How to Compress Excel File Size without Deleting? Best Techniques

Approved By Anuraag Singh

Published On December 4th, 2025

Reading Time 8 Minutes Reading

Category Excel File, How to

Are you also struggling with large Excel files and want to compress them to manage? You are not alone. Multiple professionals want to organize their large Excel files easily, but they don’t know the exact way. Don’t worry, this blog has all the answers to your queries. Here, we have added the best manual methods and expert solutions to compress Excel file size without opening or deleting anything.

Large Excel files can quickly become a headache, whether you are working with financial data or analyzing and managing data using complex formulas and formatting. And due to this, your Excel’s performance goes down, and also it makes the sharing process with others difficult through email or any cloud platform.

However, you can handle this situation by compressing and reducing the Excel file size without opening or deleting any data. All the methods with proper information are mentioned below. Before starting the Excel file compressor process, let’s understand how an Excel file becomes too large.

Why are Users Required to Reduce Excel File Size Without Opening?

Before knowing the Excel file compressor process, let’s understand the reasons for better knowledge:

Old Excel Format: Maybe your Excel file is saved in XLS, which is a heavier format than modern formats like XLSX and XLSB.
Empty Rows and Columns: It might be that your file contains unwanted and empty rows and columns, which increases the file size.
Images and Objects: Maybe your file contains high size of images, charts, or shapes.
Excessive Formatting: Sometimes unnecessary formatting’s like bold, colors, borders, and conditional formatting, can increase the size.

These are the basic but major reasons that bring the situation to compress Excel file size. Let’s start the Excel size reducer process.

How to Compress Excel File Size without Opening?

Yes, we can reduce Excel file size by changing the file extension, splitting the file into small parts, removing unused formatting, using compressed images, clearing hidden data, saving data in .zip format, etc.

All methods with working steps are given below one by one. Read them first and then start the process. Let’s start with the expert solution:

Excel Size Reducer Tool without Deleting Rows/Columns

If you don’t want to delete any data, rows, or columns, then you should download the SysTools Excel Splitter Tool. This software is the perfect and reliable way to compress Excel file size without even deleting any data.

It allows users to split by size, rows, and sheet in bulk without taking too much time, and also without following steps again and again for each file. Download the free version of this amazing tool to reduce Excel file size.

Now, let’s start with the manual methods for the Excel file compressor.

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Why Splitter Over Excel File Compressor?

If you are confused, why not shrink your file size? Then, here is an explanation of why you should divide your large data files.

Most users try to reduce Excel file size using compressors, but the reduction process has some limitations. Means that if you compress the size, it will remove formatting, images, or unnecessary data. But it cannot reduce the number of rows in your Excel file.

And MS Excel has a fixed row limit of 1,048,576 rows per sheet, and if your file exceeds this limit, then the Excel file compressor process will not work. So, it is better to divide your large files for better management.

Method 1: Save in Modern Formats

If your file is saved in XLS format, then try to save it in the new modern format called XLSX and XLSB.

Open your XLS file.
Choose the “File” tab.
Select the “Save As” option.
Choose the modern format from “File Type”.
Select the location and save it locally.

Method 2: Delete Rows and Columns

If your file is storing empty rows and columns, then try to delete them to compress Excel file size by following the given steps:

Open your Excel file.
Select the unwanted rows and columns.
Right-click and choose “Delete.”
And save the file again.

Method 3: Compress Images to Compress Excel File Size

In case your Excel file has images and media, then compressing them would be a good option to reduce Excel file size without deleting rows and columns.

Select the “Image”.
Choose the “Picture Format”.
And select the “Compress” button.
And your image is successfully compressed.

Method 4: Clear Hidden Data for Excel Size Reducer

Select the whole sheet.
Right-click and choose the “Unhide” option.
And now you can delete unnecessary rows and columns.

Method 5: Save File as Zip Format

If you don’t have a long time working with your Excel file, and it is taking up too much storage space on the machine, then you can save it in a Zip format for an Excel file compressor:

Locate the Excel file.
Right-click on it.
And now choose the “Compress To” option.
After that, select the “Zip” icon.
Finally, your file is compressed.

Limitations of All Manual Methods

All methods required to open the following steps to compress Excel file size.
You can’t reduce the size of multiple spreadsheets at the same time.
Multiple steps make the process lengthy and time-consuming.
Also, there is no guarantee that these methods will work.
If you go with the deletion method, then there is a high chance of an accidental deletion situation.

Method 6: Excel File Compressor Tool for Large Data Files

As we mentioned, if you don’t want to delete any data from Excel spreadsheet and wants to reduce the file size, then you should go for the automatic solution. Because it allows users for Excel file size compressor without opening data file. It’s a first choice of users and experts, because it comes with amazing and advanced features and capabilities. All working steps and features are explained below with proper information:

Why Should Users Choose Excel File Size Reducer Over Manual Methods?

Dual Buttons: This software provides dual options to import single and multiple Excel files and folders, so there is no need to follow the same procedure again and again.
Reduce Excel File Size without Opening: Manual methods require opening the file to compress, while the solution doesn’t need to open large Excel files.
Two-in-One Tool: Also, there is no need to purchase separate solutions, because it’s a two-in-one solution. In simple words, it can split and merge Excel files into a single workbook.
Multiple Split Options: It gives you three different split options, like by Row, by Size, and by Sheet, so that you can compress Excel file size selectively.
Select Any Location: After all choices, you can choose any location to save your output data file.
Supports all types of Excel Files: Excel application saves files in different formats like XLSX, XLS, XLSB, CSV, etc. It supports all file extensions.
Compress Excel File Size in Bulk: Also, this Excel file reducer tool has the power to compress multiple Excel files at the same time without having any restrictions.

How to Compress XLSX / XLS Files? Tool’s Steps

Step 1: Download the Excel file compressor tool and choose “Split Excel”.
Step 2: Add your single and multiple files/folders.
Step 3: Select the needed data files and choose the “Next” icon.
Step 4: Choose the “Split Options” and Location to save the file.
Step 5: Now select the “Split” and “OK” button to compress Excel file size.
Step 6: Finally, select the “View Export” icon to access the report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1: Why is my Excel file suddenly so large?

Ans: There are multiple reasons why your Excel file has suddenly become so large:

Unneeded formatting.
Hidden sheets, rows, and columns.
File containing large images.
Empty rows and columns
Heavy formatting and charts.

Q 2: Which Excel file formats are supported?

Ans: The software supports XLSX and XLS formats to compress Excel file size.

Q 3: Does the tool require Microsoft Excel installation?

Ans: No, Excel application installation is not required on your system.

Q 4: Will my Excel formulas, formatting, and data be preserved?

Ans: Yes, the Excel file compressor tool maintains the formulas, formatting, data, and structure.

Q 5: Can I compress multiple Excel files at once?

Ans: Yes, you just have to upload multiple Excel files in bulk at once without repeating the same process.

Q 6: Does the tool support password-protected Excel files?

Ans: No, if your Excel file is password-protected, then first you have to unlock it, and if you don’t know the password, then use the SysTools Excel Password Recovery Tool, and then use the mentioned solution.

Sum Up

This blog has explained the best ways to compress Excel file size without opening and deleting rows and columns. We have used almost 6 methods, including manual and expert solutions, for the Excel file reducer. 5 manual methods are better for one or two files that can be opened.

But if you have large and multiple Excel files and you don’t want to delete any data from rows and columns, then go for the expert solution. It can easily reduce Excel file size without opening and deleting simply and faster than manual methods. You can even download the free version of this solution to understand the steps.