How to stop Excel files from opening in teenie tiny box (about the size of the font drop down in Excel)

Hi @PJ10004 ,

Thanks for reaching out - and I totally understand how frustrating this issue can be.

From your description and the image you attached, it looks like Excel is opening in a very minimized state, showing only the title bar with the minimize, maximize, and close buttons. This is a known issue that some users have experienced after upgrading to Windows 11.

Here are a few things you can try to fix it:

1.Resize and Close

• Open Excel.
• Manually resize the window to your preferred size (don’t maximize).
• Close Excel using the X button while holding down the Ctrl key. This can help Windows remember the window size for next time.

2.Reset Excel Window Position

• Hold down Shift and right-click the Excel icon in the taskbar.
• Select Move, then use your arrow keys to reposition the window.
• Once visible, resize it and close Excel normally.

3.Check Compatibility Settings

• Right-click the Excel shortcut or executable.
• Go to Properties > Compatibility.
• Make sure “Run this program in compatibility mode” is unchecked.

4.Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration

• Open Excel.
• Go to File > Options > Advanced.
• Scroll down to Display and check “Disable hardware graphics acceleration.”

5.Update Office and Windows

• Make sure both Office and Windows are fully updated. Sometimes these issues are resolved in newer builds.

I hope this helps you get the thing sorted out quickly!

Best regards,

Zoevi – Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist

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To Zoevi and others,

I've tried some of the recommendations but not all. I wanted to go ahead and add a couple more notes while they are fresh in my mind.

I haven't tried opening all my spreadsheets, but it's definitely happening on the four sheets I use the most.

Regarding the closing procedure while holding down CTRL key, this works temporarily. If I close the file and reopen it then it opens correctly. When I restart the computer it reverts back to opening in the smallest window possible.

Regarding updates, as far as I can tell auto updating is turned on and all Microsoft programs and operating systems are up to date.

Regarding running in Compatibility Mode, there is no "Compatibility" option in the Properties window whether I open it by right-clicking on the worksheet icon or on the Excel.exe executable.****

Regarding disabling graphics hardware acceleration, I don't see any option to enable or disable it in the location provided.****

** Image attached.

For reference this version of Excel is from the Office Personal Edition, $69/year when originally purchased in 2019 (I think). I think the official name has since changed (Office 365???). Installed and run locally (never run from the web).

This is personal PC, not corporate. I am only user and have all admin rights. Belarc Advisor software found this, which I believe is most relevant regarding version: Microsoft - 365 and Office version 16.0.19029.20076 (64-bit)

Thanks again for the help,

PJ

excel property screenshots.jpg