excel startup problem

Question

I used excel with no problems. Then i went back into it to amend something. But now it comes up with and error, i get the option to repair but nothing happens when I click it. so now I'm locked out of excel which i always save to two locations.

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Moved from: Microsoft Edge | Speed and responsiveness | Windows 11

Answer 1

Hi, I'm John! I will help you with this.

To help narrow down the issue:

1. May I know what troubleshooting steps have you already taken? This will help me avoid recommending them again.

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In the meantime, if you haven’t already:

I recommend starting with a repair of Office, it often clears up problems like this. Here’s Microsoft’s step-by-step guide: "Repair an Office application" https://support.microsoft.com/office/repair-an-office-application-7821d4b6-7c1d-4205-aa0e-a6b40c5bb88b#id0ebd=windows_11

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If repairing doesn’t solve it:

• Could you let me know your exact Windows version? You can quickly check by pressing Windows key + R, typing winver, and pressing Enter.
• Also, please let me know what type of Office subscription you’re using (Microsoft 365, Office 2021, etc.), that will help us figure out the right next steps.

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Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.

Answer 2

It sounds like you're experiencing an issue with Excel not starting properly. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Repair Office: Since the repair option didn't seem to work when you clicked it, you might want to try repairing Office through the Control Panel. Here’s how:
   • Open the Control Panel.
   • Under Programs, click on "Uninstall a program."
   • Find Microsoft 365 in the list, click it, and then select "Change."
   • Choose "Online Repair" and follow the prompts.
   • You may need to restart your computer after the repair process is completed.
2. Safe Mode: You can try starting Excel in Safe Mode to see if the issue persists. To do this:
   • Close Excel completely.
   • Press and hold the Ctrl key and then start Excel. You should see a prompt asking if you want to start in Safe Mode. Click "Yes."
   • If Excel starts in Safe Mode, there may be an add-in or other issue causing the problem.
3. Check for Multiple Instances: Open Task Manager and check if there are multiple instances of Excel running. If so, close them and try to reopen Excel.
4. Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to access the files and folders where you are trying to save your work.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider creating a new user account or reinstalling Office as a last resort.

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References:

• "Microsoft Excel has encountered a problem and needs to close" when starting Excel for Mac
• "Excel cannot complete this task with available resources" error occurs in Excel 2010