Microsoft Project belongs to Microsoft Office family and its file format is .mpp. Sometimes, you might fail to open the .mpp file when the Microsoft Project file gets corrupted. Take it easy! This post from MiniTool Software will help you to repair it and then you can get back on track with the work.

Microsoft Project File Gets Corrupted

Microsoft Project is designed to help project managers to create schedules, manage the budget, assign resources to tasks, and analyze workloads. Some of you might find that Microsoft Project won’t open corrupted files. Corrupted project files can be a headache, but you can repair them easily with the workarounds mentioned in this article.

Suggestion: Create a Scheduled Backup with MiniTool ShadowMaker

Data loss or corruption might occur at any time and any place, so it is necessary to create a scheduled backup of important files in daily life. With a backup image in hand, you can restore your files in no time without affecting your work flow.

When it comes to backup, you can try a piece of free PC backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker. This tool is pretty easy to follow. Just with a few clicks, you can back up & restore files, folders, partitions, systems, and even the whole disk. Now, let’s see how to back up files with it:

Step 1. Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 2. In the Backup page, go to SOURCE > Folders and Files and then you can select what to backup.

choose the file you want to backup

Step 3. Go to DESTINATION to pick a storage path for the backup.

Step 4. To create a backup schedule, hit Options > toggle on Schedule Settings manually > set a specific time point of a day, week, or month as per your needs.

Schedule Settings

Step 5. Click on Back Up Now to start the process right now.

How to Restore the Corrupted MS Project File on Windows 10/11?

Fix 1: Save the Corrupted MS Projected File into XML Format

When Microsoft Project file gets corrupted, you can save it as XML file format first and then convert it into MPP format. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Open a blank project file and turn off automatic calculation.

Step 2. Select the corrupted MS file > hit File > Save as > select XML Format from the drop-down menu beside Save as type > Save.

Step 3. Close your Microsoft Project and open it again. Click on File and then hit Open.

Step 4. Select XML Format from the drop-down menu and hit the Open button.

Step 5. Save this file as a Project (.MPP) file.

Fix 2: Insert as a Subproject File in a Blank File

To repair a corrupted MS Project file, it is a good option to open this file as a subproject of another file. By doing so, you can access crucial data without directly opening the corrupted file. To do so:

Step 1. Open a new Microsoft Project file and then select the first row.

Step 2. Tap on Project > Subproject > find and select the MPP file you want to insert into the blank MS Project file.

Step 3. Untick Link to project and expand the drop-down menu of Insert and select Insert Read-Only.

Step 4. Expand the schedule to inspect if all the tasks are imported.

Step 5. Finally, remove the first row and rename the edited file.

Fix 3: Find the Previous Version of the Backup

If the current Microsoft Project file gets corrupted, you can consider looking for the previous backup version. Here’s how to check if there is such an available fallback option:

Step 1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Locate your MPP file and right-click on it to choose Properties.

Step 3. In the Previous Versions tab, select the previous version available and hit Restore.

hit Restore

Step 4. Launch the previous MPP file version to see if it is intact.

Fix There Are No Previous Versions Available & Recover Data
Fix There Are No Previous Versions Available & Recover Data

This article provides you with detailed information about how to fix the “there are no previous versions available” issue and recover data easily.

Read More

Fix 4: Repair Microsoft Office Installation

Microsoft Project file gets corrupted due to missing essential components or functions. Luckily, Microsoft Office comes with 2 types of repair tools to fix issues with this program. Heres’ how to do it:

Step 1. Open Windows Settings and go to Apps.

Step 2. In the Apps & features section, scroll down to find Microsoft Office > hit it > select Modify.

Step 3. Choose the repair method according to your need and hit the Repair button to start the process.

choose an option

Final Words

That’s all you can do when Microsoft Project file gets corrupted on Windows 10/11. At the same time, we introduce a powerful tool called MiniTool ShadowMaker to keep your data safe. Have a nice day!

  • linkedin
  • reddit