Excel issues when changing column or row widths

Question

I have an issue that excel file format becomes unusable when I try to change row or column widths.

If I navigate to another tab then the issue is "reset".

I have done a full online repair but the issue persists.

Answer 1

For me, the issue only occurs after using 'freeze panes' to freeze the top row.

With an active freeze, any alteration of column width causes page to render with wrong zoom amount and editing to be broken. Navigating to another worksheet and then back, restores correct zoom and editing behaviour.

Answer 2

Hi @Andrew Stevenson,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.To help you resolve this concern, could you provide me with more detailed information? I greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation. 

• Does the issue happen in all workbooks or only one specific file?
• Is the file stored locally or in OneDrive/SharePoint?
• What exactly becomes "unstable" as you described? Did Excel freeze/crash or show up an error message? If there's an error message, please share the exact wording of that error message

In the meantime, you can try using Excel safe mode to see if the issue still persists there:

• Press Windows + R to open Run dialog box and type excel /safe > press OK to run.   

• If Excel works normally, the problem is due to an add-in.    
• Then and go to File > Options > Add-ins > select Excel Add-ins > Go > uncheck all listed add-ins and click OK. Repeat the same steps with the COM add-ins 

• Restart Excel and check if the error is gone. Then re-enable the add-ins one by one and restarting Excel each time to find which one causing the error. 

Please understand that the initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".    

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 3

It sounds like you are experiencing issues with Excel where the file format becomes unusable when adjusting row or column widths. Since you've already performed a full online repair and the issue persists, here are a few steps you might consider:

1. Check for Excessive Formatting: Excessive formatting can cause performance issues in Excel. Try to eliminate any unnecessary formatting in your workbook. You can use the format cleaner add-in to help with this.
2. Remove Unused Styles: If your workbook has many styles, they can contribute to performance problems. Consider using a style cleaner tool to remove unused styles from your workbook.
3. Check for Shapes: Sometimes, hidden shapes or objects in your workbook can cause issues. Use the Selection Pane to identify and remove any unwanted shapes.
4. Conditional Formatting: Corrupted conditional formatting can also lead to issues. Try removing conditional formatting rules to see if that resolves the problem.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to consider breaking your workbook into smaller files or contacting Microsoft Support for further assistance.

---

References:

• How to clean up an Excel workbook so that it uses less memory