# Why won't Excel save my .xlsx file\> **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004 "2021-02-01T17:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004/1 "2021-02-01T17:12:06Z")
For a couple/few months, Excel occasionally won’t save a file as .xlsx. > Microsoft Excel cannot access the file ‘[file name]\_Current\_Output.xlsx’. There are several possible reasons: > > - The file name or path does not exist. > - The file is being used by another program. > - The workbook you are trying to save has the same name as a currently open workbook. So apparently, Excel thinks I’m trying to save to an open file; except I’m not. I open Current\_Output and save it to Prev. I close Prev and upload it and the current file into Access, export them as fixed position text files, and run them through my programs. One program writes a new Current\_Output.txt file. I import that into Excel and do what I need to do, then try to save it as Curent\_Output.xlsx. That’s when I get the error. But the original Current\_Output.xlsx files had been closed for a while. The workaround is to save Current\_Output.xls, close Excel completely, open Current\_Output.xls, and then save it to Current\_Output.xlsx. I could just use the .xls file for the Prev each month, but I prefer to use .xlsx. So why does Excel think the .xlsx file is open when it isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004/2 "2021-02-01T17:44:42Z")
Excel uses lock files to tell if a file is open. Occasionally those don’t get deleted. Have you turned on “view hidden files” and checked if a lock file is still hanging around when this happens? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004/3 "2021-02-01T18:08:06Z")
Wouldn’t even know where to look. In any case, Excel shouldn’t show a closed file as being open. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004/4 "2021-02-01T18:27:43Z")
Your description of your process is not very clear. You say you “open Current\_Output and save it to Prev”. I guess by that you mean that you open Current\_Output.xlsx in Excel. You then never mention at what point you close that Excel window, but you later assert that it “had been closed for a while”. If you indeed still have the window open with Current\_Output.xlsx in it, you need to close that window before you try to save to that name. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004/5 "2021-02-01T18:36:19Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > You then never mention at what point you close that Excel window, but you later assert that it “had been closed for a while”. Yes, I open Current\_Output.xlsx in Excel. Then I save it as Prev.xlsx and Prev.csv. Then I close that window. I do not quit Excel because A) I have a spreadsheet I use all day; and B) I need to be in Excel when I open the new Current\_Output.txt file (which needs to be saved as Current\_Output.xlsx). But the original Current\_Output file window is closed after it is re-saved as Prev.