File Corruption & Recovery

How to Recover an Excel Workbook Showing Strange Characters

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 874 views

Question details

The user needs to recover a locally stored Excel (.xlsx) workbook that displays unreadable, strange characters due to file corruption following a Windows issue.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Attempting to open a locally stored spreadsheet after a system crash or Windows problem.
Observed behavior: Excel opens the file but displays strange, unreadable characters instead of the actual spreadsheet data.

Before you start

Before attempting repairs, copy the corrupted Excel file to another folder or drive to create a backup, ensuring you do not accidentally overwrite or further damage the original raw data.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Open and Repair Feature

Microsoft Excel's built-in Open and Repair tool is the safest and most effective first step for fixing corrupted workbooks and restoring readable content.

This built-in utility attempts to identify and fix internal file structure errors that cause the strange characters to appear. It offers two modes: repairing the whole workbook or extracting just the data.

Launch Excel

Open Microsoft Excel and click on 'File', then select 'Open' from the left sidebar.

Locate the Corrupted File

Click 'Browse' and navigate to the local folder containing the corrupted .xlsx workbook.

Select Open and Repair

Click once on the corrupted file to select it. Instead of clicking the main 'Open' button, click the small arrow next to it and choose 'Open and Repair' from the drop-down menu.

Execute the Repair

Click 'Repair' in the prompt dialog to recover as much data as possible. If this fails to fix the strange characters, repeat the process and choose 'Extract Data' instead.

Extracting Data Alternative: If the 'Repair' option does not resolve the issue, using the 'Extract Data' option will attempt to pull the formulas and values while discarding the corrupted formatting.

Solution 2

Convert the File to CSV or TXT Format

If standard repair fails, saving the corrupted file in a simpler text format might bypass the visual corruption and extract the raw data.

WPS Office File Recovery

Use WPS Spreadsheet to Open the Corrupted File

Sometimes, opening a corrupted XLSX file in an alternative spreadsheet program like WPS Office can bypass Excel-specific parsing errors, allowing you to view and recover your data properly.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office Free on your Windows PC.
2. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch the WPS Spreadsheet application from the main WPS Office dashboard.
3. Open the Corrupted File: Click 'Menu' in the top-left corner, select 'Open', and browse to your corrupted XLSX file displaying the strange characters.
4. Save as a New File: If WPS Spreadsheet successfully displays the correct data, immediately go to 'Menu' > 'Save As' and save it as a new XLSX file to permanently eliminate the corruption.

Excellent compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls, .csv) file formats.Robust alternative parsing engine that can sometimes read partially corrupted files.Built-in local backup and auto-recovery features to prevent future data loss.Free, lightweight, and features a familiar user interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Excel file show strange characters instead of text?

This usually happens when the internal structure or header of the XLSX file gets corrupted. Common causes include a sudden system crash, a power failure, a hard drive error, or an interrupted save process, which causes Excel to misinterpret the spreadsheet data as raw binary text.

Will I lose my formulas if I save the corrupted file as a CSV?

Yes. Converting an Excel workbook to a CSV or TXT format strips away all complex spreadsheet features. Only the raw text and calculated cell values are retained. All formulas, macros, charts, and cell formatting will be lost.

Can I recover a previous version of my corrupted Excel file?

If you had AutoRecover enabled, or if the file was stored in an active syncing folder like OneDrive or SharePoint, you can recover previous versions. Right-click the file in Windows File Explorer, select 'Properties', and check the 'Previous Versions' tab to restore an uncorrupted backup.

How can I prevent Excel files from becoming corrupted in the future?

To prevent file corruption, always save your work frequently, safely eject external USB drives before removing them, ensure your computer has a stable power supply, and enable built-in AutoRecover or cloud backup features in your spreadsheet software.

Document & File Issues