How to stop Excel from automatically checking Workbook performance?

Question

Performance check??

The Excel sheet is the way I want it to look and don't want to change it for better performance. I just want Excel to stop prompting me.

Every time I open an Excel sheet, it wants me to do a performance check because of:

"Excess formatting and unneeded metadata cause large, slow workbooks. Check for improvements to performance"

So I find myself X-clicking away this message every time. Because there is no 'excess' of formatting. The Excel sheet simply is a nicely layouted workbook and we want it to be looking this way. We don't need Excel trying to outsmart us and giving this suggestion every time you open the workbook to remove information.

It is only very confusing for not-very-experienced users who also make use of my Excel sheet.

How and where can I set Excel in a way that is stops asking this unwanted question?

• The question mostly pops-up in the Web version of Office 365.
• I tried unchecking boxes in the performance check tool, in the desktop version, but to no result.

Would be lovely if someone has a workaround or knows which box needs to be un-checked.

And it would be awesome if a MS engineer helps giving priority to this problem, so that it can be switched of universally.

Answer 1

This thread shows that there are a significant number of people complaining about this. Unfortunately, this is only a user forum, we understand your problem, but we cannot do anything to fix it. Only the Excel developers can do this if they are instructed to do so.

As previously stated, this is simply a statistical problem, Microsoft must first recognize that this is a problem. Unfortunately, this is not so easy considering that more than 200,000 people work at Microsoft.

There is a feedback portal where you can cast your vote. There is already a feed on this topic, unfortunately with very few votes. I'm sure if we get as many votes as this post has been viewed, then Microsoft will react.

Anyone reading this, please follow these steps:

Click on this link:
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/89bb523d-b197-ef11-95f6-0022484d7a88

1. Sign in
2. Click the Vote button

@HanzieV:

If you mark this reply as answer, it will be the first to appear when someone views this thread. I hope we can encourage as many people as possible to draw Microsoft's attention to this problem. Unfortunately, this is all we can do for you.

Andreas.

Answer 2

In my use case, Snow Lu, optimizing the workbook with that function is not possible because the excel is a distributable to my Customers which includes formatting, to retain professionalism, which would be removed by the "optimization". This means that the pop-up is unnecessary for me, and many other MSFT customers, and is therefore a detriment to our productivity.

Answer 3

There really does need to be a way to turn that feature off.

Answer 4

So good to see that 18 months after MS techs in this thread said they were working on a way to turn off these annoying and intrusive popups trying to strip deliberately placed formatting, it is STILL a problem.

Just had the latest update, and my spreadsheets ALL popup to tell me I have reduced efficiency because I have added colour to columns to help users input, or have otherwise formatted cells to make them clear and readable. This did not happen by accident.

It was done on purpose and it is none of Microsoft's business if I choose to use the formatting they provide in the software in a particular way.

PROVIDE A WAY TO TURN OFF THE PROMPTS

Answer 5

WE WANT TO DISABLE THIS ANNOYING NOTIFICATION.