Excel is a versatile data-handling program thousands use worldwide for various purposes. However, Excel users frequently experience problems with Excel files, such as the Excel not responding error. This is highly bothersome because it prohibits you from completing your tasks. So, this post will assist you in resolving Microsoft Excel not responding and Excel freezing issues in Excel on Windows 11/10 PC. It discusses some practical ways to repair Excel.
Why is Excel not responding?
Excel may suddenly stop responding, freeze, or crash for various causes. This can happen when you save a spreadsheet or open an Excel document. It can also happen while altering or inserting photos, graphs, etc. However, it frequently happens when the system crashes or shuts down unexpectedly while you are working on a document.
The following are some possible explanations for why Microsoft Excel is not responding:
- You have not upgraded Excel to the most recent version.
- Other apps are interfering with your Excel.
- The add-ins are hampering your application.
- System issues are causing the files to be corrupted.
Fix Microsoft Excel When It’s Not Responding
So, now you have learned about the causes of Microsoft Excel not responding, let us move on to the solutions to fix this problem:
- Automate Safe Mode Troubleshooting
- Manually Perform Safe Mode Troubleshooting
- Repair Microsoft Office Programs
- Examine for Errors and Disable Excel Add-Ins
- Reinstall Microsoft Office
You should have admin access to execute these steps.
1] Automate Safe Mode Troubleshooting
Running Excel in safe mode skips past functionality and settings like alternative startup location, modified toolbars, startup files used by Excel, Excel add-ins, and most COM add-ins. While add-ins can improve your experience, they can sometimes interfere with or clash with Excel. In this method, you will learn how to automate safe mode troubleshooting using the Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.
In most circumstances, the Recovery Assistant will edit the registry and relocate files from Excel’s startup directories. Before running the Assistant, make a backup of the registry and all files in Excel’s starting directories so that you may restore the registry and backed-up files if a problem arises. So, you can start safe mode troubleshooting by downloading Microsoft Support and Recovery and then running the assistant.
Once the troubleshooter starts, it will prompt you with multiple questions to narrow down the issue. In general, the Excel Crash Troubleshooter automates safe mode troubleshooter Launches Excel in safe mode, Disables COM add-ins, Turns off Excel add-ins, Transfers files from Excel’s startup folders, and changes the name of custom toolbar files (.xlb).
2] Manually Perform Safe Mode Troubleshooting
You can manually perform safe mode troubleshooting if you cannot install and use Assistant. This is how:
- Press the Windows + R keys, type the following command, and press Enter.
Excel /safe
This will automatically open Excel in Safe Mode. If it still crashes, check out the rest of the fixes below.
3] Repair Microsoft Office Programs
A corrupted or damaged Microsoft Office can cause the issue of Excel not responding. Repairing the Microsoft Office files will solve the problem.
Follow the steps given below to repair the Standalone version of Microsoft Office:
- Right-click on the Windows logo and the bottom left corner of your screen and choose Apps and Features.
- Type office into the Apps list search bar.
- Next, click on the three-dots menu next to Microsoft Office and Modify from the context menu. Click Yes in the User Account Control window.
- Select the Repair option in the next window and Continue to repair Microsoft Office. installation on the PC. This process will repair all the applications in Microsoft Office.
The process will take a while; after it is done, open Excel and check whether it crashes.
Follow the steps given below to repair the Microsoft 365 (Office)
There is no repair tool for this version of Office, but Microsoft offers an uninstaller, aka Office uninstall support tool. You can later install Office again.
4] Examine for Errors and Disable Excel Add-Ins
You need to manually check for errors by disabling all the add-ins and then enabling them individually to determine what is causing the problem. This is how you disable Excel add-ins in Excel:
- Click on the Files tab and click on Options.
- Click the Add-ins option on the left pane in the Excel Options window.
- Next, click on the drop-down menu next to Manage and choose the COM Add-ins option. Click Go.
- Uncheck the boxes next to the enabled add-ins and press OK to disable the add-ins. To enable them, you can check the boxes and click OK.
To remove disabled add-ins from the ribbon, you may need to restart Excel. First, disable all Excel add-ins. Then, check to see if the Excel not responding error is repaired. If the problem persists, repeat the preceding steps to disable Com add-ins.
5] Reinstall Microsoft Office
Uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Office may address the ‘Excel is not responding’ issue. To do so, perform the following steps:
- Right-click on the Windows logo and choose Apps and Features.
- Search for Microsoft Office in the App’s list, click on the three-dots menu, and choose the Uninstall option from the context menu.
- Then, to reinstall MS Office on the computer, execute the MS Office installation setup.
Conclusion
Now that you have identified the probable causes of Excel not responding, you can quickly the issue of Excel not responding. You can automate or manually perform safe mode troubleshooting, repair Microsoft Office programs, examine for errors, disable Excel add-ins, and reinstall Microsoft Office. One of these solutions will surely help you solve the issue of Microsoft Excel not responding.
What is an Excel repair tool?
An Excel repair tool is a software solution or feature to address corrupted or damaged Microsoft Excel files. Excel also has a built-in file repair feature that activates when you open a corrupted workbook, attempting to repair and recover as much data as possible.
