Repair Corrupted Excel Files Online — Free, No Upload, 1 Click
Fix damaged .xlsx and .xlsm workbooks in your browser and reopen them in Excel. No upload, no sign-up — files stay on your device.
Drop corrupted .xlsx or .xlsm files here, or click to browse
Supports .xlsx and .xlsm · processed locally · never uploaded
How to Repair an Excel File Online
- Drop one or more corrupted .xlsx or .xlsm workbooks — everything is processed locally and never uploaded.
- Click Repair file — each workbook is unpacked, cleaned, and repacked in one pass.
- Check the per-file report: repaired files list exactly what was fixed; healthy files are marked as intact; unfixable files say so clearly.
- Download the results — a single file downloads directly; multiple repaired files come back as a ZIP.
What This Repair Can and Cannot Fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fixable here |
|---|---|---|
| Excel says “we found a problem with some content” | Illegal control characters inside sheet XML | Yes |
| File came from a third-party export and won’t open | Missing or broken [Content_Types].xml | Yes |
| ZIP error — the file cannot be extracted at all | Damaged ZIP central directory | No |
| Password demanded before anything appears | File-level encryption | No — password is the key |
| File is suddenly half its expected size | Truncated download or copy | No |
Honest scope: local repair fixes package-level damage only. Untouched entries are repacked byte-for-byte — your formulas, styles, and macros are never rewritten. If the damage is deeper, the tool tells you instead of pretending to succeed.
Why Excel Files Get Corrupted
- Interrupted transfers — a download, email attachment, or cloud sync that stops halfway.
- Pulling a USB drive out before the write finishes.
- Excel or the computer crashing while the file is being saved.
- Buggy third-party tools that generate non-standard .xlsx packages.
- Storage faults — bad sectors on aging drives or failing SD cards.
How This Compares to Other Repair Options
| Option | Where your file goes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| This tool | Nowhere — your browser | Free, instant, batch; fixes package-level damage |
| Excel “Open and Repair” | Stays on your device | Built into desktop Excel; try it for deeper damage |
| Online repair services | Uploaded to their servers | Often paid; privacy risk with sensitive data |
| Backup or version history | — | The best option when available — always check first |
How to Avoid Corruption in the First Place
- Wait for cloud sync to finish before moving or renaming the file.
- Always eject USB drives safely before unplugging.
- Keep backups or enable version history for important workbooks.
- Avoid editing files directly from email attachments — save a local copy first.
- Keep a copy of the original before running batch conversions or exports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Excel repair tool really free?
Yes — 100% free, with no sign-up, no watermark, and no file limit. All processing happens in your browser.
What kinds of corruption can it fix?
Package-level damage: illegal control characters inside XML parts and a missing [Content_Types].xml. It cannot fix a broken ZIP structure, encryption, or truncated files.
Will it recover deleted sheets or cells?
No. The tool repairs the container, not the content — if data was deleted before corruption, repair cannot bring it back.
What if the repair fails?
Try Excel’s built-in Open and Repair (File → Open → Browse → arrow on the Open button), restore from a backup or version history, or re-export the file from its source system.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The archive is unpacked, repaired, and repacked entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Your file never leaves your device.
Does it work on .xlsm files?
Yes. Macro-enabled workbooks are repaired the same way, and your VBA macros are preserved byte-for-byte.
What about legacy .xls files?
Legacy .xls is a binary format, not a ZIP package, so this repair does not apply. Convert it to .xlsx first with the batch converter.
Will formulas and formatting survive?
Yes. Only illegal characters are removed; every untouched entry is repacked exactly as it was, so formulas, styles, and formatting are preserved.
Related Tools
Want the full walkthrough? Read How to Repair a Corrupted Excel File — step-by-step instructions, the manual Excel method, and FAQ.
Repaired and want to check the contents?
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