It sounds like you are experiencing a frustrating issue with Excel not responding when opening downloaded files. Since you've already tried several troubleshooting steps, here are a few additional suggestions that might help:
- Check for Updates: Ensure that your Microsoft 365 is fully updated. Sometimes, updates can resolve underlying issues.
- Disable Add-ins: Since you mentioned trying safe mode, you might want to check if any add-ins are causing the problem. Disable all add-ins and see if the issue persists.
- Repair Disk Permissions (Mac): If you are using Excel on a Mac, consider using the Repair Disk Permissions feature in Disk Utility to troubleshoot permissions problems.
- Test with a New User Profile: Create a new user profile on your computer and try opening the files from there. This can help determine if the issue is related to your user profile.
- Check for Conflicting Software: Sometimes, other software running on your computer can conflict with Excel. Try closing unnecessary applications and see if that helps.
- Use Task Manager: If Excel is not responding, open Task Manager and check if there are multiple instances of Excel running. Close any extra instances before trying to open your file again.
If none of these solutions work, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance.
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