Are you facing the error “We found a problem with some content” when opening an Excel file and looking for solutions to resolve it? Then, you’ve landed on the right page. In this article, you’ll find some tried and tested solutions to fix this error. But before proceeding, let’s understand the reasons behind this Excel error.
Reasons for “We found a problem with some content” Error in Excel
There are many reasons that can lead to the “We found a problem with some content in file namexxx’ error in Excel. Some common reasons are:
- You’re trying to open the Excel file saved on a network-shared drive.
- The Excel worksheet you are trying to open is corrupted.
- You have entered string values instead of numerical values in the cell.
- The text values in the formula crossed the 255 characters limit.
Methods to Fix the Error “We found a problem with some content” –
Here are some simple methods to resolve this error.
Method 1: Copy all Contents in the Excel File to a New File
You can try copying the data from the Excel file to a fresh/blank Excel file. To do this, follow the below instructions:
- First, open the desired Excel file (that is inaccessible) in read-only mode.
- Copy the entire content from the file and then create a blank new workbook.
- Now paste the copied content from the affected file to the new file.
Method 2: Set Calculation Option to Manual
Many users have reported that they are able to fix the error by changing the calculation settings from automatic to manual. This method works effectively for a workbook containing lengthy formulas. To change the calculation settings from automatic to manual, follow the below steps:
- Open the Excel application.
- Go to the Formulas tab and then click on Calculation Options.
- Change the Calculation Options from Automatic to Manual.
After changing the settings, try to open the Excel file to check if the error is fixed or not. If the issue persists, then follow the next methods.
Method 3: Use External References to Link to the Damaged File
You can retrieve the contents of the damaged Excel file using external references. You can link external references to the damaged or corrupted file. However, this method will not recover formulas or calculated values. To use external references, follow the below steps:
- Open your Excel.
- Go to File and then click Open.
- Go to the folder where you saved the damaged file and right-click on it.
- Click Copy and then click Cancel.
- Again, click File and then click New.
- Under the New tab, click on Blank workbook.
- In the first cell A1 of the new workbook, enter =File Name!A1.
- If you see the Update Values dialog box, select the corrupt workbook and then click OK.
- If the Select Sheet window appears, then select the required sheet and then click OK.
- Click cell A1.
- After this, choose Home and then press Ctrl+C or click Copy.
- In cell A1, select the area that is approximately equal to the range of the cells that contain data in the damaged file.
- Click Home and then press Ctrl+V or select Paste.
- Keep the range of cells selected. Click Home and then click Copy.
- Next, click on the Home button.
- Click on the arrow that you see below Paste.
- Below Paste Values, select Values.
- This will remove the link to the damaged workbook and recover the data.
Method 4: Use the Open and Repair Tool
Excel automatically turns on the File Recovery mode when it detects any inconsistencies in the worksheet. However, if Microsoft Excel fails to open the File Recovery mode, then you can use the Open and Repair tool to repair and recover the damaged Excel file. To run this tool, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the File button and then click Open.
- Click Browse.
- In the Open dialog box, click on the corrupted workbook.
- Click the arrow next to the Open option and then choose Open and Repair.
- In the dialog box that appears, click the Repair button.
- The message will appear as shown below:
- Click Close.
What to Do If None of the Above Methods Works?
If nothing works in your favor and you still face the error, then using a professional Excel file repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel can help you fix the error quickly. It can restore the data from damaged or even severely corrupted Excel files within a few clicks. The software is compatible with all versions of Excel and supports Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and earlier versions.
Final Words
In this article, we discussed the reasons for the Excel error “We found a problem with some content.” We also mentioned the solutions with stepwise instructions to fix the error with ease. If you are unable to access the Excel file due to corruption, then try a professional Excel file recovery tool, such as Stellar Repair for Excel. It is an advanced tool that can help you easily get rid of corruption errors by repairing the corrupt Excel files.
