Help! Big school project completed and now can't open!

[rideserotta]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I try to open the file I get the message "unable to open". I emailed it to myself and can see it in Google docs. I can also do "quick look" on the macbook and get an image. But I can't open it. It's really frustrating. The entire book will have to be remade if I can't recover. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
Scott

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I try to open the file I get the message "unable to open". I emailed it
to myself and can see it in Google docs. I can also do "quick look" on the
macbook and get an image. But I can't open it. It's really frustrating. The
entire book will have to be remade if I can't recover. Can anyone help? Thanks
in advance.
Scott

How did you create the file? Do you get the same error when using file-open?

 

[rideserotta]

The file was created on a MacBook from scratch. I created a new excel sheet and went from there. It worked fine for a week. Opened, closed, changed the sheet and reopened with no problems. I even opened it early Sunday, made changes, saved and exited. When I tried to open it later in the day I had the problems. I get the same error with File-Open.

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

The file was created on a MacBook from scratch. I created a new excel sheet
and went from there. It worked fine for a week. Opened, closed, changed the
sheet and reopened with no problems. I even opened it early Sunday, made
changes, saved and exited. When I tried to open it later in the day I had the
problems. I get the same error with File-Open.

Well, it seems as though the file has been corrupted some how. I don't know
what to tell you to try. If you wish, send me the file and I'll see if I can
find out anything.

 

[Bill W]

I have found that sometimes you can recover the data by referring to
the cells from a new workbook. This will get you data only (i.e. not
formats or formulas). The intent is to have cell A1 of Sheet1 in a
new workbook link to PathToCorruptWorkbook!Sheet1:CellA1 (I forget the
syntax exactly). I would suggest:

Create 2 new files, one to gather the data in (i.e. populate with
links to the corrupt file) and another blank file in the same folder
as the corrupt file. Open both, and create a relative link (non-
absolute) from cell A1 in the replacement file to cell A1 the blank
file. Close the blank file and the link in the replacement file will
have the full path. Change the filename to the corrupt workbook's
filename. You can then copy that formula throughout the replacement
file to link to all the cells in the corrupt file. You'll have to
copy as many rows & columns as needed to capture the total range. If
there are multiple sheets in the corrupt file, you'll need to do this
in multiple sheets in the replacement file. If you don't know the
names of the sheets in the corrupt file, you can omit the sheet name
from the link and it should grab the first sheet. Sheets 2+ require
the sheet name.

Good luck!

 

[JE McGimpsey]

The file was created on a MacBook from scratch. I created a new excel sheet
and went from there. It worked fine for a week. Opened, closed, changed the
sheet and reopened with no problems. I even opened it early Sunday, made
changes, saved and exited. When I tried to open it later in the day I had the
problems. I get the same error with File-Open.

If you have access to Windows XL, try opening it there - WinXL's file
recovery routines are more robust.

If not, check out OpenOffice.org - on older versions, I found that OOo
could open files that XL couldn't.

 

[rideserotta]

SUCCESS!!! OpenOffice.org worked like a charm! I downloaded it, installed it and just went "File-Open" and up it came. I saved as an .xls and it opened immediately with all the formulas, worksheets and references in tact.

I cannot thank you enough!

 

[Pat McMillan]

Hi,

If it's possible to share the file with us, we could investigate it and
possibly determine how the file became corrupted in the first place. That
would allow us to work on a fix. If that's possible, please send the file
directly to me at (e-mail address removed).

Thanks,

Pat