How to Fix Excel File Name is not Valid Error

Amy Dennis

Sep 18, 2020 • Filed to: Recover & Repair Files • Proven solutions

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This is very common for any user dealing with Excel files to encounter any of the many types of errors. Often an error about opening an existing excel file (which means a problem in accessing the desired excel file), or concerning saving a file or excel document (spreadsheet) occurs. There are several possible reasons for these errors and corresponding remedial actions that can help resolve such issues.

• Part 1: The Best Excel File Repair Tool
• Part 2: How to Repair Corrupt Excel File
• Part 3: Repair Excel With 'Open and Repair' feature
• Part 4: How to avoid Excel File get Corrupt

An error by and large similar in nature appears as either of the following messages:

• Filename not valid
• The file could not be accessed.
• The path you entered, '<filename>', is too long.
• <filename> could not be found.
• '<filename>.<extension>' could not be found (found in Excel 2000).

‘FileName is not valid’: while creating and saving, or opening an Excel file such error may mean one of the following reason:

1. Path of file including file name may exceed 218 number of characters limit
2. The file name may be incorrect
3. The path may not be appropriate
4. File location or drive may not be correctly given
5. Limitation of characters in name of folder
6. Backslash between folders
7. Characters in the file name
8. The file name may be correct but had been renamed or move to another location or got accidentally deleted.

The difficulty in creating a link to another excel file arises from the limitation of 256 characters. Whereas 218 characters limit for defining the path is based as:

• Excel sheet name, maximum of 31 characters.
• Brackets and Apostrophes are used to indicate the workbook name.
• An exclamation sign.
• Reference of the cell.

This situation is, however, simple to deal with as one may either rename file or folder using a shorter name (not exceeding 218 characters) or moving the file to a shorter named folder. But the difficulty arises when an excel file gets corrupted or damaged.

Part 1: The Best Excel File Repair Tool

To repair corrupted Excel file many Excel repair Tools and Excel file repair software are available. Stellar Excel Repair Tool can handle errors such as “Unable to read the file” or “file is corrupt and cannot be opened”. It can handle all Excel versions but up to Excel 2003. Supports all XLS versions.

Microsoft Excel Repair Tool

• Recovers all kinds of data stored in damaged excel files such as tables, charts, formulas, comments, images, etc.
• Restore all of your corrupted excel files to their original standing.
• Preview the repaired excel file in real-time, see how much of the file has been recovered as it is being repaired.
• All kinds of MS office corruption errors (for XLS and XLSX files only) can be handled with this tool.
• This excel file repair tool can be used on both Windows and Mac platforms to repair corrupt excel file.
• All kinds of MS office corruption errors (for XLS and XLSX files only) can be handled with this tool.
• This excel file repair tool can repair damaged files of all versions from 2000 to 2016 that includes 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, etc.

Download Windows Version Download Mac Version

 

Part 2: How to Repair Corrupt Excel File

Following the sequence of screen displays (for Wins) swiftly help to move step by step repairing and recovering Excel files that are corrupted or damaged. Option for Mac similarly may be used.

Step 1 Launch Excel file repair, and select corrupt Excel file from local drive and search.

Step 2 In the searched result section display all corrupt Excel file, select one or all start to repairing process

Step 3 Previewing the repaired files selected from the left bar.

Step 4 Saving repaired Excel file to a destination location.

Part 3: Repair Excel With 'Open and Repair' feature

MS Excel’s features facilitate an automatic recovery procedure in case it detects a corrupted Excel file. However, if recovery mode fails to start user may try recovery manually as shown below.

Step 1. Click File > Open.

Step 2. Click folder containing affected worksheet, and location

Step 3. Select in the dialog box the corrupted file

Step 4. Press arrow near the open button

Step 5. Click open & repair as highlighted here.

Tips:

Apart from using the third party Excel Repair Tool or Excel file repair software, a few tips may help the user to recover or repair a corrupted Excel file.

Case 1. If Excel cannot open the file try following to resolve the issue yourself.

1. Copy corrupt file on your hard-drive if it exists on a floppy.
2. Try to find .xlb file keeping a backup as well. Now delete .xlb and restart Excel.
3. Try to open the file in MS Word or Notepad which may let you recover data but not formatting.
4. MS Excel 97/2000 viewer may let you view the data and print. Open the file using this free program to recover data. This program may recover even formatting as well as cell values.
5. Use Excel XP which has better options for recovery.

Case 2. If an Excel file is open try following to resolve the issue yourself.

1. Try on a different computer
2. Don’t run Excel from a floppy
3. Switch off Auto-save
4. Turn off the file-sharing option
5. Save the file as a web page and reopen it as an Excel file.

Part 4: How to avoid Excel File get Corrupt

• Ensure the system is shut down properly. For that matter close all applications prior shut down. However, due to circumstances beyond human control like immediate disconnection of the power supply may trigger file corruption due to improper closing of applications.
• Try to install the latest anti-virus to keep your systems free from malicious attacks. Viruses always make excel file susceptible to corruption
• Try to keep your storage space as much as possible free from bad sector chances of excel file corruption are high if data is saved in a bad sector.
• Try to sort out issues present in the MS Excel application. Improper and unexpected shutting of an excel sheet triggers files corruption.
• Try to handle small data when dealing with excel files. Enormous data on an excel sheet is a leading cause of file corruption.