Excel Files are Opening in Notepad? 4 Ways to Fix That

Excel Files are Opening in Notepad

You might have observed that “Excel files are opening in Notepad” which may primarily be attributable to a variety of reasons ranging from incorrect Extension Type to issues persisting in Office Installation. This unique guide is here with various ways that can help you fix the “Excel files are opening in Notepad” issue quite easily.

Using the “Open With” Option Alternatively

Step 1 - Just start by right-clicking on the file that you wish to open and select the “Open With” option.

Step 2 - Just select “Excel” to resume the process to fix the “Excel files are opening in Notepad” issue.

Step 3 - In case you don’t find the “Excel” option then continue by clicking on the “Choose another app” option followed by selecting “Microsoft Excel”.

Changing the Default File Type might also Work

Step 1 - Here you need to press the “Windows + I” buttons and must also find and press the “Apps” option in the pane shown leftwards.

Step 2 - Now locate the “Default Apps” button shown in the middle of the screen and press it.

Step 3 - Now start typing the Extension Type “.xls” that you actually wish to set as the “Default One” in the “set a default for a file type or link type” search box.

Step 4 - Press the “Enter” key and choose “Excel” as the default app by finally pressing the “OK” button.  

Effectuating the Office Installation Repair

Step 1 - Simply begin by jointly pressing the “Windows + R” keys followed by typing in “appwiz.cpl” and pressing the “OK” button.

Step 2 - Navigate to find the “Microsoft Office” file and right-click on the same thereafter.

Step 2 - Just continue by choosing the “Change” option followed by clicking on the “Online Repair” radio button.

Step 3 - Accomplish the process that entails fixing the “Excel files are opening in Notepad” issue by pressing the “Repair” button and following the on-screen instructions subsequently.

Checking and Changing to the Correct Extension Type

Step 1 - If while trying to open an Excel file you see that the same is opening in Notepad then at first you must press the “Windows + E” keys in a bid to open “File Explorer”.

Step 2 - Subsequently you should click on the “View” tab and continue by selecting the “Show” option.

Step 3 - At this stage, you ought to click on the “file name extensions” option and must ascertain that your file is in a format that is compatible with Excel.

Step 4 - If you find that the file is incompatible with Excel then rename the file with the extension that is compatible with Excel which will enable you to fix the “Excel files are opening in Notepad” issue.