Office detected a problem with this file [Protected View]

by Milan Stanojevic

Deputy Editor

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• Sometimes after upgrading their Windows 10, many users have complained about numerous problems related to the Microsoft Office applications.
• Microsoft Excel may not open documents because the Protected View mode disables macros and other content.
• Take a look at our Microsoft Excel section for useful solutions to this and many other issues.
• If you are looking for a great Microsoft Office overview, check out our Microsoft Office Hub.

After updating Windows 10, you may find that some of your Microsoft Excel documents do not open and you receive the following error:

Excel Protected View Office has detected a problem with this file. Editing it may harm your computer. Click here to view more details.

Therefore, the file is opened in protected mode. The Office Protected View is a read-only mode in which most editing features are disabled. For security reasons, if the file check in the protected view is negative, editing of the document can be disabled.

In the following lines, you will find proper solutions to resolve this annoying Microsoft Excel issue.

How to fix Office has detected a problem with this file?

1. Disable the Protected View option

1. Open the Microsoft Excel application.
2. Click on the File tab.
3. Go to the Excel Option window.
4. Select Trust Center.
5. Click the Trust Settings button.
6. Click Protected View in the next window.
7. Disable the Enabled Protected View for files originating from the Internet option.

When Microsoft Office documents such as Excel files are opened from a network drive (when used with SMB directories of Synology and QNAP NAS devices), they are opened in protected view.

This prevents the documents from running macros.

Of course, this feature is very useful for unknown sources (via email). However, in the product environment, this Protected View in Excel is also very annoying when it is done from the central data server (NAS).

That’s why you can always disable it and continue your daily work.

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2. Update Microsoft Excel application

1. Open Microsoft Excel application.
2. Click on File tab.
3. Go to Product Information.
4. Select Update Options.
5. Click the Update Now button.

Microsoft Office is normally updated automatically. However, if this doesn’t work, you can also update it manually. Otherwise, errors may occur when you are opening Excel documents, for instance.

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3. Repair Microsoft Excel

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click the Uninstall Program.
3. Select Microsoft Office Suite and double-click it.
4. Select Change from the pop-up menu.
5. Click Repair.

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Various malfunctions can only be remedied with repair installations, but it is not always necessary to hire expensive IT specialists to repair Microsoft Office.

In some cases, you can also repair Microsoft Excel by yourself if the program no longer works properly. You can always use the built-in Repair tool, by opening Control Panel.

Microsoft Excel is probably the most widely used spreadsheet application on Windows computers and is part of Microsoft Office.

Excel’s extensive calculations with formulas and functions, including commercial, statistical and date functions make the program irreplaceable in today’s office.

Don’t forget to leave any other questions or suggestions in the comments section below.

FAQ: Learn more about Microsoft Office errors

• How do I get a Word document out of Protected View?  

You have to follow some steps to get a Word document out of Protected View. For more information, check out our guide on how to disable Word Protected View.

• Why are all my documents opening in Protected View?

Your documents could be opening in Protected View because the files were opened from the Internet or an unsafe location, blocked by File Block, failed file validation, or other reasons. 

• How do I enable editing on a Word document?

If you can’t edit a Word document, make sure to unblock it from Properties, use Word Only, remove protection, or try other handy solutions from our article.

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