When trying to update an excel worksheet that was orignally downloaded from Quickbooks I receive an error message "This workbook has been modified. try saving the workbo

In my overv20 years of using quick books I have never been successful in modifying an existing excel, even if I closed it first.

Interesting...

When I close an exported Excel it always asks me if I want to save it and defaults to saving as a .XLSX.  And I've never had a problem reopening or editing. 

It could be the version of Excel I'm using, but what format does it try to save as when you go to save the file?

I'm having the same issue. This would be very helpful if I could get it working.

Welcome to the QuickBooks Community, @mattturner.

A few updates often fix this issue. First, let's try to update the existing excel worksheet within QuickBooks Desktop. 

Here's how: 

1. Open your QuickBooks and open a specific report. 
2. Go to the Excel button.
3. Select Update Existing Worksheet.
4. Click the Browse button to look for your existing worksheet.
5. Click Export. 

Note: QuickBooks must be open if it is the first time you update a report from Excel. Because QuickBooks automatically updates your integrated application preference. Also, it tells QuickBooks that Excel has permission to access your data. After that, you can update reports from Excel even if QuickBooks is closed.

Then, if you still encounter the same thing, follow the steps provided in this article link: Fix export to Excel issues in QuickBooks Desktop. This includes the steps in updating your QuickBooks and repairing Microsoft Office. 

Just in case you want to customize the report you generate, you can read through this article link: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/memorizing-reports/customize-reports-in-quickbooks.... 

Fill me in if you have other concerns with QuickBooks. I'm always here to help. Stay safe and take care always!

Is it possible it just will not update the spreadsheet I am trying to get it to work with?  I have downloaded into excel an Accounts Receivable aging.  The only alteration I have made is that I have added a column on the right for collection comments.  Now 10 days later I would like to update the spreadsheet numbers.  The comments don't stay with the correct account.

Thanks for joining in on the thread, cindier,

Before you export your reports to Excel, make sure your QuickBooks release version is up to date and your Microsoft Office meets the QuickBooks system requirements (You can click the other links in this article if you're using a different version of QB).

If the same thing happens, you can follow the troubleshooting steps on the article provided by DivinaMercy_N: Fix export to Excel issues in QuickBooks Desktop.

Another option is to contact our Technical Support Team about this. They can further review the issue and provide additional steps to get it working.

1. Click Help at the top menu and select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. Select Contact us and then enter that you get Reminder prompts. 
3. Select Continue. 
4. Choose either to Message an Agent or Talk to a Specialist. 

You can always get back to us if you need anything else.

Appreciate the help. This works too inconsistently and requires too much maintenance to rely on. It's a shame because it's a great feature.

make sure other than going to excel and hitting update existing file you go in and do a verify and rebuild on the company file before you try anything to do with the update

I keep getting an error that says I cant update the report. Does this work for estimates?

Hi there, @MB92.

Let me share some basic troubleshooting steps that resolve the errors in your report.

If you're referring to the estimate reports, yes you can use the Verify and Rebuild Data tools can fix the issue. 

Before performing these actions, you'll want to update QuickBooks Desktop first. This will keep the program up to date and fixes the minor issues in your company file. Here's how:
 

1. Go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Click the Update Now tab. 
3. Select Get Updates to start the download.
4. When the download finishes, restart QuickBooks.
5. Once prompted, accept the option to install the new release.

If you're still getting the same result, run the Verify and Rebuild Data tools to address the issue. 

Moreover, you can customize reports in QBDT. That way, it would be easy for you to draw the information from your company file.

The Community always has your back, so please let me know if you have any other questions. I'll be more than happy to help. Keep safe.