Fixes / Excel · Checked September 30, 2026

Excel "We found a problem with some content": causes and fixes

Short answer

Excel found part of the workbook it cannot read, such as a damaged chart, conditional formatting rule, PivotTable or bad XML written by another program. Click Yes, let Excel repair it, then open the repair log to see what was removed. Save the result under a new name so the original stays untouched. If Yes fails, use File > Open > Browse > Open and Repair (Windows).

What this message means

An .xlsx file is really a zipped folder of XML files, one per sheet plus separate parts for styles, charts, PivotTables, formatting rules and names. This message means Excel opened the package but at least one part does not match the format Excel expects. Excel can usually open the file anyway by removing or rebuilding the unreadable part. Clicking Yes does that. Clicking No cancels and the file stays closed. Your cell values almost always survive. What gets lost is usually the damaged feature itself, such as a conditional formatting rule, a data validation list, a chart, a PivotTable cache or a defined name. The repair log tells you exactly which one.

Common causes

Cause	How to tell
The file was created or exported by another program (a web app, accounting or reporting tool, script library, or database export) that wrote XML Excel does not accept.	Every file exported from the same system shows the message, including brand new exports, while files you create in Excel open normally.
One feature inside the workbook is damaged, most often conditional formatting, data validation, a chart, a PivotTable, a table, a defined name or a drawing object.	After you click Yes, the repair log lists entries such as "Removed Records: Conditional formatting from /xl/worksheets/sheet2.xml part" or "Repaired Records: Named range".
The last save was interrupted (Excel crashed, the laptop slept, the network drive or USB stick disconnected, or the disk ran out of space).	The file worked until one particular session, the file size looks unusually small, or the repair log says whole sheets or the workbook part could not be read.
The copy you are opening was damaged in transit, for example a partial download, an email attachment that was altered, or a OneDrive/SharePoint sync conflict.	The original on the sender's computer or in the browser version of OneDrive/SharePoint opens fine, but your local copy does not. You may also see a duplicate file with your computer name appended.
An add-in, macro or damaged Office installation is writing bad content every time you save.	The message appears on many different files, including ones you just created and saved yourself, and stops when Excel is started in Safe Mode.

How to fix it

1. Let Excel repair it and check the repair log

Click Yes on the message.
When Excel reports that it repaired or removed unreadable content, click the link to the log file (or View) to see what was removed or repaired.
Check the sheets and features named in the log (formatting, charts, PivotTables, validation lists) and rebuild anything that is missing.
Go to File > Save As and save the repaired workbook under a new name, keeping the original file as it is.
Close and reopen the new copy. If it opens without the message, the repair held.

2. Use Open and Repair

Excel for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows. Not available in Excel for Mac.

Close the workbook if it is open.
In Excel, go to File > Open > Browse. Do not open it from the Recent list, because that skips the Open dialog.
Select the file, click the arrow next to the Open button, and choose Open and Repair.
Click Repair to recover as much of the workbook as possible.
If Repair fails, repeat the steps and click Extract Data, then choose Convert to Values or Recover Formulas to pull out the cell contents.
Save the result under a new name with File > Save As.

3. Restore an earlier version of the file

Version history requires the file to be stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. Previous Versions in File Explorer requires Windows File History or a restore point to be enabled.

Windows: open the file, click the file name in the title bar, and select Version history.
Mac (Microsoft 365): click the document name in the title bar and choose Browse Version History. Older Mac versions use File > Browse Version History.
Open a version from before the problem started and confirm it opens without the message.
Click Restore, or save that version under a new name.
For files on a local Windows drive, right-click the file in File Explorer, choose Properties > Previous Versions, and restore a copy if one is listed.

4. Get a fresh export from the program that created the file

Ask the sender to send the file again, or download it again from the original site, and try opening the new copy.
If the file came from an export (a reporting tool, bank, CRM or accounting system), export it again, choosing CSV if the tool offers it.
Open the CSV in Excel and use File > Save As > Excel Workbook (.xlsx) to create a clean file.
If every export from that system triggers the message, report it to that vendor. The bug is in their export, not in your copy of Excel.

5. Recover the data on a Mac (no Open and Repair)

Excel for Mac

Click Yes on the message first. Excel for Mac repairs many files automatically this way.
If that fails, make a copy of the file and open the copy in Apple Numbers (right-click the file > Open With > Numbers).
In Numbers, choose File > Export To > Excel and save a new .xlsx file.
Open the exported file in Excel and check formulas and formatting, since Numbers does not keep every Excel feature.

6. If every file shows the message, check add-ins and repair Office

Windows. On Windows 11 the path is Settings > Apps > Installed apps; on Windows 10 it is Settings > Apps > Apps & features.

Close Excel, press Windows+R, type excel /safe and press Enter.
Open and save a test file. If the message no longer appears, an add-in is the likely cause.
Start Excel normally, go to File > Options > Add-ins, choose COM Add-ins in the Manage box, click Go, and clear the check boxes. Re-enable them one at a time to find the one causing the problem.
If Safe Mode did not help, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft 365 (or Microsoft Office), click the three dots (or select it) and choose Modify.
Run Quick Repair first. If the problem continues, run Online Repair, which reinstalls Office and needs an internet connection.

Next time, skip the search

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Still not fixed?

If Open and Repair, Extract Data and older versions all fail, try the other methods on Microsoft's "Repair a corrupted workbook" page: set a blank workbook to manual calculation (File > Options > Formulas > Manual) before opening the file, or link to the damaged file with an external reference such as =Budget!A1 and paste the results as values. If the file lives on a work network, OneDrive for Business or SharePoint, your IT team can often restore it from a server backup or the recycle bin. If the file is irreplaceable, stop saving over it and work only on copies, since every save can overwrite the parts that could still be recovered.

Questions people ask

Is it safe to click Yes?

Yes, for a file you trust. Excel only removes or rebuilds the parts it cannot read, and it does not change the original until you save. Save the repaired version under a new name so you can compare it with the original.

Will I lose data if Excel repairs the file?

Usually only the damaged feature is lost, such as a conditional formatting rule, a chart or a PivotTable cache, while cell values stay intact. The repair log lists exactly what was removed.

Why does this happen with every file I download from a certain website or system?

That system is producing .xlsx files with XML that Excel does not accept. Choose CSV if the export offers it, and report the problem to the vendor.

Where is Open and Repair in Excel for Mac?

Excel for Mac has no Open and Repair option. Click Yes on the message and let Excel repair the file, or open the file in Numbers and export it back to Excel.

Why does the message come back after I repaired the file?

You probably saved the repaired file under the original name while the damaged part was still there, or an add-in is re-creating the problem. Rebuild the removed feature in a fresh copy, and test in Safe Mode (excel /safe) if it keeps happening on new files.

Sources

Related errors