If Excel isn’t responding, freezes, or hangs when you launch it, there can be one or more causes behind the issue.
This guide explains the troubleshooting steps that resolve the most common Excel not working issues.
How to Fix Microsoft Excel Not Working
Work through these steps in order to resolve the issue.
Here’s how to fix it:
Open Excel in Safe Mode
Hold the Ctrl key while opening Excel to launch it in Safe Mode. This bypasses add-ins and certain settings that could be causing the problem, helping you narrow down the cause.
Install the latest Office updates
Most Office problems come from outdated files, so keep Office and Windows fully updated. Also make sure Excel isn’t being used by another Office program at the same time — check the status bar for this, and try opening one Office program at a time.
Disable add-ins
Add-ins can enhance your experience, but they can also intermittently cause Excel not working issues. Try running Excel without add-ins to see if that resolves the problem.
Restart Excel completely
Close Excel fully and reopen it. On Windows 8: press the Windows key, type “run,” open it, type excel /safe, and click OK. On Windows 7: click Start, type “excel /safe” in the search programs and files box, and press Enter. This clears temporary glitches without needing a reinstall.
Check your antivirus software
Outdated antivirus software can sometimes conflict with Excel and cause it to malfunction. Make sure your antivirus is fully updated as well.
Still Not Resolved?
If you’re still not able to resolve this error, we suggest chatting with our experts — they’ll give you the best solutions to resolve it completely. Our experts are here to assist you — Chat with a specialist — for more technical support.
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FAQ
What causes Excel to freeze or stop responding?
It’s usually caused by outdated Office files, a conflicting add-in, the file being open in another Office program, or outdated antivirus software.
How do I open Excel in Safe Mode?
Hold the Ctrl key while opening Excel, or run it with the /safe switch (excel /safe) via the Run dialog — this launches Excel without loading add-ins.
Should I disable add-ins if Excel keeps crashing?
Yes, it’s worth testing. Disable add-ins one at a time and restart Excel after each to identify which one is causing the issue.
Can antivirus software cause Excel to malfunction?
Yes. Outdated antivirus software can conflict with Excel — keeping it updated helps prevent this kind of conflict.
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