From time to time some user are getting the message "Excel has found unreadable content in <filename.xlsx>.  Do you want to recover the contents of this workbook?" when they open xlsx files from a file server in Excel 2010. When they select "yes", they are told that errors were fixed and am given the following log info:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<recoveryLog xmlns="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main">
 <logFileName>error060920_01.xml</logFileName>
 <summary>Errors were detected in file 'Filename.xlsx'</summary>
 <repairedRecords summary="Following is a list of repairs:">
  <repairedRecord>Repaired Records: Drawing from /xl/drawings/drawing1.xml part (Drawing shape)</repairedRecord>
 </repairedRecords>
</recoveryLog>

The file opens and all drawing objects (Text Boxes, Rectangles, Triangles, Straight Connectors) have been removed.

To diagnose the issue I opened the document as zip-archive, browsed to the file "xl\drawings\drawing1.xml" and extracted it. I then opened the file in a web-browser and it reported no errors, then opened it in Notepad++ and checked the XML syntax; both were successful.

I have read KB2384361 'Performance degradation opening Excel workbooks' and confirmed that the Shapes do not contain XML tokens.

Any help on resolving this issue would be appreciated.

Regards,

Cameron Blackburn

Excel 2007/2010 files are Zipped XML files and generated following office open xml format.

XML is very much non-forgiving.It will not allow any wrong character or omission of correct character.

You edit/work in familiar interface and Excel creates equivalent XML code in behind.If for some reason it could not save properly this type of error may generate.

You have to accept the recoverd or keep the file closed.But if you are familiar with Open Xml convention then you may open in Zip and see directly.

Anyway if you feel confident that data is not sensitive then you may upload in SkyDrive.I will try to check as far as possible.

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I am currently out of the office, but I will upload it when back and post a link.

I have also been advised that Excel did not warn the user(s) that it failed to save correctly, but that does not mean that Excel did not save it properly.

As previously mentioned I did look at the XML file '/xl/drawings/drawing1.xml' in an XML editor and it did validate, I also opened the file in open office portable 3.2.x and it did open correctly; unlike Excel 2010 SP1.

Below is a link to the file in question.

https://backup.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8c6a6b8a586073b4abad

Hi,

First, right click the file, properties->check whether the Read-Only checkbox is checked. If it is checked, clear it.

Then also try to methods in the following similar case:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/da-DK/excel/thread/f8abedda-619e-4f9d-97a5-fba2fcacd8c2

Hi,

I checked the file properties and "Read-Only" was not checked.

I also read the thread listed but I am unable to open the file in Excel 2003, it brings up a message "The converter failed to open the file."

Pls find the file.

Only one connector "Straight Connector 108" could not be recovered.I think you can easily reproduce.

Download from server:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/vymdke

to delete from web server:

http://www.sendspace.com/delete/vymdke/97a58e24417a8a5b1d780f1b23e97389

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Thanks for repairing the file. But this is not an isolated incident, and I am looking at ways to prevent this from happening again. I do not see repairing the file (by the way how did you do it?) as a solution and more of a work around.

The file has no VBA, and has not been modified by any applications other than Excel 2010, and it seems that all of the files that are becoming corrupt have one thing in common; Shapes.

Only one shape Straight Connector 108 was faulty.I had to remove it.I opened your drawing1.xml and started the Binary Sorting Algorithm.

I just thought that it may help you but defintely not ultimate soltuion.

Generally Excel does not create such issue but I have seen it to happen only if could not save properly.

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check this link this may help you out

http://support.sas.com/kb/40/383.html

There were 194/195 shapes and 10000 lines in Drawings1 file.I first break the file in two files of 5000 lines.Then checked both found problem in one file.Then broke the file in again in 2500 lines of 2 files.In this way I reached in the shape.

10000->5000->2500->1250->625->313->160->80.

I must say it is posible for more than 1/2 files.

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Thanks.

I have been trawling through a lot of forums lately and found that this issue is not isolated. There are many people that are having the same issue and all have come to the same conclusion that it is more than likely a bug or design flaw, but Microsoft has neither confirmed or denied this.

Thanks to 'Learning and Learning' identifying the shape that was causing the error in the drawing1.xml file, I have managed to identify what was the actual issue with the xml. It seems that for some reason the 'From Column' was greater than the 'To Column' and after correcting this error I managed to successfully open the file in Excel 2010.

This does not solve the issue, but it gives me an opportunity to possibly identify and fix corrupt xlsx files. The question still remains as to why the corrupt xml code for one shape would cause Excel to delete all shapes on that worksheet, and whether this is bug or design flaw caused when Excel saves the document.

Corrupt code:

<xdr:from>
	<xdr:col>24</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>5</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:from>
<xdr:to>
	<xdr:col>22</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>21</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:to>

Fixed code:

<xdr:from>
	<xdr:col>24</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>5</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:from>
<xdr:to>
	<xdr:col>24</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>21</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:to>

• Edited by Cameron B Thursday, July 26, 2012 10:26 PM

Thanks.

I have been trawling through a lot of forums lately and found that this issue is not isolated. There are many people that are having the same issue and all have come to the same conclusion that it is more than likely a bug or design flaw, but Microsoft has neither confirmed or denied this.

Thanks to 'Learning and Learning' identifying the shape that was causing the error in the drawing1.xml file, I have managed to identify what was the actual issue with the xml. It seems that for some reason the 'From Column' was greater than the 'To Column' and after correcting this error I managed to successfully open the file in Excel 2010.

This does not solve the issue, but it gives me an opportunity to possibly identify and fix corrupt xlsx files. The question still remains as to why the corrupt xml code for one shape would cause Excel to delete all shapes on that worksheet, and whether this is bug or design flaw caused when Excel saves the document.

Corrupt code:

<xdr:from>
	<xdr:col>24</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>5</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:from>
<xdr:to>
	<xdr:col>22</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>21</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:to>

Fixed code:

<xdr:from>
	<xdr:col>24</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>5</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:from>
<xdr:to>
	<xdr:col>24</xdr:col>
	<xdr:colOff>0</xdr:colOff>
	<xdr:row>21</xdr:row>
	<xdr:rowOff>0</xdr:rowOff>
</xdr:to>

• Edited by Cameron B Thursday, July 26, 2012 10:26 PM

It's goog news.Believe me I tried and searched all the Properties of shape to fix the problematic shape.But....It was so basic.

Anyway I never see excel to craete such problem.But if it happens frequently for users then I think Mircosoft should develop some application which at least inform us which part is causing error.Presently it only removes the entire file.

If you want to learn more on OPen Office xml then think of downlodaing the "Office Open XML Part 4 - Markup Language Reference" from net (Google and get)

It has 5 parts and starts from Part 1 . Part 4 is the reference.Others parts will give you quick insight.

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EY FOLKS !!!!!

AFTER Searching for the internet for this fuc...ing problem - and nowone found a solution so fare ..

i have found a workaround for the users ..

ok.. they have to do the following:

open the xls file, do a save as and the save the file in the format: OpenDocument (ods) - close the file, open the ods file and now save it as xlsx. After then everthing is good...

Microsoft .. Shame on you ...

Hi Cameron B,

Can you please explain how to open an Excel workbook as a zip-archive, and then extract a part of it?...

Unreadable content was found in a macro-enabled workbook (that was saved a couple of days ago in Excel 2010, as a .xlsm file). The recovery process deletes all drawing objects from a single worksheet (images and charts), even though the repairs are only to:

"Repaired Records: Drawing from /xl/drawings/drawing7.xml part (Drawing shape)"

Would really appreciate your help to extract this single drawing shape from the file, before opening the workbook in Excel...

DM

Hello Jaynet,

I am having an issue with an excel 2003 file. I am getting "Excel found unreadable content in File.xls". I have tried several methods to try to recover it without any success.

Can I get any assistance?

Thank you

Regards,

Luis

I believe i found the solution to quickly find the problematic shape when this error occurs...

On a past working version of the excel file, press f5 click on special in excel and search for objects... when it goes to a shape/object it might go to a shape that has a column width of less than 0, you can drag and enlarge it to see it.  That is your problematic shape.  Or at least that is what i found for myself on this very same problem.

• Edited by markmellow Thursday, July 03, 2014 8:38 PM

I believe i found the solution to quickly find the problematic shape when this error occurs...

On a past working version of the excel file, press f5 click on special in excel and search for objects... when it goes to a shape/object it might go to a shape that has a column width of less than 0, you can drag and enlarge it to see it.  That is your problematic shape.  Or at least that is what i found for myself on this very same problem.

• Edited by markmellow Thursday, July 03, 2014 8:38 PM

Good evening,

                    I'm interested in the same problem, that is the concept for which having drawn some design in graphical analyticity, when it comes to consider the file size perhaps, that the problem tells everything about any object is unreadable has a practical solution that before having gotten cognition of the key to push forward resolving the problem, the phenomenon at hand had caused me to simply try to close my file, thinking that I should be enabled to save it beforehand, but it wasn't possible under the drawing error conditions, which were described in the help window, in the meanwhile I was looking for the phenomenon of my different graphical analyticity windows' flashing in a clockwise sequence. Very well indeed, if I considered that dynamics was added to my drawings for its putting some light on some of them getting cumulated in one page, in my 70-mo Excel spreadsheet. Nevertheless, this error occurs frequently enough for I tried to push the keys alt+F4 a few time, paying attention not to shut down my user session perhaps, as of it is after having waited one minute that the flashing dynamics disabled, that the freezing phenomenon was lifted, and then that I was enabled to close the drawing error message, at the end of observing that flashing buzz rotating clockwise amongst my set of graphical analyticity objects.

I'm not that much confused about the phenomenon since it means that Excel spreadsheet isn't made for working with graphical analyticity at this level of depiction, though taking into account that its inherited graphical analyticity features don't expect my uses of the programming materials found in Excel: I think its sort of good news on one hand, but a loss of data if one was intended to close the program in some hurry, looking at the flashing phenomenon with anger and surprise perhaps. As I suggest it because I've found a means for having some return to a normal activity in my Excel spreadsheet, despite the fact that drawing errors had found any unreadable content in graphical analyticity shouldn't have forced to close the spreadsheet by any spontaneous tries. Let's repeat that it is sufficient to press the alt+F4 keys a few time, waiting a moment for the synchronizing process be terminated, and then having any return to normal activity in Excel spreadsheet.

Thanks.

Kevin Genest 

• Edited by Kevin Genest Sunday, February 22, 2015 12:07 AM

Good evening,

                    I'm interested in the same problem, that is the concept for which having drawn some design in graphical analyticity, when it comes to consider the file size perhaps, that the problem tells everything about any object is unreadable has a practical solution that before having gotten cognition of the key to push forward resolving the problem, the phenomenon at hand had caused me to simply try to close my file, thinking that I should be enabled to save it beforehand, but it wasn't possible under the drawing error conditions, which were described in the help window, in the meanwhile I was looking for the phenomenon of my different graphical analyticity windows' flashing in a clockwise sequence. Very well indeed, if I considered that dynamics was added to my drawings for its putting some light on some of them getting cumulated in one page, in my 70-mo Excel spreadsheet. Nevertheless, this error occurs frequently enough for I tried to push the keys alt+F4 a few time, paying attention not to shut down my user session perhaps, as of it is after having waited one minute that the flashing dynamics disabled, that the freezing phenomenon was lifted, and then that I was enabled to close the drawing error message, at the end of observing that flashing buzz rotating clockwise amongst my set of graphical analyticity objects.

I'm not that much confused about the phenomenon since it means that Excel spreadsheet isn't made for working with graphical analyticity at this level of depiction, though taking into account that its inherited graphical analyticity features don't expect my uses of the programming materials found in Excel: I think its sort of good news on one hand, but a loss of data if one was intended to close the program in some hurry, looking at the flashing phenomenon with anger and surprise perhaps. As I suggest it because I've found a means for having some return to a normal activity in my Excel spreadsheet, despite the fact that drawing errors had found any unreadable content in graphical analyticity shouldn't have forced to close the spreadsheet by any spontaneous tries. Let's repeat that it is sufficient to press the alt+F4 keys a few time, waiting a moment for the synchronizing process be terminated, and then having any return to normal activity in Excel spreadsheet.

Thanks.

Kevin Genest 

• Edited by Kevin Genest Sunday, February 22, 2015 12:07 AM

Good afternoon,

                       I'm writing a few words, therefore, not to discuss the details of cells in calculus spreadsheets, neither to have a balance of innovation in regards of Excel Console claims--eventhough I did domestic use of calculus spreadsheets for design purposes from the first row/column down to expanding the sheet boundaries for my new entire designs in graphs--because, in fact, problems with "Excel found unreadable content in .xlsx file" could be related to the fan engine that requires a line of zeros (are the blank cells are automatically selected in analytical data-series command when calculus spreadsheets opened) in order to adjust temperature or blowing power upon the system sensor. I think this is explaining "lag upon "Excel found unreadable content in .xlsx file"" with non-proportion to volume of data being carried in calculus spreadsheets for any domestic uses.

Thank you.

Kevin Genest 1986.

@ Cameron B

Your solution that showed the 'From Column' being greater than the 'To Column' worked for me. Thank you so much. I had 30 instances of the "froms" being greater than the "tos" and I changed them all using your example as a guide. I was able to fix a corrupted sheet that took my boss about 2 days to create.

My steps:

1. Change the file extension of sheet.xlsx to sheet.zip

2. Open the zip file and navigate to XL>Drawings>drawing1.xml

3. Drag and drop the drawing1.xml out of the zip file.

4. Open the drawing1.xml file in Excel (I just clicked ok to all the prompts). It makes an Excel table. Note: the purpose of opening up the drawing1.xml file in Excel was simply to FIND the "bad" entries. To CORRECT and save I also opened up the drawing1.xml in Notepad.

5. So in Excel, using a simple formula I just compared the "ns1:col" column to the "ns1:col2" column and found the entries that were larger. Per Cameron B's example, If "ns1:col" is larger than "ns1:col2" then change the "ns1:col2" entry to the "ns1:col" value. Again, I did the actual editing in Notepad. The only reason why I didn't search in Notepad was because it was easier to find the "bad" entries in Excel (also I think if you tried to save the Excel table as .xml, it would corrupt it)

6. After saving the corrected drawing1.xml file in Notepad. I then reopened the .zip file, navigated back to the drawing1.xml location, deleted the drawing1.xml file in the .zip and added my corrected drawing1.xml file back into the .zip.

7. Rename the file extension .xlsx

There's probably a better way to do this but it worked for me.