12.1.7 excel will not open .xlsx files

[jeffreyscurtis]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hi,

Ever since upgrading to the latest update both of my computers will not open any of my .xlsx files, they all come back with an error about being corrupt. They will open fine in numbers.

These steps produce a unusable file every time. I open excel, type in a few words click save as, type in a name select .xlsx format append extension and hit save(tried my documents and desktop same result). As soon as I close excel and try to open the file it fails saying the file either moved or is corrupt. this is the same if I double click or use the file open feature.

This happens on two computers I have I really need to fix this as .xlsx is the default format

 

[CyberTaz]

Have you run Disk Utility -- Repair Disk Permissions since updating?

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

Hi Bob,

I did run disk utility on both Macs and the problem did not go away. Of interest I tried opening the files in office 2004 and it also works, although I did have to download the conversion utility. So right now Office 2004, and Numbers can open the files fine, but 2008 just pops an error about a corrupt file. Happens as sson as I save and only in .xslx format again on two machines.

Jeff

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

Anyone??

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

Ok so I know installed office 2008 on a third IMAC intel 10.5.7. Same problem with excel.

Can anyone here open excel 12.1.7 running os x 10.5.7 and make a new file type few letters save the file to the desktop in .xlsx format quit excel and then reopen it? this will not work on three macs i have and I even downloaded the trial version and it doesnt work

jeff

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

Update.

I think I know the problem just not how to fix it.

when opening the files in numbers I noticed that the file saved by office 2008 is missing a font, however creating and saving a .xlsx file in office 2004 opens fine in 2008 and numbers, and no errors are reported. So it looks like excel 2008 is not saving the font information, while creating the exact same file in 2004 is.

Jeff

 

[CyberTaz]

Then you might try each of these 2 things:

1- Run Font Book's Validate Fonts feature as well as Resolve Duplicates, and

2- While no Office apps are running go to:
User/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008
Move the file: Office Font Cache (12) to the Trash, then restart the Mac,
launch Excel & see if the problem persists.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

No luck same problem again two different computers. Just for the heck of it I renamed the file to a zip extension and un archived it. Looking at the style XML it clearly is generating a file without a font name it's actually stored as "" . I tried some xlsx files from 2004 and from windows these files which open fine in 2008 all have fon names in them. It's kinda interesting that numbers can open the file report only a missing font and otherwise be fine.

Look like to me this is clearly a Microsoft issue. Even if both of my macs are messed up, a missing font name shoul not preclude the file from opening. If any one from Microsoft wants a file o look at I would beore then happy to supply one

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

ok so here is a unarchived output of a xlsx file save from excel 2008. Note the font value for name is ""

anyone have any ideas on how to fix?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<styleSheet xmlns="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main <http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main>"><fonts count="2"><font><sz val="10"/><color theme="1"/><name val=""/><family val="2"/></font><font><sz val="10"/><color theme="1"/><name val=""/><family val="2"/></font></fonts><fills count="2"><fill><patternFill patternType="none"/></fill><fill><patternFill patternType="gray125"/></fill></fills><borders count="1"><border><left/><right/><top/><bottom/><diagonal/></border></borders><cellStyleXfs count="1"><xf numFmtId="0" fontId="0" fillId="0" borderId="0"/></cellStyleXfs><cellXfs count="1"><xf numFmtId="0" fontId="0" fillId="0" borderId="0" xfId="0"/></cellXfs><cellStyles count="1"><cellStyle name="Normal" xfId="0" builtinId="0"/></cellStyles><dxfs count="0"/><tableStyles count="0" defaultTableStyle="TableStyleMedium9"/></styleSheet>

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hi,

Ever since upgrading to the latest update both of my computers will not open
any of my .xlsx files, they all come back with an error about being corrupt.
They will open fine in numbers.

These steps produce a unusable file every time. I open excel, type in a few
words click save as, type in a name select .xlsx format append extension and
hit save(tried my documents and desktop same result). As soon as I close
excel and try to open the file it fails saying the file either moved or is
corrupt. this is the same if I double click or use the file open feature.

This happens on two computers I have I really need to fix this as .xlsx is
the default format

Slightly confused here - if .xslx is the default format, why are you
selecting .xslx format when you save a file - it should be .xlsx
automatically.

Are you using a custom default template? Does this happen when you start
XL with the Shift key down? Have you (with XL closed) deleted the
preferences and restarted?

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

Hi,

your right I do not have to select the format I can click save and .xslx is automatically selected and will result in a corrupt file in which excel will not open but numbers will. The only error in numbers will be a missing font, but it will open with all of the data. the steps I listed was for illustration purpose so someone could try and see if their copy worked fine. I must have something installed on my machines which is interfering with 2008. But it is not obvious what the culprit could be.

I did delete the preferences and it still does it, I scanned the forum, and other people are having the exact same problem. Unless I am missing some preferences that are stored somewhere other then the normal areas.

Starting the program with the shift key held down does not change the issue. I have no idea how to change the default template. All I am doing is double clicking the affected file or starting excel typing and saving. In fact for me, just opening excel and the saving a blank file will result in "Excel cannot open this file. The file might have been damaged or modified from its original format" if I save it in xls format everything is fine.

If I open a good already made .xlsx file like one I save in 2004 it will re-save fine in 2008. The one noticeable difference is the font selector toolbar will be populated with a font name when I open a good .xlsx, when I am starting a new file it is blank. Selecting the entire workbook and applying a font does not fix the issue, I tried this to no avail.

Jeff

 

[CyberTaz]

In Excel> Preferences - General, what do you have set as your default font?

What happens if you specify a different default font, Quit Excel, then try a
new workbook - does the crashing persist? What about in the pre-existing
files - any better luck with them?

What happens if you run Excel from a new/different user account?

Have you tried logging in on your Mac [not launching Excel] while holding
Shift? What happens if you repeat your steps then?

I've tried everything I can think of - including specifying a default font
by the name of "garbage" which doesn't even exist on my system - but I'm
afraid I can't repro what you're reporting. I've also seen no other reports
of this nature, let alone any one individual experiencing it on multiple
systems. What other software do the systems have in common?

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[jeffreyscurtis]

Bob,

Originally the default was blank. I changed this but it had no effect, a new account did not work. I am running tun/tap, and vmware on my machines. WIll try the shift on start up.

preexisting files that were made on 2004 or windows work fine, I can also successfully save a .xlsx if i choose list wizard from but a new blank document will not work.

A simple search on this forum produced an exact match on the problem I have here it is:2.1.7 Update won't open .xlsx files.

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veritas3241
May 13, 2009
10:45am
Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel
I updated office today (to 12.1.7) and now excel won't open .xlsx files. It can do files that were originally saved as .xls okay, but if i manually convert from .xlsx to .xls, it doesn't. It say (for both situations) This file might have been damaged or modified from its original format. I'm running 10.5.7. Any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks!
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CyberTaz
May 13, 2009
2:04pm
Re: 12.1.7 Update won't open .xlsx files. Print This Reply
Have you run a disk permission repair since updating Office & OS X? Have you
also restarted your Mac?

What do you mean by "manually convert"? If you've edited the filename
extension in Finder it's no wonder the files won't open... the extensions
identify the file type & altering the extension doesn't change that -- it
just misleads the OS & the app that's trying to open the file.
--
HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
Office:Mac MVP

wrote in message

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I updated office today (to 12.1.7) and now excel won't open .xlsx files.
It can do files that were originally saved as .xls okay, but if i manually
convert from .xlsx to .xls, it doesn't. It say (for both situations) This
file might have been damaged or modified from its original format. I'm
running 10.5.7. Any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

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wangermichael
May 15, 2009
8:30am
Re: 12.1.7 Update won't open .xlsx files. Print This Reply
I am very angry!!! I got the same problem on a MacPro 2 x 3,2 Quad 6GB RAM, Microsoft??????? don´t you test your software!?!?!?! I am loosing time and work now! I can not double-save every file just because you do not want to follow professional rules. We are talking about business and not fun! I had to pay a lot for this kind of non-working software! Windows is the same, do we realy have to change the software to wake Microsoft up and to be able to work?
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wangermichael
May 15, 2009
8:45am
Re: 12.1.7 Update won't open .xlsx files. Print This Reply
Solution:

open the file with numbers and save it again for Excel again, you will be able to work with the file (at least) and save it for an old version of Excel.
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veritas3241
May 15, 2009
9:32am
Re: 12.1.7 Update won't open .xlsx files. Print This Reply
so opening with numbers and saving as an excel file worked for one of them, but the other file was hopeless. excel on mac and pc couldn't open it, and numbers couldn't even open it. permissions and a restart didn't have any effect. oh well... time to redo the work on those spreadsheets!

 

[Ed]

Ok so I know installed office 2008 on a third IMAC intel 10.5.7. Same problem with excel.

Can anyone here open excel 12.1.7 running os x 10.5.7 and make a new filetype few letters save the file to the desktop in .xlsx format quit excel and then reopen it? this will not work on three macs i have and I even downloaded the trial version and it doesnt work

jeff

Jeff,
I'm running OS X.5.7. and Office 12.1.7 on my Mac Pro. It works fine.
On my Mac Air, however, all Office programs "encounter problems" that
won't allow them to successfully open. But, it sounds like our
problems are different as you can at least get Excel to launch.

Ed