If you receive Microsoft Excel cannot access the file, There are several possible reasons error message you can use the following suggestions to resolve the issue.

If you see The file couldn't open in protected view error while opening Microsoft Excel, the fixes listed in this post will help you.

File-security limits can curtail your ability to open or save Microsoft Excel files.

Microsoft has announced that it will start disabling external workbook links to blocked file types by default between October 2025 and July 2026.