How to Fix an Excel File That Opens but Is Invisible on a Mac

If you need to manage data with charts, Microsoft Excel should be your go-to program. However, some users have reported encountering a blank or gray screen when they open an Excel file.

If you're experiencing the same issue, then this article is for you. We'll explain why your Excel file becomes invisible and list all possible solutions. Feel free to try them one by one.

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Part I: What Caused the Problem?

There can be various reasons why you can't open an Excel file. Most of them are related to the program itself, sometimes it's due to corrupted data, and other times official updates are to blame. To understand why your Excel file opens but is not visible on a Mac, we listed three sources to look into.

"Excel file corrupted"

Most of the time, when you open a file and see no data, it's because the file is corrupted. If you have a backup that includes this corrupted file, select it from your backup. If not, use a data recovery tool to recover a lost or unsaved Excel file on Mac.

Preferential Issues

One of the most common Microsoft issues on a Mac is usually due to corrupted preferences. To fix this, you simply need to repair the corrupted preferences.

Problematic Program Configuration

If any background programs are interfering with Excel, you might not be able to open an Excel file. Also, if you change the default app that opens Excel files, you might still be unable to view your data.

Part 2: How to Fix Invisible Excel Files on Mac?

Now you probably have an idea why you can't view the contents of your Excel file. It's worth noting that an empty Excel file doesn't always mean that the data is lost. There are still ways to help you open the file properly. Try these methods to get your Excel file back to normal.

1. Repairing an Excel File in Three Steps

We'll start with the most likely one: your Excel file is corrupted. In this case, you need professional Mac data recovery software to get you out of trouble. The tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can fix various Excel issues, such as Excel won't open on Mac. Whether your file got damaged due to accidental deletion, system crash, hard drive formatting, or damaged storage device, it's up to the task.

Download Data Recovery Wizard for Mac now and follow the steps below to fix your Excel file.

Note: You can create a backup by first clicking on “Disk Backup” on the left. The software will recover your documents from the backup image. This prevents further damage to your disk and data, making it safer and more reliable.

Step 1: Scan for lost files

Select the location where your important Word/Excel/PPT/Numbers/Pages document was lost, and then click “Search Lost Files”.

Step 2: Look for the Lost Document on Your Mac

After you select the disk volume, Mac Data Recovery Wizard immediately scans it. The scanning results are displayed in the left pane. Choose "Documents" to quickly filter out lost DOC/PDF/PPT/XLS files.

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Documents

By double-clicking, you can select the target files and preview them. Then, click “Recover” to get your lost files back immediately.

2. Repairing Damaged Excel Preferences on Mac

This issue occurs due to a problem with the server on your system. Please follow these detailed steps to resolve the issue of an Excel file opening but being invisible on your Mac.

Step 1: Close all programs on your Mac.

Step 2: From the Go menu, choose Library > LaunchAgents. If you're using OS X 10.7 (Lion) or later, from the Go menu, hold the Option key, then choose Library.

Step 3: In the "Preferences" folder, drag "com.microsoft.Excel.plist" to your desktop. If you don't see this file, skip ahead to the next step.

4. Next, go to the Preferences folder and drag com.microsoft.Excel.plist to your desktop.

Step 5: Start Microsoft Excel. If the error doesn't appear, close the application, move one of the files back to its original location, and restart Excel. If the error reappears, it means that one of the files you moved is corrupted. Quickly delete both files on your desktop. Your problem should now be resolved.

If you see this error after starting Excel, move the file back to its original location, and then try these steps:

Step 1: Close all apps on your Mac.

Click on “Home,” then choose “Library” from the “Go” menu, and open the “Preferences” folder.

Step 3: Navigate to Applications > Microsoft > Office > User Templates, find the normal.dotm file, and drag it to your desktop.

Step 4: Restart Excel. If the error no longer appears, the issue is resolved.

3. Reset Excel File Association

If your Excel preferences aren't corrupted, you can try another method: reset the file association for Excel to its default, and everything should be back to normal.

Step 1: Find the Excel file that you want to open.

Step 2: Right-click the file, then select "Open with." A list of apps associated with the selected file type should appear.

Step three: Select the default program, which should be Excel, and open the file again for inspection.

Bottom line

By the end of this tutorial, you'll know how to fix the issue when you open an Excel file but can't see the data. In addition to repairing Excel files, Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can also help with photo recovery, Apple Mail email recovery, and video recovery. Most importantly, remember to back up your files regularly so you can retrieve them in case anything happens.