How to stop one of my Excel spreadsheets from locking up with colorful pinwheel

Question

I am using Office for Home and Business for Mac 2024 (standalone version), installed on my MacBook Pro and fully updated. I have many spreadsheets, all of which work perfectly except for one.

The problem spreadsheet often displays an icon (which hopefully appears attached above) that resembles a box with a circle containing an arrow above it, and the sides of this box can be stretched (by dragging them) to become larger.

Sometimes it is possible to press ESC and make this disappear. Other times it will change the display of the cursor from the normal black arrow into either a white cross or into what looks like four arrows pointed in different directions.

Whenever any of these things happen, attempting to enter data in any of the fields, such as typing directly in a field or attempting to copy and paste cells containing formulas to the rows below them will result in the spreadsheet becoming locked and displaying a colorful pinwheel in place of the cursor (which can be moved around with the cursor) but which usually requires a Force Quit to get out of the locked spreadsheet.

Suggestions on how to fix this please?

Answer 1

Since the problem is with only the one file all that business of removing Preference files etc. is of no value. The problem is with the file, not the program. Does it continue to be a problem after restarting the Mac?

Have you tried simply selecting the object & pressing the delete key? If that removes the object, save & close the file then see how it behaves when you reopen it.

If the issue persists please include current macOS & Office Version Numbers in your response.

Answer 2

The icon shown is the resize/rotate frame for an object (such as a shape, text box, or image). On this particular workbook, Excel for Mac is likely hanging when that object (or its formatting/add‑ins) is selected or manipulated.

Use these steps to troubleshoot and stop the pinwheel freezes for that one workbook:

1. Test whether the issue is workbook‑specific
   1. Save a copy of the problem workbook with a new name.
   2. Open another workbook and insert a simple shape or text box, then select and resize it.
   3. If only the original workbook hangs, the problem is file‑specific (content, formatting, or corruption) rather than Excel itself.
2. Remove Excel preferences (Mac) Corrupted preferences can cause freezing or odd selection behavior.
   1. Quit Excel and all other Office apps.
   2. In Finder, select Go > Home.
   3. Open Library (hold OPTION while opening the Go menu if Library is hidden).
   4. Open Preferences.
   5. Drag com.microsoft.Excel.plist to the desktop.
   6. Reopen Excel and test the problematic workbook. If the problem is resolved, move that plist file to Trash. If not, quit Excel again.
   7. Go back to Home > Library > Preferences > Microsoft and drag com.microsoft.Excel.prefs.plist to the desktop.
   8. Reopen Excel and test again.
3. Check for add‑ins or external integrations Add‑ins (for example PDF, sync, or automation tools) can cause hangs when objects are selected or edited. If any Excel add‑ins are installed, temporarily disable them and test the workbook again. If the issue disappears, re‑enable add‑ins one by one to find the culprit.
4. Test in a “clean” environment Environmental conflicts can cause Excel to hang.
   1. Close all other apps.
   2. Copy the problem workbook to the local desktop (if it is on OneDrive/SharePoint/network storage) and open the local copy.
   3. Ensure antivirus or sync tools are not actively scanning the file while editing. If the local copy works normally, keep using a local version or investigate the network/sync layer.
5. Reduce or remove problematic objects If freezes only occur when the resize/rotate frame appears:
   1. In the problem workbook, go to each sheet and delete or cut any shapes, text boxes, or images that trigger the issue.
   2. Paste them into a new blank workbook and test there.
   3. If the new workbook works fine, gradually re‑introduce content to isolate any single corrupted object.
6. Repair or reinstall Office if freezes persist across workbooks If Excel also hangs in other files after the preference reset and add‑in checks, perform an Office repair or full reinstall as described in the Excel “not responding” guidance.

If, after these steps, Excel still hangs only with that one file, the workbook is likely damaged; rebuilding it (copying data and formulas into a new workbook without copying shapes/objects in bulk) is the most reliable long‑term fix.

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References:

• "Microsoft Excel has encountered a problem and needs to close" when starting Excel for Mac
• Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working
• Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working – Perform a selective startup to determine whether a program, process, or service conflicts with Excel
• Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working – Check to see if your antivirus software is up-to-date or conflicting with Excel
• Are there known problems with Tahoe and Adobe - Microsoft Q&A
• How can I get office 365 to work? - Microsoft Q&A