Fix: We’re sorry, we can’t open the workbook in the browser error

Updated April 2024: Stop getting error messages and slow down your system with our optimization tool. Get it now at this link

1. Download and install the repair tool here.
2. Let it scan your computer.
3. The tool will then repair your computer.

When you try to open a workbook in Microsoft Excel Online, you may receive an error message telling you that the workbook contains functions that Excel Online does not support. Unsupported functions are contents or functions in a workbook that prevent the workbook from being opened for modification or, in some cases, displayed in the browser. This article contains the processing steps of the workbook, depending on the type of functions not supported in the workbook.

Excel services do not support everything that is supported by the Excel client application. In this case, you will be told that it will not open the file because the sheet protection is used.

Since there are differences between using a workbook in a browser window and in Excel, some functions of Excel Web App are not supported, sorry for the inconvenience this unsupported function has caused.

In addition, we can click Open in Excel (display the error message) to open the file in the client application. And you don’t need to download the file, edit it offline and synchronize it again. We can change with a single click in the following steps how to open a document in a library:

1. Go to the Library, click on Library Settings.
2. click on Advanced Settings in the Library Settings.
3. Select the default opening behavior for documents enabled by the browser when opening documents in the browser.

Perform the following steps.

• To modify the workbook in Excel Online, do the following:
• Click on Edit a copy in the message.
• Accept the new name that Excel Online suggests, or type another name, then click Save.
• Warning: If you enter a name that matches the original name and select the Overwrite existing files check box, the original workbook is lost when you click Save.

Modify the new copy of the workbook in the browser. The original is not affected.

If you do not want to create a copy and want to modify the workbook in the Excel application, proceed as follows:

• Click Cancel in the message.
• In Online Excel, click on Modify Workbook, then on Modify in Excel.
• Edit the workbook in the desktop Excel application. When you click Save to Excel, the workbook is automatically saved to the website where you opened it.

Turn on Sharing

Usually, some parts of the file are not supported for sharing, but you should still be able to view the main part of the file in the web application. What you need to do, however, is to allow the file to be shared before we can access it online. This option is disabled by default and must be enabled for Excel spreadsheets or SharePoint files to be accessible online.

Here’s what you have to do:

Click on the Revision tab.
Select the Share Workbook tool.
Check the “Allow changes” box and confirm the changes.

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/edit-a-workbook-that-contains-features-unsupported-by-excel-web-app-4656c61a-4c61-4e39-9de7-1e37333d988f


Expert Tip: This repair tool scans the repositories and replaces corrupt or missing files if none of these methods have worked. It works well in most cases where the problem is due to system corruption. This tool will also optimize your system to maximize performance. It can be downloaded by Clicking Here