Frequently Asked Question
Method 1. Disable Protected View Options
Many users have reported they fixed the error using this method. However, disabling "Protected View" is potentially harmful to your computer system since it exposes your computer to possible security threats. Thus, we highly recommend you save the file as another one after you can access it, then enable "Protected View".
Step 1. Open Microsoft Excel/Word and go to File > Options.
Step 2. Go to "Trust Center" > "Trust Center Settings...".
Step 3. Go to "Protected View" and then uncheck all the boxes. Click "OK".
Step 4. Restart Microsoft Excel/Word.
Now you can try to open your file again and see whether the error message "the file is corrupt and cannot be opened" still exist.
Method 2. Unlock the File
If "the file is corrupt and cannot be opened" prompts when you try to open some of the Excel or Word files on your computer, you can try this solution for a quick fix.
Step 1. Find and right-click the file you have difficulty in opening.
Step 2. Choose "Properties".
Step 3. Under the General tab, check the box next to "Unlock".
Step 4. Click "Apply" > "OK".
Method 3. Adjust Component Services Settings
By adjusting the component services, you are changing your Windows registry. Be careful and operate prudently.
Step 1. Click "Start" and enter dcom.
Step 2. Right-click "Component Services" and choose "Run as administrator".
Step 3. Expand "Component Services" > "Computers" > "My Computer".
Step 4. Right-click "My Computer" and choose "Properties".
Step 5. Switch to the "Default Properties" tab. Then set the value of Default Authentication Level as "Connect" and the "Default Impersonation Level" as "Identity".
Step 6. Click "Apply" > "OK".
Method 4. Repair Excel/Word File with Third-Party Software
If, after applying all the solutions above, the error persists. This may be an indication of file corruption. When the file is corrupt, you cannot fix the error "the file is corrupt and cannot be opened" by changing the settings on your computer. Instead, if you want to access your file successfully, you need to repair the corrupted Excel files or Word documents with third-party file repair software.