new users on excel

Question

Our I. T. guy added new users on the computer

but they cannot get into the excel program. How can we fix this?

Answer 1

Hi @Lettie Ford,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concern. I understand how disruptive this is, especially when the accounts were just created and users need Excel right away. To narrow down what’s blocking access, could you please share the details below:

1. Does Excel fail to launch at all, or does it open in “View Only” mode?
2. What is the exact error message shown (wording and any error code)?
3. Does the issue happen when opening Excel itself, or only when opening a specific workbook?
4. Do the affected users have a Microsoft 365 license assigned that includes the desktop apps (Excel), or are they unlicensed?

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

Answer 2

New Windows user accounts often can’t use Excel if Office isn’t fully set up for them or if the installation is damaged.

Try these steps in order for one of the new users while signed in with that user account:

1. Confirm Excel actually starts
   • Have the user click Start → search for Excel and open it directly (not by double‑clicking a file).
   • If Excel opens to a blank screen or crashes, continue with repair steps below.
2. Repair the Office installation (recommended when multiple users are affected)
   Perform an Online Repair of Office from an account with admin rights on the PC:
   1. Close all Office apps for all users.
   2. Open Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program.
   3. Select Microsoft 365 (or Office) → Change.
   4. Choose Online Repair → Repair and let it complete.
   5. Restart the computer.
   6. Log in as one of the new users and try Excel again.
3. If Excel opens but files don’t open correctly
   For each new user, reset file associations so Excel is the default for Excel files:
   • Right‑click an Excel file (for example, .xlsx) → Properties.
   • On General, next to Opens with, select Change → choose Excel.
   • Check Always use this app and select OK.
4. If Excel still fails to start for a specific user
   • Have that user try starting Excel in Safe Mode (from Run: excel /safe) and disable any add‑ins if it opens.
   • If Excel works for some Windows accounts but not others, the IT admin may need to recreate the problematic Windows user profile.

If these steps don’t resolve the issue, the IT admin should follow the full Office repair guidance and, if needed, contact Microsoft support from the affected device.

---

References:

• Troubleshoot opening a blank screen when you double-click a file icon or file name in Excel
• "An error occurred when sending commands to the program" in Excel
• Excel opens to a blank screen
• How to troubleshoot startup problems in Excel 2013
• When I open an excel file it shows - We're sorry, but excel has run into an error that is preventing it from working correctly, Excel will need to be closed as a result. would you like us to repair now? then shows the option "repair now","help","close" - Microsoft Q&A