Excel 2016 Graphics Issue

Question

I am having a recurring problem when working within multiple excel workbooks.  The display will randomly glitch which causes all the menu items at the top to disappear (File Menu, ribbon, etc.).  At the same time, navigation within the cells themselves stops working (nothing happens when you click within cells).  Excel does not completely stop responding, however.  I can still save the workbook by hitting F12.  Likewise, you are still able to navigate the Menu's at the top, but since the display functionality disappears, you are basically guessing what you might be clicking on (obviously not a feasible state to be working in).  This problem is always fixed by closing out all of the open excel instances and re-opening excel.

This glitch is very frustrating, especially when i am having to reference, look up data in several excel workbooks at the same time.

Is this a known issue, and is Microsoft working to patch this?  Or is there something that is possibly happening in the background on my PC?

Current Specs:

Dell Latitude E7450

i7 Processor, 8GB RAM

Windows 10 Professional

Answer 1

We now have quite a few Windows 10 machines (laptops/desktops) with Office 2016 which do exactly the same thing.

I can see no common cause between each, disabling hardware acceleration seems to make it happen less.

A workaround I have found which users can also do when there is no IT Support :-), change the screen resolution down a step, apply, then change it back which forces a screen refresh and Excel starts to work again.

Answer 2

We are also experiencing the same problem with no resolution thus far.  Windows 10 Office 2016 (office 365).

The ribbon disappears, click on file tab nothing is there, trying to click on a cell will come up with a brief content and disappear.

What we concluded was it might be graphics drivers issue. This was after we thought it could be specific to a few excel spreadsheets with links to other workbooks in sharepoint/onedrive. The user has informed us that this happens everyday especially when attached to an external monitor.

However, what we have done is just leave the laptop/PC for a few minutes (usually 3 mins+).  After a while, excel will be back to normal.

We are going to record the issue next time as well as using process/file explorer and monitoring tools

Answer 3

Also, this. I'm sure it's the same error:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office\_2016-excel/excel-2016-crashes-often/a229a0a2-494e-4cdc-8644-b5f0ef5d43c4

Answer 4

I'm here to report that the exactly same problem is happening with two clients' Notebooks on a network since an upgrade to Windows 10 (clean install) last week.

Both are HP ProBook 640, with Windows 10 and Office 2016 64-bits (CTR, Deferred Channel 6741.2048).

I think this is related to this error, or maybe is the same error:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office\_2016-excel/excel-2016-office-365-user-interface-gui-freezes/6925f6c4-9b7c-481d-8df2-ca45d2cc05bd?page=4

I'm pausing Windows 10 upgrade on all my clients (250+- machines on different networks) because of this and other errors.

Answer 5

Hi Willis,

A quick question before we proceed.

Is the issue specific to Excel? What happens with the other Office applications?

Let’s restart the computer and then open the Excel in Safe Mode again and check if it helps.

To do that, press the ‘Windows + R’ key on the keyboard.

In the Run open box type in ‘Excel /Safe’ and hit ok.

Note: There is a space between Excel and /. 

If application safe mode works, try disabling the add-ins associated with Office applications and check.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-in/access-help/view-manage-and-install-add-ins-in-office-programs-HA010354315.aspx

Try the suggestions and let us know the result at your earliest convenience.

Thank you.