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cannot close excel even when open new fresh excel file.

Anonymous
2025-07-11T10:12:08+00:00

I cannot close excel even when open new fresh excel file.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-07-14T07:17:25+00:00

    Hi Doddy Sidharta Basudewa, 

    Is there any update on this thread? If the issue has been resolved, please mark the helpful replies as answers. This helps others in the community facing similar problems. Thanks for your understanding.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-07-11T10:34:15+00:00

    Hi Doddy Sidharta Basudewa, 

    I hope you're having a great day! 

    Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community. 

    When Excel refuses to close even after opening a fresh workbook, it’s often caused by a hidden modal dialog, DDE settings, problematic add-ins, or display glitches. Here are several steps you can try to resolve: 

    1. Check for Hidden Dialog Boxes 

    Sometimes Excel is waiting for a response to a hidden prompt (e.g., “Save changes?”, macro error, or add-in message). 

    • Press Alt + Tab to cycle through open windows and check for any hidden dialog boxes.
    • Press Esc or Enter to dismiss or respond to the prompt.
    • Return to Excel and try closing it again.

    2. Disable “Ignore Other Applications That Use DDE” 

    If this setting is enabled, Excel may not respond properly when closing. 

    • Go to File > Options > Advanced
    • Scroll to the General section
    • Uncheck “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)”
    • Click OK and restart Excel

     

    3. Start Excel in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins 

    Faulty add-ins can cause Excel to hang. 

    • Hold Ctrl while launching Excel, or press Windows + R, type excel /safe, and hit Enter
    • If Excel closes normally in Safe Mode, the issue is likely due to an add-in
    • Go to File > Options > Add-ins
    • Select COM Add-ins and click Go…
    • Uncheck suspicious add-ins and click OK
    • Restart Excel normally and test again

    4. Use Keyboard Shortcuts or Taskbar Options 

    • Press Alt + F4 to close the active Excel window
    • If multiple workbooks are open in one window, use Ctrl + W to close individual files
    • Right-click the Excel icon on the taskbar and select Close window

    5. Update and Repair Office 

    For detailed guidance, refer to Microsoft’s official documentation: 

    How to update Microsoft 365 or Office for Windows - Microsoft Support 

    Repair an Office application - Microsoft Support 

    If the information above is helpful, kindly mark it as an answer. This will also assist others in the community who may have similar questions complexity. 

    If the issue continues, feel free to message me again. I’m here to help! 

    Sincerely, 
    Rin-L MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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