can not open ms xls file

i'm using mac os 10.3.5 and ms excel 10.1.4. i created a new xls maybe a couple days ago. worked on it some the next couple days. now, i go to open it, and all i get is the excel toolbar. any suggestions would be most welcome, as now, my work is gone, and yep, didn't back it up yet. thank you and best regards, kayakjack

forgot to add - any previous xls appears to open fine, no problems with those, but not with this new one. thanks again.

Back in Finder check the size of the File anything < 2k the contents are gone.

If it is bigger try a Save As...

hello kaveman - thank you for your reply.

why does that happen re: your first sentence (< 2K)?

the file is 28kb.

I am attempting a save as and will advise.

thank you again.

best regards,

kayakjack

addendum to response to kaveman - although the tool bars are there, but the file itself isn't, the save as option is greyed out so i can not save as

often you can tell if a file has any contents by the size of it.

2k is basically an empty file, so 28kb doesn't hold much hope.