Loading Excel as an Administrator

To fix the issue of "Excel Found Unreadable Content in _____.xlsx," it is recommended to load Excel as an administrator. This approach allows you to bypass potential restrictions or blocks that may have been activated on your user account, thus preventing normal access to certain files or applications like Excel. Running Excel as an administrator grants you complete access to its functionality and associated files.

How to Launch Excel as an Administrator?

Follow the steps mentioned below to run Excel with administrative privileges.

Step 1: Press the Windows key. This action will call up the search box.

Step 2: In the search box, type "Excel." The system will then display search results related to Excel.

Step 3: Look for "Microsoft Excel" in the search results and right-click on it. A context menu will appear.

Step 4: Select "Run as Administrator." This command will instruct your system to launch Excel with administrative privileges.

Step 5: A User Account Control (UAC) dialog box may appear, requesting your confirmation to continue. Click "Yes" to grant Excel full administrative access.

Step 6: Once Excel opens with admin privileges, try opening the specific file that was previously showing the "Excel Found Unreadable Content in _______.xlsx" error.

By executing these steps, you may resolve the error you're facing. If the error persists, there may be other factors causing it, such as the file itself being blocked by your computer's system settings.

How do you unblock the file if it's blocked?

Follow the steps below to unblock your Excel file.

Step 1: Open File Explorer and navigate to where the problematic file is stored.

Step 2: Once you've located the file, right-click on it and choose "Properties."

Step 3: In the General tab of the Properties window, navigate to the Security section.

Step 4: Here, you should see an "Unblock" button. Click on it.

Step 5: Click "Apply" to save changes.

After that, you can restart your computer and check if the Excel error has been resolved.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your Excel file is not being blocked from opening due to system-level restrictions.

Saving the Excel File as a Webpage

Another common workaround for the error above is to save the problematic Excel file as a webpage. This method is particularly useful when an issue in the Excel version is preventing access to the file. The "Save as Web page" feature allows the file to be reformatted into a different, universally compatible format, which can often overcome issues native to .xlsx file format. Afterward, the reconfigured webpage file can be restored back to the .xlsx format.

How do you save the Excel file as a web page?

Here is the step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Open the problematic file in Excel. If an error prompt appears, choose to ignore it.

Step 2: Once the file is loaded, go to "File."

Step 3: Click "Save As" on the drop-down list. A new dialog box, "Save As," will appear on your screen.

Step 4: Choose "Web Page (*.htm,*.html)" format and click on 'Save.' This action will convert the data in your Excel file into an HTML webpage format, preserving its information, layout, and format.

How do you restore the webpage file to Excel format?

Step 1: Return to the "File" menu and choose "Open" from the drop-down list.

Step 2: Go to where you saved the converted HTML file and open it. Excel will open and load the HTML file.

Step 3: Go to the "File" menu again and select the "Save As" option from the drop-down list.

Step 4: In the "Save as type" list, select "Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)" and then press "Save."

Step 5: Now, try opening the newly created .xlsx file to check if the same error occurs. If the error is fixed, you've successfully bypassed the issue by converting and reverting the file's format.

This method lets you indirectly open the file by temporarily changing its format and then reverting it back to Excel format.

Installing Visual Basic for Office 2010 or 2013 Variant

A potential reason for the error "Excel Found Unreadable Content in _______.xlsx" could be a missing or improperly installed Visual Basic component. Since Excel uses Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for its macro programming language, Excel would not be able to read a file containing macros or run sufficiently without VBA. Therefore, installing this component can often resolve the issue at hand.

How do you install Visual Basic for Office 2010 or 2013?

Below is a detailed guide on installing the Visual Basic for Applications component on Office 2010 or 2013.

Step 1: Press Windows + R. This action will call up the 'Run' command box.

Step 2: Type "appwiz.cpl" and then hit enter. This command will take you directly to the "Programs and Features" window.

Step 3: Scroll down to find Microsoft Office 2010 or 2013. Right-click on the appropriate Office installation and select "Change."

Step 4: Select the "Add or Remove Features" option and then click "Continue."

Step 5: Now, scroll down to the "Office Shared Features" list and expand it.

Step 6: Here, find "Visual Basic for Applications," select it, and choose "Run from My Computer."

Step 7: Finally, click "Continue" to finish the process. It will start installing the Visual Basic for Applications component. It may take a while, so be patient until it is completed.

Step 8: Once the process finishes, reboot your computer to let the new settings take effect.

Upon the next launch of Excel, check that the problematic file opens correctly. With the Visual Basic component installed, Excel should now have no trouble reading the .xlsx files that contain macros or run with the help of Visual Basic.

Testing the Workbook in the Excel App Post Implementation

After implementing any of the mentioned solutions, testing the workbook(s) in Excel to ascertain if the issue has been resolved is essential. This involves simply opening the workbook and examining if the "Excel Found Unreadable Content in __________.xlsx" error message reappears.

How do you test the Excel Workbook after implementing fixes?

Below is a quick procedure on how to test an Excel workbook after implementing any fix.

Step 1: Open the Excel application, either by selecting it from the Start menu, using the taskbar shortcut, or using the search function.

Step 2: Once the Excel application is open, go to the "File" tab and select "Open."

Step 3: Navigate to the fixed workbook's location on your computer and click "Open."

Step 4: The workbook should open in Excel without triggering the error message "Excel Found Unreadable Content in _______.xlsx." If it opens without the error message, the issue has been successfully fixed.

However, if the error message still pops up, it could mean the problem hasn't been completely resolved. Additional solutions would thus need to be explored.

Quick tips include:

• Updating your Excel software to the most recent version.
• Moving the problematic file to another folder.
• Closing all opened files before retrying to open the troubled one.
• Saving the file as a web page.
• Setting it as read-only.

With thorough testing after every fix attempt, one can eventually find the solution that rectifies the "Excel Found Unreadable Content in _______.xlsx" problem in their unique case.