[Fixed] Excel Cannot Open in Protected View (8 Solutions)

An Excel workbook in Protected View mode only enables users to read the workbook but doesn’t provide any access to edit or manipulate any data. But when Excel cannot open in Protected View, it’s certain that there’s something that needs to be tweaked. In this article, you will get 8 solutions to fix Excel that cannot open in Protected View error.

1. Enabled Protected View Mode in Excel Will Not Open Files

The first thing you can do is disable the Protected View mode to access an Excel file.

For that,

❶ Go to File.

❷ Then select Options.

❸ Go to Trust Center ➤ Trust Center Settings in the Excel Options dialog box.

❹ Select Protected View from the Trust Center dialog box.

❺ Uncheck all 3 options in the Protect View section and hit OK.

Now, you can open your Excel files.

Read More: [Solved]: Excel Protected View Office Has Detected a Problem with This File

2. Enabled Hardware Graphics Acceleration Option Cannot Open Excel Files

If the previous method doesn’t work for you, then try this.

❶ Go to the File tab.

❷ Select Options.

❸ Go to Advanced ➤ Display in the Excel Options dialog box.

❹ Check ‘Disable hardware graphics acceleration’ and hit OK.

Now, you will be able to open the Excel file.

3. Incorrect File Block Settings Will Not Open Excel in Protected View

You can also change the File Block Settings to open Excel workbooks set in Protected View mode.

For that,

❶ Go to File.

❷ Then select Options.

❸ Go to Trust Center ➤ Trust Center Settings in the Excel Options dialog box.

❹ Select File Block Settings.

❺ After that, uncheck all the options from Excel 4 Workbooks to Excel 2 Macrosheets and Add-in Files.

❻ Then just hit OK.

This will prevent Excel files from blocking and you can easily open them.

4. Faulty Office Application Cannot Open Excel in Protected View

If your Microsoft Office Suite itself is suffering from any critical issue, then repairing it can help open Excel files in Protected View.

To repair,

❶ Type Control Panel in your Windows search box.

❷ From the search result, click Open to open the Control Panel.

❸ Then click Uninstall a program.

❹ Select your Microsoft Office Suite and hit the Change command.

❺ After that, select Quick Repair and hit Repair.

When the repair process finishes, you can try to open your Excel files.

5. Older Excel File Versions Will Not Open in Latest Versions

Sometimes converting an Excel file format can really help. If you are using an older version of Excel such as Excel 97 or Excel 2003, you face problems opening them in the latest version of Microsoft Excel.

However, you can convert an old version of Excel to a new version just by renaming the file.

For that,

❶ Select an Excel file.

❷ Then press the F2 button to enable the file name.

❸ Change the file extension from .xls to .xlsx.

❹ And hit ENTER.

After converting the Excel file you can try opening it.

Read More: [Fixed] Excel Protected View Editing This File Type Is Not Allowed

6. Outdated MS Office Cannot Open Excel in Protected View

An outdated Excel can also cause trouble opening an Excel workbook.

Updating your Excel to the latest version can help you.

To update,

❶ Go to the File tab.

❷ Select Account.

❸ Go to Update Options ➤ Update Now.

After the update is done, you can open Excel workbooks.

7. System Blocked Excel Files Do Not Open in Protected View

If you already have some Excel files blocked by the system, you cannot open them.

To unblock the Excel files,

❶ Select all the Excel files first.

❷ Right-click on the selection.

❸ Click Properties.

❹ Then uncheck Unblock in the General tab.

After unblocking the Excel files, you can try opening them.

Read More: How to Remove Protected View in Excel

8. Outdated DisplayLink Drivers Will Not Open Excel in Protected View

If your display drivers are outdated, they can also be responsible for your Excel not capable of opening a file in Protected View.

So it’s better to update your DisplayLink drivers.

Conclusion

To sum up, we have discussed 8 solutions regarding Excel not opening in protected view. You are recommended to download the practice workbook attached to this article and practice all the methods. And don’t hesitate to ask any questions in the comment section below. We will try to respond to all the relevant queries ASAP.

Related Articles

• How to Enable Editing in Excel Protected View
• Cannot Edit Excel File in Protected View
• [Solved]: Excel Opening in Protected View Stuck

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