Why do I see "The file could not be accessed" when I try to open an Excel file?

Problem

Opening a Questionnaire or BidTable Excel sheet outside of Bonfire prompts the user with an error message from Microsoft Excel:

Cause

This is often caused by a long file name and may present a further issue if saved as a compressed file (i.e., if the file was downloaded by clicking Download All Files). 

Solution(s)

Option 1: If the file presents a "read-only" document, click on "File", "Save As", and give your file a new name before hitting "Save". We recommend saving this new version in a different location so that there is no confusion between files, and delete the original file. 

Option 2: Rename the saved file to a shorter filename prior to saving it.