How to Fix the Refresh Recommended Excel Error: 5 Effective Solutions

When you open Excel files on a PC that are shared via Teams or SharePoint, you may encounter an error message stating, “Refresh Recommended: A newer version of this file is available on the server.”This error gives you two choices: Save a Copy or Discard Changes. However, saving a copy is often impractical, and discarding changes may lead to an endless loop!

This issue typically arises when using Excel’s desktop application, whereas the web version does not encounter this error for shared files among multiple users. The “Refresh Recommended”Excel error generally stems from issues such as a corrupt cache, incorrect file path, misconfigured settings, or even a problem with the Office installation.

Before exploring potential solutions, ensure your network connection is stable and check for slow Internet speeds. If possible, consider switching to a wired connection for better reliability.

How can I fix the Refresh Recommended Excel error?

1. Clear the OfficeFileCache folder

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer. Then, paste the following path into the address bar and hit Enter : %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache\0\0
2. Individually navigate into each folder listed here.
3. Select all files by pressing Ctrl + A , then press Delete to clear them.
4. Choose the appropriate response if a confirmation prompt appears.
5. Reopen Excel to check if the file still shows the Refresh Recommended error.

You can also clear the Office file cache from Excel by navigating to File > More > Options > Save > Delete cached files.

However, manually deleting cache files has shown to be more effective when dealing with the Excel Refresh Recommended error and when the Discard Changes option is ineffective.

2. Rename the affected file(s)

Renaming the file has served as a successful workaround for 2 out of 5 users. Simply add a character to the file’s name.

For example, if the file is named WindowsReport, you can rename it to WindowsReport1 or WindowsReportA to potentially resolve the Excel Refresh Recommended error.

3. Change Excel’s cache settings

1. Open Excel, click on the File menu, select More from the bottom left, and then choose Options.
2. Go to the Save tab on the left pane, and check the box for Delete files from the Office Document Cache when they are closed.
3. Click OK to save the changes, then restart your PC to see if the issue is resolved.

4. Repair Microsoft Office

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Locate Microsoft 365 in the list of programs, and click on Change.
3. Click Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
4. Select Quick Repair and click the Repair button.
5. After the process completes, check if the Refresh Recommended error is resolved.
6. If the issue persists, re-open the repair tool and select the Online Repair option.

If you continue to encounter the Excel or SharePoint Refresh Recommended error indicating that a newer version of this file is available on the server, there might be issues with the Office installation itself, and performing a repair can rectify the situation!

5. Create a new copy of the file

If the Refresh Recommended error is affecting only one or a few specific Excel files shared via Teams or SharePoint, a workaround is to recreate these files.

To do this, open the problematic Excel file and a new file in your browser, copy the contents from the old file to the new one, save it, and then access the new file on your PC.

This workaround is only practical when a limited number of files are involved. For widespread issues, it’s essential to investigate and resolve the underlying causes of the Excel Refresh Recommended error.

Which solution worked for you? Share your experiences in the comments section!

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