found unreadable content' by turning on Read Only

Now open a new, empty .xls file. Next, you need to copy all the content from the damaged file into the new file. Once that's done, save the file.

Method 3: Install the Visual Basic Component of MS Office To install the Visual Basic component of Microsoft Office, follow these steps: 1. Ensure Office is installed: First, make sure that you have Microsoft Office installed on your computer. If not, visit the official Microsoft website to purchase and download the appropriate version. 2. Access the installation options: Launch the Office Setup program. This can usually be found in your Start menu or by searching for "Office" or "Setup" on your computer. If you have an Office 365 subscription, sign in with your Microsoft account credentials. 3. Choose Custom Installation: In the Office setup wizard, select the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation option. This will allow you to choose individual components to install. 4. Select Visual Basic: Within the custom installation screen, navigate to the "Features" or "Program Features" section. Here, you'll find a list of all available components. Look for "Visual Basic for Applications" or "Microsoft Visual Basic" and check the box next to it to include it in the installation. 5. Proceed with installation: Click "Next" or "Install" to proceed with the installation, and wait for the process to complete. The installation time may vary depending on your system's performance. 6. Verify installation: Once the installation is finished, launch a Microsoft Office application like Word or Excel. Navigate to the "Developer" tab, which should now be visible in the ribbon. If you don't see the Developer tab, go to "File" > "Options" > " Customize Ribbon," and enable the Developer checkbox. Now you should have access to the Visual Basic Editor within your Office applications, allowing you to create and modify VBA macros and projects.

It is said that installing the "Visual Basic" component of Microsoft Office 2010 can resolve the error message. Here are the steps you can follow to repair unreadable Excel files: 1. Open the Control Panel on your computer. 2. Click on "Programs" or "Programs and Features," depending on your operating system. 3. Locate Microsoft Office 2010 in the list of installed programs. 4. Right-click on it and select "Change" or "Modify." 5. In the Office 2010 setup window, choose the "Repair" option. 6. Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed with the repair process. 7. Once the repair is complete, restart your computer. 8. Try opening the unreadable Excel file again to see if the issue has been resolved. If the problem persists, you might also consider using the built-in File Repair feature in Excel or using third-party recovery tools.

Step 1. Go to "Control Panel > Programs > select Microsoft Office 2010."

Step 2. Click "Change > Add or Remove Programs." Click the "+" sign next to "Office Shared Features" at the bottom of this list.

Step 3. Click "Visual Basic for Applications" and choose "Run from My Computer."

After the process completes, restart your system to retrieve the data that was recovered following the issue resolution.

Conclusion

If you encounter the "Excel found unreadable content" error, don't panic. There are numerous methods to repair Excel files and retrieve lost data. We recommend using Fixo File Repair. With this tool, you can effortlessly repair Excel files as well as fix damaged Office files with just a few simple clicks.