Data Disappears in Excel – How to get it back
Summary: MS Excel is a program that helps users to import and format data to design and create spreadsheets, charts, graphs, and perform numerous functions. Users can work with functions and formulae available in the application. However, changing the file properties and formatting of rows and columns, may occasionally result in data to disappear in Excel. In this blog, you will find out the reasons for data disappearance and the solutions including Excel File Repair Software to retrieve that data.
Whether you are a Business Analyst, Marketing Manager or a Teacher, MS Excel lets you organize, interpret data more clearly and thus prepares you for vital scenarios and changes through calculated forecast but this forecast may not be as reliable if even a small portion of data disappears or erased from the Excel spreadsheet/cell.
The probable reasons of data disappearing in MS Excel are:
- Unsaved work
Most Excel users forget to save their file at regular intervals, while they are working on their spreadsheet. As a result, if you close the workbook after entering some valuable information and then click on ‘No’ button when the popup displays the message to save the file, then MS Excel file may be saved without the recently added information, and the unsaved data disappears from the spreadsheet. Though Excel sheet has a time-setter to save the information, automatically, if the time setter is set at the lower time, the unsaved data is lost. - Format Conversion
Microsoft provides an option to save an Excel file in various formats – spreadsheet, text, webpage and more. At times, saving the spreadsheet in a different format may lead to missing data. For example, keeping the spreadsheet into basic text results in the disappearance of all the formulae and calculations applied on the data. In such cases, remove all calculations before saving the file. If the sheet is shared on multiple computers, then save the file in compatibility mode. - Merging Cells
Two or more cell-data is combined to make one large cell. This technique is primarily used with the Title of the spreadsheet. If there is data in two or more cells, then only the data in the top left cell is displayed, and data in all other cells are deleted. If the other merged cells have been populated with data then after merging, this data is not featured and it does not appear even after remerging the cells. - Cell Formatting
Cells and Data in the cells can be displayed in different colours to make the spreadsheet simple to create and infer. You may experience data loss when you try to change the data also along with changing the colour of data. Though the information may exist, the data may show an error due to following reasons:- White coloured text will not show in white coloured cell
- Large font sized data may not appear in small-sized cell
- Calculations may show error after cell-formatting
As discussed earlier, Excel files are essential for the professionals. Hence the recovery of these files is a must. Microsoft has provided an option to repair the Excel files with the help of Excel repair option. Follow the steps to fix Excel file:
- Reboot the system – Before starting with repair function, it is mandatory to reboot the system as rebooting ensures that any file used by the system is fully released.
- Go to Control Panel and click on Programs and Settings
- Locate Office and right click on it. Click on Change from the available options.
- Repair option is displayed –Click on Repair option to repair MS Excel file
- Open MS Excel to check if the data is fixed.
- Still unable to resolve the issue? Re-install MS Office on your system, but take care that re-installing will not repair the current Excel file and hence you cannot retrieve the disappeared data from that file.
If the above steps do not resolve the problem, opt for an Excel repair tool like Stellar Repair for Excel. This software has a proven track record of repairing corrupt or damaged Excel files to recover disappeared excel sheet content.
The software helps in:
- Fixes all corruption errors – a prominent reason to use this software. It helps in getting back the data which has disappeared.
- Repairs a single as well as multiple Excel files
- Recovers all components of XLS/XLSX files – tables, chart sheet, cell comment, image and more
- Does not hamper the worksheet properties and cell formatting
- Supports the latest as well as earlier version
Excel Repair software repairs the Excel file in these simple steps
- Launch and open the software.
- Select the corrupt Excel file. If the file location is not available, then find the Excel file by clicking on Search option.


- Click on Repair to scan the corrupt file.


- Once the scanning is complete, verify the components of Excel file and check if the available preview shows complete data that disappeared from Excel.


- Save file at default location or preferred location.


After scanning and repairing, the professional software creates a new file and provides an option to save this new Excel file in the default location or preferred location.
Conclusion
Better to repair than suffer the loss when data or text disappears in Excel and professional software ensures that users get back all the data in the form of a new Excel file. Stellar Repair for Excel tool repairs the corrupt file without modifying the original content and file-format. The user interface lets you perform the functions without a formal software training and ensures that even the non-technical computer users can use this software.
Recovering data by using tools is quite obvious nowadays. But Recovering data formatting too is incredible for me. Good job Stellar!
Hi Katheryn,
Thank you so much for your appreciation. We always try to do our best.
It’s like you read my thoughts! You appear to have good knowledge of Excel, and the post you wrote seems like a handy e-book on retrieving Excel data.
An excellent read. I will certainly be back.
You actually mentioned it adequately!|
Incredible
OMG!
I have recovered my lost data again.
All of a sudden, my Excel file version 2016 have unviewable data. When I open the file, only half data is viewable. When I scroll down the page data disappears. I already tried Excel repair utility but nothing happened.
Please suggest time & efforts saving solution.
To recover the Excel file data you can try professional Excel file repair tool i.e. Stellar Repair for Excel tool. It repairs corrupt or inaccessible MS Excel spreadsheet without modifying data. It will save your time & efforts.
Due to power cut, I have lost my organization products information within couple of seconds. Then I used Stellar repair for excel tool to recover my lost data. This tool helps to recover every piece of cells and their formatting.
Yesterday I found that all text disappeared in Excel 2010 after saving the file. I never deleted a single text from excel.
Ohh God, Why Is This Happening?
Don’t Panic!
Just try free demo of Stellar Repair for Excel software & share feedback with us.
I had the same problem. Suddenly my charts disappeared when I hit save. Turns out – I had previously printed something to pdf so my printer was not the default printer in excel. Once I hit Print and my printer popped up – voila! My charts all came back!
I also read that if your printer is offline, then your charts will disappear as well.
Hi Susan,
Can you take a print as an Administrator on that PC?
I have tried an array of tricks mentioned above but the data in my spreadsheet is not showing.
Can I run software to ensure its credibility?
Hello Harriet,
Yes, Stellar Repair for Excel software repairs the corrupt Excel file without hampering the original file format. It preserves the cell formatting and workbook properties.