Losing important Excel spreadsheets due to a computer crash can be extremely stressful. As someone who relies heavily on Excel for work and personal finances, I know the sick feeling in your stomach when those carefully crafted spreadsheets seem to vanish into thin air.
The good news is that in many cases, your Excel files can be recovered, even after a major crash. It just takes some patience and know-how. This guide will walk you step-by-step through the spreadsheet recovery process.
Try Opening Excel Before Taking Further Action
The first step is remarkably simple – open Excel and see if your spreadsheets will open normally. When a computer crashes, often files are not completely deleted but become corrupted. By launching Excel, you may find your files are still intact.
To open Excel, simply launch the program like normal and navigate to the Excel file you want to open by clicking File > Open. Try opening several spreadsheets, especially larger files that would take longer to recreate from scratch.
If some or all of your spreadsheets open successfully, breathe a sigh of relief! Be sure to immediately back them up to a safe location like external hard drive or cloud storage to prevent future data loss.
Scan Your Hard Drive for Excel Files
If your files did not open in Excel, don’t panic yet. The next step is to manually browse through your hard drive to locate Excel file types.
Open your computer’s File Explorer and click through folders like Documents or Desktop where you typically store spreadsheets. Make sure hidden files are visible by clicking View > Hidden Items.
Pay close attention to filenames ending in .xls or .xlsx, which indicate Excel files. If you locate files but receive an error when trying to open them, they may still be recoverable, so keep track of every Excel file you find.
If File Explorer isn’t yielding results, try using the search bar to search your entire hard drive for either .xls or .xlsx. Any results could lead you to your missing spreadsheets.
Try Third-Party Recovery Software
If you’ve exhausted manual methods, it’s time to utilize data recovery software that can detect and repair damaged Excel files. The best programs for resurrecting Excel spreadsheets include:
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Stellar Data Recovery – Has a user-friendly interface and works quickly to recover Office documents.
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EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard – Allows filtering scan results by file type to easily pinpoint Excel files.
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Disk Drill – Great for recovering data from external drives and smartphones in addition to computers.
Be sure to download data recovery software from the official vendor websites to avoid malware. Most paid versions offer free trials so you can preview which files are recoverable before purchasing.
For best results, choose a program offering “Raw file recovery” to reconstruct corrupt Excel files rather than simply undeleting them. This gives you the highest chance of obtaining your original Excel data.
Send Your Hard Drive to A Data Recovery Service
If all else fails, you may need to use a professional data recovery service that can physically repair hard drives. Services like DriveSavers and Ontrack offer clean room recovery and proprietary technology to resuscitate seemingly dead drives.
However, these services can cost $400 or more. Before sending your hard drive away, exhaust all other options, and determine if your Excel data is worth the high financial investment. Also be sure to research companies and read reviews to verify their expertise with Office file recovery.
With persistence and the right tools, there’s an excellent chance of getting back those crucial Excel spreadsheets you thought were gone forever when your system crashed. Follow the tips outlined in this guide, and stay calm throughout the recovery process. Be diligent in your search, and don’t give up hope until you’ve tried everything!
