MattL1974 Author

Level 1

19 points

Excel files corrupted when opened on iPad

I have a 2022 Macbook Air M2 and an iPad Air 2. All run the latest versions of the operating systems. My Mac has Excel 2021 and my iPad has the Excel 365 app. I have a number of Excel spreadsheets which are stored in the documents folder in iCloud drive. I regularly edit these files on my Mac, and occasionally also open and edit them on my iPad. This has worked without problems for the last six months until this week. Now if i open a file on my iPad, the next time I try and open it on my Mac or iPad I get an Excel error saying:

Alert - Excel cannot open the file ’Portfolio Valuation TEST.xlsx’ because the file format or file extension is not valid. Verify that the file has not been corrupted and that the file extension matches the format of the file.

This happens with any Excel file I open on the iPad. The first time i open it it is ok, and thereafter it becomes corrupted.

iPad Air 2, iPadOS 14

Posted on May 5, 2023 12:46 AM

Top-ranking reply

Aries1st

Level 1

43 points

Posted on Jul 4, 2024 12:58 PM

Folks -

I don't have a solution. But I've discovered something new. I've learned the problem lies with the iOS/iPad Files app. I don't have any corrupt issues when I open an Excel file located in an iCloud Drive folder from within the native iOS/iPad Excel app. However, I can corrupt the file if I open the Excel file directly from the iOS/iPad Files app after editing it.

I would appreciate if someone else could confirm this behavior.

Apple, please pay attention to this thread and fix this ongoing problem.

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27 replies

Jul 19, 2023 2:26 PM in response to MattL1974

Is anyone aware of a solution to this issue? Ive now had 2 files corrupted and no solution works to recover them.

This is a fundamental flaw between the Microsoft App and iCloud that is damaging personal file.

Jul 20, 2023 2:00 AM in response to JJaggard

Terrible from both Apple and Microsoft to leave customers in the middle on this.

I’ve just lodged a return within 14 days for my newly purchased iPad due to this issue. It’s useless to me if I cannot have confidence on using Excel in iOS without corrupting files.

ku4hx

Level 7

23,688 points

Sep 2, 2023 12:04 AM in response to JJaggard

My robust solution is to do real work on an actual computer ... 2020 27" iMac Retina. There's just nothing like the enhanced productivity of a 27" screen filed from side to side with a multi sheet Excel file.

Nov 4, 2023 7:46 AM in response to MattL1974

This is beyond frustrating from both Apple's perspective and Microsoft's perspective. Clients use both systems, both file sharing apps, etc. I am still receiving the same corrupted error when opening .xlsx or .docx files and it is completely ruining the functionality and seamlessness of working from varying devices.

Has anybody come up with a solution for this corruption? Or is there a way to submit a ticket to both Apple and Microsoft to fix this? It was not an issue before and now it is... something has to change.

TheLittles

Level 10

202,829 points

Mar 4, 2024 7:29 PM in response to RobeDoke

RobeDoke Said:

"Microsoft support is having a technical problem, as I have!"

-------

Thank you for the screenshot.

XML Format:

See that little "X" at the end of the file extension? Nowadays' MS Office formats are of XML-type. So, that is likely

As your screenshot in part reads: "Alert - Excel cannot open the file 'Timesheet.xIsx' because the file format or file extension is not valid."

tlb77

Level 1

4 points

Jun 16, 2024 9:52 PM in response to MattL1974

Same thing happened to me... opened an Excel file on my phone from "My Files" on my iCloud, and now I can't open it anywhere! This is a file that I'll never be able to duplicate. How are they not fixing this problem? It's obviously been a challenge for some time.

RobeDoke

Level 1

8 points

Jun 28, 2023 4:54 AM in response to TheLittles

Microsoft support is having a technical problem, as I have!

TheLittles

Level 10

202,829 points

Jun 28, 2023 5:03 PM in response to RobeDoke

Thanks for the update!

Feb 29, 2024 9:48 AM in response to MattL1974

Strangely enough, the error does not occur when using the dedicated excel iPad app or at all on iphone

Jun 2, 2024 9:43 AM in response to MattL1974

I just had this issue as well. Has there been any movement on this?

drheiser

Level 1

17 points

Jun 25, 2024 6:22 AM in response to MattL1974

Same problem today, after 1 year no solution.

tlb77

Level 1

4 points

Aug 12, 2024 4:20 PM in response to MattL1974

This didn’t work for me :-(

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Excel files corrupted when opened on iPad