Excel file could not be accessed

March 2023 · 3 minute read

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    • The Excel file could not be accessed error can arise when users try to save or open a file within that application. Consequently, users can’t save or open spreadsheets when that error arises.

    Microsoft has confirmed the issue occurs for Excel spreadsheet files with paths that exceed the maximum of 218 characters.

    Check out these resolutions for the file could not be accessed error

    1. Edit the Excel file’s title

  • Click the File Explorer button on Windows 10’s taskbar.
  • Open the folder that includes the problematic Excel spreadsheet.
  • Right-click the Excel file  and select the Rename option.
    Rename option excel file could not be accessed when saving
  • Enter a completely different file title that’s shorter and does not include any exclamation marks or brackets.
  • Press Return after renaming the file.
  • Try opening the file in Excel again to save it.

    • 2. Edit the Excel file’s folder titles

  • Open File Explorer.
  • Right-click the folder that includes the Excel file and select Rename.
  • Enter a shorter folder title, and press the Return key.
    Folder context menu excel file could not be accessed when saving

    • If the path for the file includes more than one folder, repeat the above steps for the other folders in its path.

    3. Save the Excel file to a USB drive

  • Insert the USB drive into your desktop or laptop.
  • Open File Explorer.
  • Open the folder that includes the Excel file the error occurs for.
  • Select the Excel file.
  • Click the Move to button to open the menu shown directly below.Move to button excel file could not be accessed when saving
  • Click Choose location to open the window in the snapshot directly below.Move Items window excel file could not be accessed when saving
  • Select the USB drive to move the spreadsheet to.
  • Click the Move button.
  • Then open the Excel spreadsheet from the USB stick.

    • 4. Start Excel in Safe Mode

  • Open Run with the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut.
  • Input excel /safe in Run’s text box, and select the OK option.

    • If the issue doesn’t arise in Safe Mode, then a third-party add-in is probably generating the save error. You can carry on utilizing Excel in Safe Mode to edit the required file. To fix the issue outside Safe Mode, however, you’ll need to manually deactivate Excel add-ins.

    5. Use a third-party tool for Excel errors

    Another viable solution would be to use a tool that specializes in repairing corrupt Excel files and performs this protocol automatically.

    Losing critical documents can be terrible, and getting them back can be even more difficult. No matter how inconvenient it may appear, it is possible to recover them when you follow the correct steps in a timely manner.

    Do you want to learn how to repair an Excel file? Or do you want to retrieve your missing Excel files? Read through this article to discover the best ways to fix your Excel files using automatic solutions that handle all the work.

    Those are some of the resolutions that can fix the file could not be accessed error. Note that the above resolutions might also fix similar Filename is not valid and <filename> could not be found Excel error messages.

    If you know of any other fixes we may have missed out on, leave us a message in the comments section below and we will update the article accordingly.

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