Thursday, February 28, 2008

Preventing File Corruption in Excel

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application and is used by office users for various purposes. Sometimes when you try to open an Excel sheet it will not open and show error messages. You will be receiving any of these error messages:

  • Filename is not valid.
  • The file could not be accessed.
  • The document 'Filename' caused a serious error the last time it was opened. Would you like to continue opening it?
  • Corrupted shortcut to the Excel 2007 program Corrupted Excel toolbar file (Excel12.xlb)

The reason for these error messages is that the Excel files have been corrupted or damaged. There are some inbuilt tools in Excel to prevent these problems. Microsoft Excel has an inbuilt feature known as AutoSave. This feature can be customized to save your Excel files This feature is not helpful in cases of file corruption even though it helps you protect your data if Excel quits due to unexpected system shutdown. In newer Excel versions, there is an AutoRecover feature. It follows the same paradigm as AutoSave but instead of saving the Excel file, AutoRecover saves a copy of the Excel file to a user specified location.

There are simple steps you can follow to prevent Excel file corruption. Some of them are mentioned in the following lines:

  • Before closing the Excel sheet you are working with, exit it properly.
  • Always exit from Windows before restarting and shut down your system properly.
  • You need to regularly scan your computer for any virus.
  • Always store your CDs properly as it will make sure that they are not damaged due to improper handling.
  • Clean your system regularly and prevent any dust from settling on your computer.

By following these simple steps you will be able to minimize chances of Excel file corruption. In case Excel files have been corrupted or damaged severely due to any reason you will need the help of Excel repair software to repair the damage.

Stellar Phoenix Excel Recovery Software will help you repair and recover damaged or corrupted Excel files. This software has a unique feature and it never deletes or modifies any original data and can recover data from severely damaged Excel sheets. It is also helpful in cases of virus attack, unexpected system shutdown or a media read error.

Additionally, the software recovers name of the sheets, text strings, images, charts, engineering formulas as well as all embedded functions. Stellar Phoenix Excel Recovery Software will help you to overcome all Excel file related problems.