File viewable in preview but not when you open it.

[AJW1100]

Not come across this one before. My wife's computer for some reason will not show the file contents when the file is opened. (Was okay this morning) If you right click the file it previews the file as normal. When you click to open the file all you see is the ribbon but no contents. The screen below the ribbon is just a blank.
I used her backup to open it on her PC but got the same result, viewable in preview not when opened.
I then re saved the file on her backup to NEW (File) using my PC and tried to open it on her PC, same error. I can open the original and my NEW copy on my PC with no problems.
I can only assume she may have hit a wrong key but I have no idea where to start looking and don't want to make matters worse.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Not quite at divorce level, yet...

 

[Micron]

The wb may have accidentally been saved as hidden. Did you check this out on the Unhide Window option on the ribbon view tab?

 

[AJW1100]

Thank you. The file is not hidden, I think it is something to do with compatibility mode. Not sure how but I did get the file to open but although I could access the data I could not access the ribbon. I clicked on file and noticed the button compatibility mode was visible. I then tried Save As > 'Excel workbook' and hit enter it seems to have worked but now there is the text 'Excel non commercial use' on the top of the ribbon. We are using Excel Office 2010. So not sure what non commercial use refers to.
Her files are mostly originally in 97- 2003 format.

 

[Micron]

Have never seen that and can only guess that much older files never had a ribbon (before 2007?) so maybe you don't get a full ribbon with them. You might have a command bar structure hiding within the QAT:

In case you're not familiar with the QAT, it is the portion at the top where you see icons that I have placed there that run vba code. Those would be the fill bucket, % icon, telephone receiver, etc. See if you have the old command bars in there.
P.S. to get that shortcut menu, right click on a tab name.

 

[AJW1100]

All seems to be functioning correctly, . I went through all her Excel files and found some saved with the set print area still active and a circular reference error. Fixed these and the messed up file was working again.
I will look through them and again and save all as xlsx files.
Thank you and apologies for the hassle

 

[Micron]

No apologies necessary. Your thread may help someone in the future. Perhaps mark your last post as a solution?

 

[AJW1100]

Thanks, I now know what the tick in the circle to the right does !
The wife is delighted and I am in her good books, until tomorrow anyway..