Lỗi excel the file format and extension doesnt match

Excel errors are an unavoidable part of working with spreadsheets, and one such warning message that often hinders users is “The file format and extension of don’t match.” Thus, if you are one such user who has encountered this, don’t fret! In this blog, I will unravel the mystery behind this error, discover its causes, and most significantly how to fix it with the best working solutions.

So, let’s get started…

To fix Excel file & recover its worksheet data, we recommend this tool:

This software will prevent Excel workbook data such as BI data, financial reports & other analytical information from corruption and data loss. With this software you can rebuild corrupt Excel files and restore every single visual representation & dataset to its original, intact state in 3 easy steps:

1. Try Excel File Repair Tool rated Excellent by Softpedia, Softonic & CNET.
2. Select the corrupt Excel file (XLS, XLSX) & click Repair to initiate the repair process.
3. Preview the repaired files and click Save File to save the files at desired location.

What Does File Format Does Not Match File Extension Mean?

The ‘file format does not match file extension’ is a clear sign that your MS Excel application identifies any issue with a specific file that you are trying to open. Most probably this message appears when trying to open a file format of an older version in a newer version. This error also triggers when the file is received from an insecure destination.

Knowledge about the reasons for this error is important to apply the right solution. So, let’s have a look.

Wrong Extension or File Name:

This specific error mainly occurs because of the wrong or different extension. This scenario arises either when the file is converted to some other format or due to the user’s manual intervention.

Excel File Is Blocked:

In the Downloaded file of email attachments, chances are high that property levels are set blocked. Most of the email senders keep the properties blocked just for the sake of security purposes. This is also one of the reasons why Excel file could be corrupted or unsafe error.

File’s Incompatibility With Excel:

Another reason can be that the file which you are trying to access is not incompatible with your Excel application.

Protected Views Is Enabled:

The presence of a security option in your PC may be preventing the Excel application from opening certain files received through mail.

Corrupted Excel File:

If your xcl document is corrupted due to some unforeseen reasons, it can result in this error.

Also Read: Fix Runtime Error 9 Subscript Out of Range in Excel

How to Fix “The File Format And Extension Of Don’t Match Excel” Error?

Below are some best applicable fixes to resolve it.

Tip 1- Changing The Extension Manually

Maybe the Excel file which you are trying to open is in some different extension or unsupported format. So, to fix this you must try changing the extension of your Excel file to some other format.

Here is a quick guide on how to apply this step:

• First, go to the File Explorer and hit the View tab.
• Now from the opened menu bar, go to the show/hide group. Within this group there is an option File Name Extensions, put a checkmark across that.

• After enabling the file name extension, go to the location where you have saved your error showing Excel file.
• Make a right-click over that file and select the rename option.
• Change the extension to any of these formats: .xls or .xlsx or .xlsm and after every modification try to open your file.

In this way, you will get the correct format which can easily open your Excel file without showing any error message.

Tip 2- Disable Add-ins

1: Press CTRL key from your keyboard and along with that tap to the Excel application icon. Very soon a confirmation dialog box will pop up that will ask you to start your application in Safe mode.

2: If even after starting the application in safe mode, the problem persists then close your Excel application. Now start your application normally and try disabling the add-ins one by one.

3: Follow these paths to disable the add-ins: File > Options tab.

4: In the opened window of Excel options, go to the left pane and hit the Add-ins tab.

5: Now hit the Go button present beside the Manage: Excel Add-ins.

6: After that from the appearing list of Add-ins, uncheck each of the add-ins one by one to disable it.

It’s time to check whether the problem has been resolved or not.

Tip 3- Unblocking The File

The file format and extension of don’t match Excel. The file could be corrupted or unsafe error also originates because it is blocked at the properties level. Usually, this problem is associated with receiving through email attachments or downloaded files on the internet.

This problem can be easily fixed by optimizing the file’s properties to unblock it.

Follow the below given steps to unblock Excel file:

• Make a right-click over the error showing the Excel file and choose the properties option.

• Now in the opened properties window move your cursor down here you will get the security section and then hit the “unblock” button.

• After this step, your Excel is now unblocked. So try re-opening your Excel file and check whether this time the problem is resolved or not.

If still you are getting the same error, then move on to the next solution.

Tip 4- Open And Repair Inbuilt Tool

Open and repair an inbuilt tool is the best option to resolve minor corruption or issues occurring in Excel files.

• Hit the file tab and choose the open option.
• Make a selection of the Excel file in which you are frequently getting this error.
• Now hit the arrow sign present next to the open Now from the drop-down menu choose the open and repair option.

• After that hit the repair button.

• If in case, this repair solution won’t fix the issue then repeat the above steps and hit the “Extract Data” option.
• In this way, you can very easily extract data from your Excel file.

  Also Read: Fix “Microsoft Excel Reference Isn’t Valid” Error

Tip 5- Check & Grant Excel File Permissions

Many users have reported that they received the ‘Excel the file format and extension don’t match’ error due to insufficient file permissions to access the XLS file. It might be possible that due to this reason, you’re also facing this error. You can verify & provide the required permissions to the file to fix it.

Tip 6- Disable The Protected View

File extensions don’t match error also occurs when some new security option like protected view prevents the opening of certain Excel files. Mainly such type of issue arises with the Excel files which were received through the email attachments.

Well, this security setting can be easily cracked by disabling the protected view feature. So, here are the steps that you should follow to disable the Protected View setting.

• Open your Excel application.
• Hit the File> options tab.
• This will open the Excel options settings window.

• From the left side navigation pane, choose the Trust-center tab.
• Now from the opened window hit the Trust Center Settings.
• On the left side of the Trust Center window, you have chosen the Protected View.

• After that unselect all the previously selected options present within the protected view.
• Hit the Ok button to close the window.

Tip 7- Suppress The Error Warning Message

Another alternative option that you can try to troubleshoot is by creating the registry key to suppress this warning error message.

Note: making changes in the system registry setting is a bit risky and it can put your PC in a cumbersome situation.

Here is a quick guide on how you can suppress this Excel file format and extension don’t match error through the usage of the registry editor:

• Hit Windows + R key together this will open the dialog box of Run.
• In this Run box, enter the text ‘regedit’ and hit the Enter button. This will open the Registry Editor.

• Now in the prompt box opened through UAC (User Account Control), you need to hit the yes button.
• After getting into the Registry Editor utility, go to the right-side pane and search for the following path.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\*X*\Excel\Security

Note: as an alternative option you can also copy and paste this location on the navigation bar and hit the enter button.

In the above-given path” x” is to be replaced with your currently installed MS Office version.

• After getting into the correct location, shift to the right-side pane, and make a right-click over the empty space. Choose “NEW” and then “Dword (32-bit) value”.

• Name this DWORD value as Extension Hardening. After that, double-tap over it.
• Now set the Base as Hexadecimal and the value as 0.
• Once you complete all these changes, shut down the Registry Editor and give a restart to your PC.

After the fresh start of the system, you won’t get this annoying Excel error message.

Tip 8- Fix Excel File Corruption Using Excel Repair Tool

Even after trying the above solutions, if the error persists, then it’s recommended to use the MS Excel Repair Tool. This is the best program to fix any sort of issues, corruption, or errors in Excel workbooks.

So if you are getting this error because of Excel file damage or corruption issues then this tool will surely resolve it.

With the help of this tool, you can easily restore all corrupt Excel files including the charts, worksheet properties, cell comments, and other important data. This is a unique tool to repair multiple Excel files in one repair cycle and recover the entire data in a preferred location.

Steps To Repair Corrupt Excel File:

excel-repair-main-interface-1

stellar-repair-for-excel-select-file-2

stellar-repair-for-excel-repairing-3

stellar-repair-for-excel-preview-4

stellar-repair-for-excel-save-5

stellar-repair-for-excel-saving-6

stellar-repair-for-excel-repaired-7

Also Read: Fix Excel Sharing Violation Error

Tip 9- Open Excel File Without Excel

If your Excel file is refusing to open because of the file format or extension issue then you can try to open it using 3rd party apps. Yes, there are so many alternative options available to open Excel files without Excel.

Here are the following options using which you can easily perform this task: Chrome Browser’s Free Extension; Excel Viewer, Apache Open Office and many more.

Tip 10- Seek Expert Help to Solve the File Format and Extension Of Don’t Match Excel Error

Last but not least, if all the DIY fixes fail to fix this error message, it is suggested to seek professional assistance. They will surely assist you to the outcome of the situation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I Lose My Data If I Encounter This Error?

Yes, you can lose your crucial Excel worksheet data when you encounter this error.

Is Renaming The File The Only Manual Solution?

Apart from renaming the Excel file, there are some other manual solutions as well that I have explored in this guide

How Do I Fix An XLSX File That Is Showing This Error?

By implementing the solutions mentioned above in this blog, you can fix XLSX file that is showing this error

How to Avoid This Error?

Regular backing up your Excel file data, updating your Excel application, and checking for wrong file extension can help you to avoid this error.

Final Verdict

Now you can fix Excel file format extension doesn’t match the error on your own. But make sure to follow the given fixes very carefully. Moreover, feel free to run the Excel repair tool, to fix any type of internal issues and errors that might be causing the error in your Excel file.

If I missed out on any solution or if you have any other trick to fix this error, then do share it with us on our Facebook page.

References:

• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/repair-a-corrupted-workbook-153a45f4-6cab-44b1-93ca-801ddcd4ea53
• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel/in-excel-quot-the-file-format-and-extension-don-t-match/m-p/3249901

Priyanka is a content marketing expert. She writes tech blogs and has expertise in MS Office, Excel, and other tech subjects. Her distinctive art of presenting tech information in the easy-to-understand language is very impressive. When not writing, she loves unplanned travels.

File Format or file extension is not valid là lỗi gì?

Lỗi "Excel file format or file extension is not valid" thông báo bạn thiếu quyền để truy cập file.

The file name is not valid có nghĩa là gì?

Tên tệp không hợp lệ. Không thể truy nhập được tệp.