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How to open .XLSX files on Linux

To open .XLSX files on Linux, open with LibreOffice Calc by right-clicking and selecting 'Open with'.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Open with LibreOffice Calc by right-clicking and selecting 'Open with'.
  2. Ensure locale settings match for accurate data representation.

Common issues

Formulas return errors

This can occur due to different locale settings or unsupported functions.

  1. Verify the locale settings in your application.
  2. Re-enter the formulas manually if necessary.

File won't open

This might happen if the file is corrupted or the application is outdated.

  1. Try opening the file in another application like Google Sheets.
  2. Check for updates for your spreadsheet software.

"We found a problem with some content in file.xlsx. Do you want us to try to recover as much as we can?"

Excel shows this when parts of the workbook, such as a sheet, formula or style, are damaged or created by a tool that wrote invalid XML.

  1. Click "Yes" and save the recovered workbook under a new name; Excel lists what it repaired.
  2. Alternatively open it via File → Open → Browse and use "Open and Repair".
  3. Try LibreOffice Calc or Excel for the web, which are sometimes more tolerant.
  4. If the file came from an export or script, export it again, for example as CSV.

"Excel cannot open the file because the file format or file extension is not valid"

The extension says .xlsx, but the content is something else, such as a renamed .xls, CSV or HTML export, or the file is corrupt.

  1. Make a copy and try changing the extension to .xls or .csv, then open it again.
  2. Open the file in a text editor: if you see readable text or HTML tags it is not a real .xlsx file.
  3. Use our header analyzer to check what the file really is.

Still can’t open your .XLSX file?

Repair a damaged .XLSX file

If the file opens with errors or not at all, a dedicated repair tool can often rebuild it. Work on a copy and keep the original file untouched.

Wondershare Repairit (Files and Photos)

Repairs damaged Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and ZIP files as well as corrupt photos.

Recover a deleted or lost .XLSX file

If the file was deleted by mistake or the drive was formatted, data recovery software may be able to get it back. Stop writing to that drive right away, because new data can overwrite what you want to recover.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery

Windows software that recovers deleted or lost files from PCs and external drives such as HDDs, SSDs, USB drives and memory cards, after deletion, formatting or a crash.

Wondershare Recoverit

Windows and Mac software that recovers deleted or lost files from computers and external drives such as HDDs, SSDs, USB drives and SD cards.

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