Excel 2013 Opens In Extreme Minimized Window

Question

When I open Excel 2013, it opens in a minimized window that is no bigger than the size of a tab.  It does it with new or existing workbooks.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Tony

Answer 1

Hi Tony,

Thank you for replying.

Try the steps below and check the result:

Step 1:

Open Excel in safe mode and check if the issue occurs:

· Hold Windows key + R.

· Copy and paste, or type the following command in the Open box, and then press Enter:

Excel /safe

Note: There is space between Excel and**/**

If it works fine in Excel safe, then try to disable the add-ins associated with Excel 2013 program and check the result.

· Click on File menu, Options and then Add-ins.

· Click on Go button besides Manage: Com-in Add.

· Check if there are add-ins listed, clear the checkbox to disable them.

Step 2:

If the issue still persists check if Excel if running compatibility mode:

· Browse to the location mentioned below:

· C:\Program Files or programs files (X86)\Microsoft Office\Office15

Or C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\Office15

· Right click on Excel.exe<Properties<Compatibility

· Uncheck the box Run this Program in Compatibility Mode.

· Click on Apply and Ok.

Let us know the result.

Thank you.

Answer 2

This problem drove me up the wall until I found this article, it has step by step instructions using the size button to fix it.

http://spacecitytech.com/blog/how-to-fix-excel-2013-opening-a-thin-minimized-window/

This worked for me, and I havent had the problem since.

Answer 3

Hi

My Win 7 PC rebooted after an MS update and now all Excel sheets have this issue.  I don't use macros, but having recently upgraded from Office 2003 am running all spreadsheets in compatibility mode (is that a default?)

Not impressed with having this problem seeing as it was identified months ago...

I have now opened Excel in safe mode, opened a spreadsheet and then closed it without saving.  Closed safe mode and then re-opened Excel 2013.  The "restore down" action now restores the spreadsheet to a size that can be re-sized and not as extreme minimised, so that is a fix for me.

Answer 4

Hi Deepa,

Thanx for the feedback.  I've tried all of the steps you suggested but the issue re-appears. 

One thing I've noticed is that mail merges with Word 2013 seem to "trigger" something that makes the problem appear or reappear.  I've typically had the problem on my desktop.  A couple days ago I tried a mail merge on my laptop for the first time since 2013, and excel opened up as described above.

I've done the dragging, resizing, ctrl-exit, ctrl-close from the title bar and any other tricks I could find on the web.

One thing that has been consistent, when it does open minimized, it always opens in the same position on the screen - about two inches down from top of the screen and two inches in from the left edge of the screen.

Thanx,

Tony

Answer 5

This sounds really basic but it worked as I too was having this issue that when you open an excel file it is minimized.  Even after maximizing it, moving the sheet to my second monitor minimized it again.

So when the file is minimized, instead of right-clicking the corner and selecting Maximize or any other options, scroll over the minimized window towards the bottom right corner.  You should see an arrow allowing you to adjust.  Drag the arrow as much as you can.  By doing that, no other files open in that minimized view for me.  Try it and let me know.

Replying to:

Has Anyone Found a Real solution to this problem yet? 

I have the same issue, and though you can work around it, it is very annoying when it was never an issue in previous releases.   I have tried saving the old files in the new format, nothing seems to resolve this.  It seems random, as I can open a file, maximize it, close it and then it opens fine, go to open the same file a day later and it opens extreme minimized