Excel 2008 wont open file - URGENT!!!

Discussion in 'Mac Apps and Mac App Store' started by Sophie7, Jan 15, 2011.

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  1. Sophie7, Jan 15, 2011

    Sophie7 macrumors newbie

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    Jan 15, 2011
    #1
    I really hope someone can help me, I have been to several forums and nobody seems to have this problem...

    I have been using very large (52,000 rows, 30 columns) excel files as part of my MSc thesis (hence, due to the type of data I can't make them any smaller). Today Microsoft word crashed and lost a whole load of work which I had previously saved - I have resided with the fact that I will probably have to re-write this as it was my own fault for not backing up...
    However, since this happened, I have not been able to open these large excel files. Plus, they only appear on the 'recently opened' tab, and I cannot find them where I originally saved them, even if I use spotlight etc.
    All that happens when I try to open is the 'opening' bar, and then a blank excel window, with no cells and just a message at the bottom saying 'calculating cells 0%' and a never-ending beachball... At this point if I click on excel in the dock it is no longer responding.

    I have tried:
    Restarting
    Updating both my mac and microsoft office
    Moving the plist file to the desktop

    PLEASE help as these files are vital to my thesis which is due next month! (and if anyone could help with my Word problem also, that would be fab!)
     
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  2. GGJstudios, Jan 15, 2011

    GGJstudios macrumors Westmere

    GGJstudios

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    #2
    How much RAM do you have? And how much free space on your hard drive?
     
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  3. Koll, Jan 15, 2011

    Koll macrumors member

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    Jan 10, 2011
    #3
    Upgrade to 2011 maybe????

    I was running Excel 2008 under Snow Leopard and it crashed fairly regularly. A few months ago I upgraded to Excel 2011 and it is much sturdier, it hasn't crashed once (yet!!!).

    Is there anyone you can send your file to that uses 2011 to see if it works?
     
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  4. Grannyville7989, Jan 15, 2011

    Grannyville7989 macrumors 6502a

    Grannyville7989

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    #4
    Have you tired opening the files on a different computer running Microsoft Office?
     
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  5. dknightd, Jan 15, 2011

    dknightd macrumors 6502

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    #5
    I think this your problem. Your computer things the files are GONE.

    Do you have a backup of this important data?

    You might try repairing the disk using disk utlity, then disk warrior, then some kind of data recover program
     
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  6. Sophie7, Jan 15, 2011

    Sophie7 thread starter macrumors newbie

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    Jan 15, 2011
    #6
    Under 'disk usage' it says I have 41.28 GB.

    Unfortunately no back up - silly I know!

    I don't know anyone with office 2011, and seeing as I cannot locate the file aywhere else but on the recent files menu, I cannot send it anywhere.
     
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  7. dknightd, Jan 15, 2011

    dknightd macrumors 6502

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    #7
    Think of it as an important life lesson. Sorry you had to learn it the hard way :(
     
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  8. MrWillie, Jan 15, 2011

    MrWillie macrumors 65816

    MrWillie

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    #8
    Try down loading open office and opening it with that. Seriously.

    So no copy on a thumb drive, free drop box, or Time Machine backup on a $80 Verbatim 1 Tb external USB drive ?
     
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