Repair Corrupt Excel Files Online Without a Software

Last week, I was traveling out of town to attend a client meeting. An important bi-annual meeting where I had to present my analysis and data about a project. It is a very customary thing for me that whenever I travel for a client meeting, I keep my presentation, Excel files, and other important stuff on iCloud as it is convenient for me to access my files without having to carry my MacBook.

Like always, I saved my presentation and Excel file for this meeting. I reached my client’s office and, before my presentation, requested for a spare computer to review my data. Quickly, I downloaded my files, including the Excel file from iCloud.

While I was making final changes to the Excel file, something unexpected happened. My Excel file suddenly crashed and closed. I panicked and tried everything I could, but it all went in vain.

I was in a desperate situation and I needed a quick way out and so, I did a quick search on the internet. I found a long list of online Excel repair tools. I was a little skeptical about using one as my Excel file had confidential data as well. So, I had to be cautious. I dug a little deeper and thankfully, found a tool that was genuine, safe, and repaired my Excel file in a matter of minutes.

My presentation went well and I was relieved.

But why did my Excel file become corrupted in the first place?

What Causes Excel File Corruption?

I was left curious after this incident, and so, I did my own research to find out the answer to my question. Scouring through the innumerable forums, I found that there is no single reason behind Excel file corruption; rather, there are many. Here is a list of some common reasons that I found:

• Unexpected power cuts or outages
• Sudden system or application crash
• Conflicting third-party add-ins installed in Excel
• Improper file transfer from one device to another
• Abrupt shutdown of the computer
• Bad sectors on the hard drive
• A malware or virus attack on the system
• Downloaded the Excel file from an external source containing bad links and references

How I Repaired my Corrupted Excel File using Online Excel Repair Tool?

The online Excel file repair tool I found helpful is Stellar Online Free Excel Repair. I found it to be quite simple to use. It is pretty quick and also effective. I was able to fix my Excel file that had the XLSX file format in a few simple steps.

The best thing I found about this tool is its data privacy policy. My uploaded and repaired file was deleted after 3 hours. This is such a relief for skeptics like me who don’t easily rely on online tools.

Here is a stepwise method to use this online Excel file repair tool:

• Launch a web browser and go to the Stellar Free Online Excel Repair tool web page.
• Click on Sign In at the top right corner and then Sign Up.

• Enter the credentials to log in or sign up on the tool.
• After you are logged in, click on Upload File.

• The dashboard screen will appear showing the status of the selected Excel file.

• Once the file is uploaded, click on Start Repair.

• The online tool will analyze the uploaded file. Wait for the process to complete.

• Once the tool has analyzed the corrupted Excel file, it will automatically start to repair it.

• After the file repair process is complete, click on the Download Excel File button.

• The utility will save the repaired Excel file as a .zip file on your PC.
• Extract the repaired Excel file on your PC and open it normally.

Advantages of Using an Online Excel File Repair Tool

Here are some advantages of an online Excel repair tool that I found while using it:

• Easy-to-use and requires no expertise
• No download or installation of any software is required
• Quickly repairs corrupted Excel files
• Accurate and effective outcome

Tips to Prevent Data Loss due to Excel File Corruption

Here are some tips that we all should keep in mind while handling Excel files. These should help prevent data loss from Excel file corruption:

• Regularly save the Excel file after making changes to it. Also, keep the AutoSave option enabled.
• UPS should be used with your desktop. It prevents abrupt system shutdown and gives additional time to save the file and properly close it.
• Data backups come in handy. Use the 3-2-1 backup strategy.
• Install a reliable antivirus on your system and keep it updated.

Conclusion

Based on my situation shared above and experience of using the Stellar Online Free Excel Repair tool, I can say that this tool is quite effective in repairing corrupted or damaged Excel files. It is fast, easy-to-use, and, most importantly, absolutely free. However, it can repair Excel file of only 1 MB in size for free. It is not a constraint for users like me as I keep my Excel files small. There is also a desktop version of this Excel repair tool that works offline and can repair Excel files without any size limitations.