Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

Does your Excel file denies to get open in Protected View?

Or are you getting The file couldn’t open in Protected View” error messages?

Or does the Excel protected feature stopped working?

If you need to fix all these mentioned issues, then check out the potential resolutions mentioned in this post.

What Does “This File Couldn’t Open In Protected View” Error Means?

In Excel Protected View mode users can easily open their Excel files but the editing feature is disabled in it

If your Excel file denies getting opened in protected view then it’s a clear indication that the file must be belonging from some unsafe location.

Or it could be intact with some malware species. So as to protect your PC from any kind of damage, Excel refuses to open that file.

But sometimes, the situation also arises where Protected View won’t open Excel files even though it is coming from a safe source.

Due to which your Excel application starts freezing and you will need to forcefully close the program.

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Circumstances Under Which File Couldn’t Open In Protected View Error Generates

Under the following circumstances, you may face this file couldn’t open in protected view error.

  • At the time of opening Excel documents online or through emails. Excel starts hanging to get opened in protected view.
  • While trying to open file types which were created in older MS Office version such as Excel 95.

What Causes “Can’t Open Files In Protected View”?

Below here are some root causes of can’t open files in protected view error.

  • Excel protected view error also occurs when you are using the DisplayLink adapter to execute the external monitor. If you plug-in the DisplayLink adapter excel gets to hang on the opening protected view screen. Whereas, when you unplug the DisplayLink adapter, Excel will show the “Protected View has stopped working” error
  • This can’t open file in protected view error also arises for those Excel files which belong to Outlook emails.
  • Excel block feature prevents the older version file types to get opened as normal. This will ultimately restrict the file to get opened in protected view.

1# Disable Protected View settings

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Hit the File.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • Tap to the Options tab. This will open the Excel options settings window.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • From the left side navigation pane, choose the Trust-center tab.
  • Now from the opened window hit the Trust Center Settings.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • On the left side of the Trust Center window, you have chosen the Protected View.
  • After that unselect all the previously selected option present within the protected view.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • Hit the Ok button to close the window.

2# Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

To fix this file can’t be open in protected view error that arises due to DisplayLink Drivers. For this, you need to disable the hardware graphics acceleration. Here is how it is to be done.

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Hit the File.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • Now tap to the Options.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • From the Excel options window, hit the Advanced.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • Within the Display section, make a check across ‘Disable hardware graphics acceleration‘ option.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • Tap the OK button.
  • Now try to open your Excel documents with the email again.

3# Unblock The Excel Or Word Document

  • If you are a Windows 1o user then on your taskbar, hit the File Explorer
  • Now open that folder in which the “Protected View“error showing the Excel file contains.
  • Make a right-click on the Excel document and then choose the Properties.
  • Tap to the Unblock
  • Hit the apply
  • Press OK to take the exit.

4# Change The File Block Settings

For changing the File Block settings you need to enable the old Excel file types to get opened as normal. Here are the steps which you need to follow to perform this:

  1. Open Excel application. Now from the menu ribbon hit the File tab.
  • From the opened File tab left–hand navigation pane you have to make a click on Options.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • Once the window of Excel Options gets opens, from the left side navigation pane tap the Trust Center.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • After that make a tap on the Trust Center Settings.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

  • This will open the Trust Center.
  • From the left-hand navigation, the pane makes a tap on the Protected View to check out the Protected View options.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

Important:

Be careful, because the Protected View potentially prevents your application and PC from being havoc by dangerous files. By disabling this Protected View feature, you are indirectly inviting PC security threats.

  1. In order to disable the Protected View, you need to prevent the file from getting opened in the Protected Mode. For this just unselect all the following mentioned options.
    1. Enable Protected View for files originating from the internet,
    2. Enable Protected View for files located in potentially unsafe locations,
    3. Enable Protected View for Outlook attachments.
  2. Again from the left-side side navigation pane, tap the File Block Settings.
  3. In the opened window of File Block Settings.
  4. Uncheck all the following checkboxes. This will prevent Excel from blocking those file types.
    1. Excel 95 Workbooks,
    2. Excel 4 Workbooks,
    3. Excel 4 Worksheets,
    4. Excel 3 Worksheets,
    5. Excel 2 Worksheets,
    6. Excel 4 Macrosheets and Add-in Files,
    7. Excel 3 Macrosheets and Add-in Files,
    8. Excel 2 Macrosheets and Add-in Files.
  5. Tap the OK button.

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

Now the entire older versions Excel file will easily get open. Along with that you can edit and save it just like a normal Excel file version.

5#Use Excel Repair Tool

After getting the Excel Protected View has stopped working error users usually encounters with ‘The file is corrupt and cannot be opened’ error.

So if you are also dealing with the same corruption error in your Excel program then use the Excel repair tool. As it is extremely useful to repair corrupted/ damaged Excel files.

* Free version of the product only previews recoverable data.

As this software offers batch file processing so you can easily recover all lost workbook stuff like charts, tables, cell comments, images, chart sheets, sorts, formulas, filters.

This software is fully compatible with all Excel versions: 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003 & 2000.

Wrap Up:

So these are some most effective resolutions using which you can easily get rid of file can’t be opened in protected view error.

In most cases, disabling the protected view has successfully fixed this issue. But if you want to keep the protected view enable then you can try the other fixes.


Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

Microsoft Excel Protected View has stopped working

Priyanka is an entrepreneur & content marketing expert. She writes tech blogs and has expertise in MS Office, Excel, and other tech subjects. Her distinctive art of presenting tech information in the easy-to-understand language is very impressive. When not writing, she loves unplanned travels.

How do I fix Protected View in Excel?

Disabling Protected View to Edit Excel Files.
Go to File > Options..
Select Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Protected View..
Clear the box for Enable Protected View for files originating from the internet..

Why won't Excel open in Protected View?

Excel Protected View is a mode that allows users to open files while disabling most editing features. If you cannot open an Excel file in Protected View, there's reasonable evidence to indicate the file is coming from an unsafe location. Or that it could be malware-ridden.

How do I enable editing in Protected View?

If you receive or open a document and can't make any changes, it might be Open for viewing only in Protected View..
Go to File > Info..
Select Protect document..
Select Enable Editing..