[7 Fixes] This Workbook Is either Deleted or Not Currently Accessible

How to Fix ‘This Workbook Is either Deleted or Not Currently Accessible’ on Mac

You’re assigned an important project, and you need your Excel workbook for that purpose. But when you open it up on your Mac, there’s a hostile-looking error message grinning in your face: ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible.’

It’s a bit confusing and terrifying to deal with, especially if data loss is involved. What you need to do though, is to understand why this error appears and what it entails. Only then, you can fix it successfully. To aid you in this process, we’ve shared 7 solutions here you can use to both fix and recover your Excel workbook!

Part 1: What Does This Workbook Is either Deleted or Not Currently Accessible Mean?

The ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible’ error appears when you can’t open an Excel workbook. This happens for a few reasons. You may have accidentally erased Excel workbook, so it’s no longer available to open.

If you didn’t save workbook before closing Excel, the content is lost and you can’t access it. Another reason could be that Excel file is corrupted, making it impossible to open due to issues with workbook itself.

Part 2: How to Fix This Workbook Is either Deleted or Not Currently Accessible Error?

You can fix error ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible’ on Mac by performing basic troubleshooting steps before applying any major solutions. For instance, check file path, and look into Trash if you haven’t emptied it yet.

If your Excel workbook is permanently erased you can reclaim it through a backup or specialized software. In case it’s corrupted or inaccessible but not deleted, fix it with aid of Excel’s built-in repair tool, by updating app or disabling conflicting extensions in Safe Mode.

2.1 4 Ways to Recover Deleted Excel Files on Mac Easily

Option A: Check the File Name and Path Carefully

It might be that you’ve moved workbook or saved it somewhere else which mistakenly results in a ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible’ glitch. If that’s the case, check your Excel file name and path carefully and if you find it in a different location, open it from there. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open “Finder.” Head to folder where you originally saved Excel workbook.

Step 2: Search for workbook with correct name and “.xlsx” extension. If you don’t see it there, use “Spotlight” search to look for it across your Mac.

Option B: Check if Your Excel File Is in the Trash

In the event, that you’ve deleted your Excel file from Mac but it’s still residing in Trash, restore it from there. To do so:

Step 1: Click Trash icon on your Mac’s dock. This will open it in “Finder.”

Step 2: Find Excel workbook you want to restore. Then, right-click it.

Step 3: Select “Put Back.” This will restore your Excel workbook to its original place.

Option C: Use 4DDIG to Recover Permanently Deleted Excel File

In case your Excel workbook is neither in Trash nor you’ve got a backup, then 4DDiG can rescue you from this situation. It is a dedicated Mac data recovery tool that can retrieve a wide range of files lost due to various data loss scenarios. Here are its primary functions at a glance:

• Can recover hidden, deleted, formatted, corrupted, lost, missing files, and so forth.
• Can retrieve 2000+ file types including audio, images, archives, videos, and many more.
• Can regain files lost due to system crashes, unbootable drives, lost partitions, virus or malware attacks, and so forth.
• It supports a broad range of storage devices like HDDs, SSDs,USBs, SD cards, etc.
• Can recover files from iCloud directory and doesn’t require you to disable SIP on Mac.
• Offers a high recovery rate and  free technical updates.
• It is compatible with current macOS Sequoia and all Apple chips.

Follow steps below to use this tool to fix and retrieve Excel file lost due to ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible’ on Mac glitch:

Step 1: Install and open Mac Excel workbook recovery tool on your computer. Then, choose disk where your Excel file was located before it became inaccessible or deleted.

Step 2: Next, select “documents” as file type. Hit “Scan.” You can pause or stop scanning to preview files. To do that, look beneath “Tree View” or “File View.”

Step 3: If you’re sure your Excel workbook is recovered successfully, select it. Hit “Recover” to export it to a safe place.

Option D: Use a Time Machine Backup

When you have turned on Time Machine backup for your Mac, it will automatically back up all data of your Mac. So, it’s easy for you to fix ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible Excel’ error. This is so because you can simply reclaim an inaccessible or erased Excel workbook from Time Machine backup. Here’s how to do that:

Step 1: First, connect your external drive containing backup to your Mac. Then, click “clock” icon in dock. Tap “Enter Time Machine.”

Step 2: Use up and down arrows to find folder containing your deleted Excel workbook and highlight it. Then, hit “Restore.”

2.2 3 Ways to Repair Corrupted Excel Files on Mac

Option E: Use Built-in Repair Feature

Excel includes an Open and Repair feature that can detect and fix issues like ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible Excel’ by repairing workbooks. Follow these steps to use “Open and Repair:”

Step 1: Open Excel app. Head to “File.” Then, pick “Open.”

Step 2: Find Excel workbook’s location. Select it, then use drop-down arrow next to “Open.” Tap “Open and Repair.”

Option F: Boot Into Safe Mode

Try booting your Mac into Safe Mode if you doubt that some conflicting extensions are causing ‘Excel this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible’ issue. Steps to boot a Mac into Safe Mode vary by Mac model, so, follow guide below:

For Macs With Apple Silicon Chip:

Step 1: Shut down your Mac. Then, hold “Power” button until startup options window appears.

Step 2: Select your startup disk. Next, hold “Shift” and while holding it click “Continue in Safe Mode.” Log in.

For Macs With Intel Chip:

Step 1: Shut down your Mac. Then, restart it. Hold “Shift” button immediately when it reboots.

Step 2: Release “Shift” at login screen. Then log in.

Option G: Update the Excel App

It might be that you’re facing an error such as ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible Mac’ because your Excel app is outdated. An update will fix the bugs that’s making it inaccessible. Follow instructions below to update Excel app:

Step 1: Open Excel. Head to “Help.” Pick “Check for Updates.”

Step 2: In “Preferences” window, check “Automatically Download and Install.”

Step 3: Install by following any prompts. Excel will reopen once updates are complete.

Part 3: How to Prevent Excel Files From Being Lost or Corrupted?

After you fix ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible’ successfully, also make certain you prevent this from happening again. To do so, here are some preventative measures you can take:

• Save your progress on your Excel workbook continuously as, as unsaved work can be lost if Mac turns off.
• Regularly backup your Excel files as this ascertains you can recover them if you lost or erased them by accident.
• Before removing files to free up space on your Mac, do a once over to avoid erasing important Excel files.
• If you save Excel files on an external drive, always safely remove it (eject option) to prevent data corruption.
• Protect your Mac with antivirus software and regular scans to prevent malware from corrupting your Excel files.
• Use Disk Utility to repair bad sectors, which can cause file damage.
• Avoid interruptions during reinstallations or updation processes to prevent Excel file corruption.

Conclusion

There‘s no escaping the fact that it’s exasperating when you face an error like ‘this workbook is either deleted or not currently accessible’ on your Mac. However, knowing the causes and using solutions provided earlier can get rid of this problem and recover your crucial Excel data.

But if you don’t have a backup and your Excel file is lost due to deletion or corruption, use a tool such as 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery. It can retrieve Excel workbooks successfully from various data loss scenarios.