Excel File got corrupted for no reason. Need help immediately!

[mahendru1992]

I've been using excel as a log file for all my attempted questions. The file basically includes date, q no, source, time taken, correct and wrong answer columns. Now I opened the file today to access those questions since my GMAT is just 2 weeks away and most of the data is GONE! Please, Please help me as I'm in dire need of that Log.
Attached here is an image of what the file looks like right now. Some weird ###### has replaced all the numbers in the Questions column and random dates in the time column.
P.S This type of corruption also happened on the 2nd day of creating the file, but I thought of it as a single incident never really cared and I re-did the log again since it was no big deal that time.

I repeat again, if somebody can please please help me recover the data, I'll be hugely grateful.

Thank you!

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[oldbrewer]

just use your last back up file and make 3 copies of it

 

[mahendru1992]

just use your last back up file and make 3 copies of it

I don't have a backup. If I had, I would have thought of it anyways

 

[oldbrewer]

try reformatting the time column to hh:mm:ss this will tell you if it is still a time

in question number see if there is a formula in there - if not format as 0.00 to see what happens

 

[mahendru1992]

try reformatting the time column to hh:mm:ss this will tell you if it is still a time

in question number see if there is a formula in there - if not format as 0.00 to see what happens

Okay, I'll try doing that, but what about the rest of the questions. The log had around 400-500 questions. Any way to get that like maybe a software or something?

 

[oldbrewer]

have you recently Emailed a copy of this to a friend ?

did it change overnight or on opening? or were you using it when it corrupted ? do you have anti-virus ?

 

[MARK858]

When you click on a cell in the question number column what is showing in the formula bar

 

[mahendru1992]

have you recently Emailed a copy of this to a friend ?

did it change overnight or on opening? or were you using it when it corrupted ? do you have anti-virus ?

1. Well I don't know if it changed overnight or not because I was out of town for 2-3 days and didn't touch the laptop for that much amount of time.
2. I saved the file and then went on doing about something else, so I don't think it got corrupted while in use
3. Yeah I have an anti-virus. Scan the laptop regularly too
4. and i haven't emailed or given the file to my friend recently

When you click on a cell in the question number column what is showing in the formula bar

Well the strange thing is when I click on cell b5, which is the first cell of the question number column, the formula bar states this 1/1/1900 date. But the subsequent cells have almost the correct formula - +b5+1, +b6+1 etc etc.

 

[MARK858]

Try selecting the column then click data, text to columns, click next twice then make sure general is checked then click ok.

 

[MARK858]

Actually scrub that click the cell with 1/1/1900, format it as number then type a 1 in it.