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Excel documents keep breaking

JVS1 5 Reputation points
2026-02-21T13:04:37.6266667+00:00

Hi All,

Recently my Excel documents started to break regularly. Once in a while, seemingly after an update which needs Excel to be restarted, Excel states that specific documents need to be repaired before being able to be opened. Consequently, specific formulas are removed and the values are simply pasted in the cells as is.

I previously used a license which a bought from a third party. It worked fines for months, but the problem started popping up about a week ago. I switched to a license bought directly from Microsoft to see if it would solve the problem, but no result.

I am using Excel for macOS. version 26.2 Tahoe. Office Home 2024, version 16.106.1,

Thanks in advance!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | MacOS
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  1. AI answer

    2026-02-21T13:04:49.8033333+00:00

    It sounds like you are experiencing issues with Excel documents becoming corrupted and requiring repair. This can happen for various reasons, including corrupted preferences or background applications interfering with Excel. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

    1. Remove Excel Preferences: Corrupted preferences can lead to issues. You can try removing the Excel preferences by following these steps:
      • Quit all Microsoft Office applications.
      • Go to the Go menu and select Home.
      • Open the Library (hold down the OPTION key if it's hidden).
      • Open Preferences and drag com.microsoft.Excel.plist to the desktop.
      • Restart Excel and check if the issue persists.
    2. Check for Background Applications: Sometimes, other applications running in the background can interfere with Excel. Make sure to quit unnecessary applications before using Excel.
    3. Repair Office: If the problem continues, consider performing an Online Repair of Office. This can fix corrupted components:
      • Close all Office apps.
      • Open Settings on your Mac, go to Apps, and find Microsoft 365.
      • Click on it and select Modify, then choose Online Repair.
      • Follow the prompts to complete the repair.
    4. Update Excel: Ensure that you are using the latest version of Excel. Sometimes, updates can resolve bugs that cause documents to break.
    5. Contact Support: If none of these methods work, you may want to reach out to Microsoft Support for further assistance.

    These steps should help you address the issues with your Excel documents. If the problem persists, it may be beneficial to look into the specific formulas or content in the documents that are causing the corruption.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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