Imagine you’re working on an important Excel document, and all of a sudden, a message pops up on the screen that says, “This file cannot be previewed because of an error in the Microsoft Excel previewer.” This error can disturb your entire workflow & potentially lead to data loss if not solved promptly. In this guide, I will mention everything you need to know about this error including its common reasons and step-by-step solutions to help you fix it with less effort.
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What Are the Common Causes of This File Cannot Be Previewed Because Of An Error in Excel?
There are different reasons behind this error. The most common ones are listed here:
- Unsupported file format
- Outdated application
- Corrupted MS Office cache
- Other applications might conflict with Excel
- Corrupted files
As you have extracted the common causes now, it’s time to know how to fix this with less effort.
How to Solve This File Cannot Be Previewed Because Of An Error in Excel?
Try the below tricks to fix this Excel error:
Way 1- Disable the “Protected View” Feature
Enabled Protected View can often lead to such file previewing errors. Therefore, it is important to check & disable this option to open your workbook.
Here are the steps to be followed:
- Open Excel, navigate File tab >> Options.
- In Excel Options, go to the Trust Center >> Trust Center Settings.
- After that, click Protected View and unselect all the options in Protected View>> click OK.
Also Read: Fixed- Office Has Detected A Problem With This File Protected View Error
Way 2- Update the Application
Running an outdated version of Microsoft Office can lead to “this file can’t be previewed because of an error in the Microsoft Excel previewer”. So, ensure your Microsoft Office version is up-to-date. For this, follow the below steps:
- Open Office app (Excel).
- Go to the File >> Account option on the left side.
- Under Product Information, select Update Options>> click Update Now.
- After completion of updates install, relaunch Excel, and see if the problem occurs.
Way 3- Boot Excel in a Safe Mode
Another possible reason behind this error message may be certain add-ins that are preinstalled with the Excel app & might be conflicting with the file. In such a case, consider booting the Excel application in safe mode to disable all such add-ins and tackle the situation.
Here are the instructions for launching Excel in safe mode:
- Close the Excel sheet.
- Then, press the Windows + R keys to open the run box.
- There, you have to type Excel/safe & hit Enter.
- This will open the Excel in a safe mode.
Way 4- Fix Excel This File Cannot Be Previewed Because of An Error by Clearing the MS Office Cache
Another option that can be tried to solve it is to clear the MS Office cache. For this, follow the below steps:
- Press the Windows + R keys to open the run box.
- After that, type the below path & press Enter:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache
Please Note– Replace the ‘16.0’ with your Microsoft Office version.
- Under the OfficeFileCache window, clear all .temp files.
If this method fails, try the next one.
Way 5- Use Open & Repair Feature
A corrupted or damaged Excel document is the foremost reason for the occurrence of this error. Simply repair the corrupted file by using the built-in Excel’s Open and Repair tool.
Here are the complete steps to do so:
- Open MS Excel >> click File> Open.
- Next, browse the location and folder that contains the corrupt worksheet.
- In an Open dialog-box, select a corrupted workbook.
- Click on an arrow beside the Open button >> click the Open and Repair.
- To recover workbook data, click Repair.
If the Repair cannot recover your workbook data, click the Extract Data button to extract data from the sheet.
For better resolution, you should try the best Excel Repair Tool. It not only fixes the file corruption but also recovers all the data stored within it.
Also Read: Excel “This File Type Is Not Supported in Protected View” Error
Way 6- Repair the MS Office
Even after trying all the solutions, if none of the above solutions worked, consider fixing the MS Office. There is a huge possibility that this error appears due to corruption in the MS Office.
Consequently, repair it by following the following steps:
- Click Start menu >> select Settings.
- Next, choose Apps from a left pane.
- Then, click on the Apps & Features.
- Now, scroll down and find Microsoft Office.
- After this, click on the 3 dots menu.
- Next, click on Advanced options and then Online Repair.
- Lastly, click on Repair > Repair.
That’s it.
Related FAQs:
If you want to turn on the Excel previewer, select the Excel >> click File >> click Print to display the Preview window and printing options.
To fix Excel Preview not working issue by repairing the corrupted XLS/XLSX file.
Well, Windows File Explorer has its own in-built file viewer feature using which you can preview an Excel document without opening it. How Do I Turn on Excel Previewer?
How to Fix Excel Preview Not Working?
How to Preview an Excel File Without Opening It?
Time to Verdict
Understanding & solving the error “this file can’t be previewed because of an error in the Microsoft Excel previewer” is within your grasp. By following the troubleshooting tricks specified above in this blog, you can assuredly solve this error & prevent future occurrences.
That’s all…
