How to fix ‘Unexpected Error: Changes to Data Can’t Be Saved” in Windows 11?

Summary: An unexpected error has occurred. changes to data can’t be saved. is a common error message in Excel in Windows 11 that can cause data loss. This blog outlines the causes of the error and provides troubleshooting steps, including basic fixes and advanced solutions. Also, you can follow the guide to resolve the error and prevent data loss with the Stellar Excel Repair Tool.

The message “An Unexpected Error has Occurred. Changes to your Data cannot be Saved” can be a frightening sight when you’re trying to save important data in an Excel file.

With the threat of losing your valuable information, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with questions.

• What’s the error? 
• How did it happen? 
• Will I lose my data?
• How can I prevent it from happening again?
• Can I recover my data if it is lost?

But don’t let this error message scare you.

It’s a common issue in Windows 11.

In this blog, we will provide you with all the answers you need to resolve the error, recover your data, and prevent it from happening in the future.

Table of Content:

• What does “An Unexpected Error has Occurred. Changes to your Data cannot be Saved” mean?
• Common causes of the “Excel unexpected error something went wrong” error in Windows 11
• Troubleshooting “An Unexpected Error Has Occurred. Changes to Data Can’t Be Saved” In Windows 11
• How do we ensure 100% peace of mind and money protection for our users?

Rest assured, we’ve got you covered.

What does “An Unexpected Error has Occurred. Changes to your Data cannot be Saved” mean?

“An Unexpected Error has Occurred. Changes to your Data cannot be Saved” is an error message that appears when you’re trying to save changes to an Excel file.

The error is also seen when trying to export a SharePoint Online list to Excel.

In simple terms, the message indicates that there’s an unexpected problem that’s preventing the changes from being saved. It also means that the data that you updated might be lost.

So yes, if that error occurs, the data that you spend so much time entering in Excel might be gone forever. However, the error can be resolved.

Read to know how.

Also Read: ‘File Could Not Be Found’ Error in Excel: How To Fix?

Common causes of the “Excel unexpected error something went wrong” error in Windows 11

Understanding the cause of the “Excel unexpected error something went wrong” is the first step to finding the right solution.

Identifying the cause of the error can further help in avoiding it from happening again and preventing data loss.

Some common causes for the error include:

1. Corrupted or damaged Excel file

(The error might also be caused by incompatibility issues in your Excel file.)

2. Outdated software or drivers

3. Insufficient system resources

(If your system is running low on resources such as memory or storage, it may cause an error.)

4. Interrupted software updates

5. Conflicts with other applications

(If other applications are running simultaneously with Excel or you are third-party plugins that are incompatible with Excel, it may cause conflicts.)

6. Network connection issues

7. Malware or virus infections

Troubleshooting “An Unexpected Error Has Occurred. Changes to Data Can’t Be Saved” In Windows 11

In most cases, some basic steps can help fix the “Unexpected error has occurred” message in Excel in Windows 11.

Here are some ways to fix the error:

1. Check file permission

If someone else is the owner of the file you want to save, you might not have permission to modify the file. To resolve the issue, ask the file owner to grant you those permissions.

2. Save the file in another location

If the current drive where you want to save the Excel file is full, you can try saving it in another drive to fix the issue.

3. Remove conflicting add-ons

If you are using third-party plugins with Excel, they might be interrupting the process of saving the file, thus causing the error.

To check if that’s the issue, open Excel in Safe Mode.

→ Open Excel from the Start menu. 

→ While Excel is opening, hold the Ctrl key and press Yes on the popup that appears. 

If you are able to save a new file in Safe Mode, third-party plugins are likely to be causing the issue.

Disable the add-ins and uninstall them to remove them from your system.

4. Disable “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)”

Dynamic Data Exchange allows for communication between different Windows programs. If the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange” option is checked, it can cause an issue. Uncheck it using the following steps to fix it:

Step 1 – Open Excel.

Step 2 – Go to File > Options.

Step 3 – Click Advanced.

Step 4 – Scroll down to the General section.

Step 5 – Uncheck the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” box.

Step 6 – Click OK.

Also Read: How to Recover Deleted Excel Files?

5. Save the file in HTML format

Step 1 – Open the file in Microsoft Excel and go to File > Save As.

Step 2 – Change the “Save As Type” to “Web Page in HTML format”.

Step 3 – Save the file and close it.

Step 4 – Open the saved HTML file in Microsoft Excel.

Step 5 – Go to File. Click Save As. 

Step 6 – Select “XLS” or “XLSX” format and give the file a new name.

Step 7 – Save the file.

6. Avoid export errors by deleting special characters

You can avoid the error by not using special characters in the custom list column names while exporting Excel files to SharePoint or vice versa

Don’t use special characters (such as #, @, %, etc.) in column names.

If you have already used special characters, delete the column and recreate it without them.

7. Fix SharePoint expert to Excel issue

To fix the “SharePoint export to Excel an unexpected error has occurred” message:

Step 1 – Open Excel.

Step 2 – Click the “Account” button.

Step 3 – Sign out.

Step 4 – Close Excel.

Step 5 – Go back to the SharePoint list and click “Export to Excel”.

Step 6 – When Excel opens, sign in using your account.

Step 7 – Fill in the required credentials.

Step 8 – You should now be able to export the SharePoint list to Excel without encountering an error message.

8. Repair corrupted Excel file

To fix a corrupted Excel file:

Step 1 – Go to File. Click on Open. 

Step 2 – Select Browse in Excel.

Step 3 – Select the corrupted file.

Step 4 – Click the arrow next to the Open button and choose “Open and Repair.”

Step 5 – Select the “Repair” option to try to recover as much data as possible.

If the built-in repair tool does not work, you can use a specialized Excel repair tool like Stellar Repair for Excel. This tool can repair severely corrupted files and recover all the components of the Excel file, including formulas, pivot tables, and more.

Here is the video on “how to recover deleted excel files”

A few noteworthy features of the tool include:

• Keeps the spreadsheet and cell formatting intact.
• Multiple Excel files can be recovered in one go.
• Recovers tables, pivot tables, charts, formulas, and other elements of damaged or corrupt Excel files with precision.
• No limit on the size of the file. Works equally well and with the same precision on larger Workbooks too.
• Compatible with Windows 7 and all further versions, including Windows 11.

How do we ensure 100% peace of mind and money protection for our users?

• Free Download of Stellar Repair for Excel lets you preview your recoverable files. 

• So, you can purchase a license for the tool only once you’re guaranteed that your data will be recoverable. 
• Plus, even if (in the rare case) your data can’t be repaired even though it was shown in the preview, you can request a refund.