Recover corrupt excel file using Python

convert_excel.py

# Changing the data types of all strings in the module at once
from __future__ import unicode_literals
# Used to save the file as excel workbook
# Need to install this library
from xlwt import Workbook
# Used to open to corrupt excel file
import io

filename = r'SALEJAN17.xls'
# Opening the file using 'utf-16' encoding
file1 = io.open(filename, "r", encoding="utf-16")
data = file1.readlines()

# Creating a workbook object
xldoc = Workbook()
# Adding a sheet to the workbook object
sheet = xldoc.add_sheet("Sheet1", cell_overwrite_ok=True)
# Iterating and saving the data to sheet
for i, row in enumerate(data):
    # Two things are done here
    # Removeing the '\n' which comes while reading the file using io.open
    # Getting the values after splitting using '\t'
    for j, val in enumerate(row.replace('\n', '').split('\t')):
        sheet.write(i, j, val)
    
# Saving the file as an excel file
xldoc.save('myexcel.xls')

Hello @jerilkuriakose I don't if I can ask this here, but do you have any idea why am I getting:
------> data = file1.readlines()
UnicodeError: UTF-16 stream does not start with BOM

Thank you.

I replace line 11 with:
file1 = io.open(filename, "r", encoding="iso-8859-1")
then worked for me

iso-8859-1

Thank you so much @yvelezr.

iso-8859-1

Thank you so much @yvelezr.

You´re welcome

Hello @jerilkuriakose, I'm using this code but it raise the following error: 'utf-16-le' codec can't decode bytes in position 86-87: illegal encoding

Do you have any idea how I can fix this error?

Hello! I have tried everything recommended here. but it throws an error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "...venv\main.py", line 12, in
data = file1.readlines()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "", line 322, in decode
File "C:\Program Files\Python311\Lib\encodings\utf_16.py", line 61, in
_buffer_decode
codecs.utf_16_ex_decode(input, errors, 0, final)
UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf-16-le' codec can't decode bytes in position 4-5: illegal encoding

any ideas?

Many thanks

Hello! I have tried everything recommended here. but it throws an error:

Traceback (most recent call last): File "...venv\main.py", line 12, in data = file1.readlines() ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "", line 322, in decode File "C:\Program Files\Python311\Lib\encodings\utf_16.py", line 61, in _buffer_decode codecs.utf_16_ex_decode(input, errors, 0, final) UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf-16-le' codec can't decode bytes in position 4-5: illegal encoding

any ideas?

Many thanks

Did you ever find a solution?

Hello @jerilkuriakose, I'm using this code but it raise the following error: 'utf-16-le' codec can't decode bytes in position 86-87: illegal encoding

Do you have any idea how I can fix this error?

Did you ever find a solution?