Solved File History issue with Excel

fixer · Feb 20, 2023

I'm getting an error whenever trying to open .xlsx files in File History. It offers to try to recover the file but that always fails. Same error with all .xlsx files but all other file types open without issue. Excel is part of Office 2021 Pro and is running faultlessly in normal use. Could someone test this please?

Berton · Feb 20, 2023

Only one thing comes to mind, did you try copying/restoring the files to where they were originally saved then open them? Office 2007 was when the formats changed, identified by the x added to the file extension. Office 2000, 2002/XP and 2003 required a Compatibility Pack installed to use the newer formats, Office 2010 was the first to offer either x86/32-bit or x64/64-bit versions.

One diagnostic I use is actually a good program and free, LibreOffice which can open a number of Office files except doesn't have and E-Mail Client or something comparable to Publisher, good for verifying files.

fixer · Feb 21, 2023

Thanks - hadn't thought of that. Anyway just tried it but the file generates the same error when copied back.

johnlgalt · Feb 21, 2023

Do you have any good copies of the file available?

Or, perhaps a better question is: what happened so that you're forced to try to open a copy from file history?

fixer · Feb 21, 2023

johnlgalt said:
Do you have any good copies of the file available?

Or, perhaps a better question is: what happened so that you're forced to try to open a copy from file history?

This isn't causing any operational difficulties, my files are fine. I was simply checking that my backup routines are actually effective. Work I'm currently doing in Excel is important so discovering that File History is problematic does call for attention.

Haydon · Feb 21, 2023

FWIW, I used and stopped using File History, roughly following the rise and decline of File History in the MS ecosystem. Nowadays, MS wants you to use OneDrive, so you can go with the flow, or use a different file and folder backup solution.

I myself use the popular Macrium Reflect (the paid version, which has file and folder backup in addition to disk imaging) and RoboCopy, but there are many, many other good solutions.

fixer · Feb 21, 2023

I also use the paid version of MR, but not for my files, just my system drive. I want my personal files in their native format. I'm familiar with the many options for that and may have to start using something other than file history but what I'm requesting is that someone who uses both Excel and File History just tests whether they run into the same issue.

Sven1458 · Feb 21, 2023

I use file History also, and i just click on the file and it opens up. something is going wrong when copying to history

fixer · Feb 21, 2023

Sven1458 said:
I use file History also, and i just click on the file and it opens up. something is going wrong when copying to history

Are you talking about Excel or more generally? I'm only having this issue with Excel.

Sven1458 · Feb 21, 2023

for everything, but i did open excel to make sure

fixer · Feb 21, 2023

Thank you for that. Seems I may have an issue peculiar to my system but God knows what to try to do about it

Confirmation from someone else would be helpful.

johnlgalt · Feb 21, 2023

I dunno, as @Haydon mentioned, we had an extended discussion about File History, and more than one person (quite a few IIRC) chimed in to having seen similar issues with FH as well.

Is this attached to a Microsoft 365 account? If so, personal / Family, or a corporate account?

fixer · Feb 22, 2023

In the OP I said "Excel is part of Office 2021 Pro and is running faultlessly in normal use". I need to checkout the Excel forum to be sure whether this is a general problem or particular to my system.

johnlgalt · Feb 22, 2023

Hence why I asked - that is all you said. No idea on how it is (possibly) attached to either a personal or corporate Microsoft account, or not attached to anything and is a fully local install. That is why I was asking, as I found lots and lots of references on how to use OneDrive for File History for Office files.

fixer · Feb 22, 2023

It's just a local install. OneDrive is not relevant - I don't use it at all.

johnlgalt · Feb 23, 2023

Makes sense. Unfortunately, like Haydon mentioned, it's all kinds of buggy using Windows File History for some odd reason. Only thing I can think of is to peruse every setting for both Excel, and say another Office program, maybe Word, and see if there is anything regarding backups / history different between the two.

fixer · Feb 23, 2023

Hi John. It's moved on a bit - I used to use Word a lot but hardly at all now, so I went on to check whether my old .docx Word files were ok in FH. They were not, generating the same error as Excel files. That was enough for me and I've stopped using FH on both laptop and PC. Thing I really liked about FH was the access to old file versions in addition to current version and I don't know of an alternative that can do that. However I have also used WinRAR for years to backup my important folders on demand so this gives me the access to history I need. I have also started using MR file backups and am quite impressed. I previously had my doubts about all the criticism of FH but not any longer. Pretty sure @Haydon will like that.

johnlgalt · Feb 23, 2023

One alternate way is OneDrive, but you don't want to use that.

But WinRAR and MR file backups is probably a lot better for your use case, both because you're already using both programs *and* because you don't want to use OneDrive in general.

At least we know now that it's not just Excel - and that you now have a better replacement for FH that actually works for you, too.

Haydon · Feb 23, 2023

fixer said:
Pretty sure @Haydon will like that.

LOL, but hey, I tried to make File History work for me for a long, long time, and there are still a whole bunch of ardent users of File History after all.

Bye, bye, File History

The outstanding value proposition of File History for me was the hourly backups that ran in the background, that's gone. I reviewed my File History records of the past 2 weeks and there were intervals longer than 1 day without backups in spite of the 'every hour' setting (which is the default...

www.elevenforum.com

fixer · Feb 23, 2023

Haydon said:
LOL, but hey, I tried to make File History work for me for a long, long time, and there are still a whole bunch of ardent users of File History after all.

Yep, there are, and like me a lot of them will have been taking FH on trust and haven't actually tested Office files in it. Time they did!

Solved File History issue with Excel

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