Excel sometimes hangs when inserting or deleting lines to the same file

Question

Gregg Van Volkenburgh 0

Gregg Van Volkenburgh 0 Reputation points

2026-03-21T08:20:42.12+00:00

I believe that I have at last found the problem and solved the mess. All of the sudden, about 1 week ago any of my existing spreadsheets had in the lower left corner a small note -- "accessibility: investigate" I opened the link and found that this feature had looked at all all my spreadsheets and had made suggestions about thousands of cell colors and other visual and sensory "improvements" for people with sensory issues, who might read my sheets. After a lot of work, I got this "automatic improvement" tool disabled. Once again, some AI feature was ruining my work environment. Life is back to normal now.

2 answers

Gregg Van Volkenburgh 0 Reputation points

2026-03-21T08:20:42.12+00:00

I believe that I have at last found the problem and solved the mess. All of the sudden, about 1 week ago any of my existing spreadsheets had in the lower left corner a small note -- "accessibility: investigate" I opened the link and found that this feature had looked at all all my spreadsheets and had made suggestions about thousands of cell colors and other visual and sensory "improvements" for people with sensory issues, who might read my sheets. After a lot of work, I got this "automatic improvement" tool disabled. Once again, some AI feature was ruining my work environment. Life is back to normal now.

Answer 1

Manoel Barros 17,830 Independent Advisor

Hi! Does this problem occur only in one spreadsheet or in all spreadsheets?

Are your spreadsheets stored on OneDrive, a third-party cloud service, or your HDD/SSD?

Try creating a new spreadsheet and see if the problem occurs.

You can try an online repair if the problem occurs in all spreadsheets.

Open Windows Settings (Windows + I) > Apps > Installed Apps.
Search for "Microsoft 365" or "Microsoft Office <Year> (2019, 2021)" > Click on the 3 Dots (●●●) > Change > Online Repair > Repair.
When the repair is complete, restart your computer.

Manoel Barros 17,830 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-03-18T23:25:37.8733333+00:00

I look forward to yor feedback!

Answer 2

Use targeted troubleshooting to identify whether the hanging is caused by the workbook content, add-ins, or the environment.

Make sure Windows Update and Microsoft 365/Office are fully updated. Out-of-date components can cause hanging and freezing when editing workbooks. Follow the steps in "Update Microsoft 365 and your computer" to install all important and recommended updates.

When the hang occurs, look at the Excel status bar (bottom of the window). If it shows that Excel is processing (for example, calculating or opening another file), wait for that task to complete before inserting or deleting lines again.

Investigate the workbook’s contents Hangs during row insert/delete are often file-specific. In the problematic workbook, check for:

Formulas that reference entire columns (for example, =SUM(A:A) across many sheets).
Array formulas whose arguments have uneven ranges.
Hundreds or thousands of hidden shapes/objects or objects with zero height/width.
Excessive styles created by repeated copy/paste between workbooks.
Excessive or invalid defined names. If any of these exist, simplify the workbook (reduce full-column references, remove unused objects/styles/names) and test again.

Run Excel in Safe Mode so it bypasses most add-ins and custom startup settings. If inserting/deleting lines works normally in Safe Mode, disable or remove problematic Excel or COM add-ins in a normal session.

Ensure antivirus software is up to date.
If the antivirus integrates with Excel (for example, via an add-in), temporarily disable that Excel integration or the Excel-specific scanning feature and test again.
- Important: Changing antivirus settings can make the PC more vulnerable. Only adjust these settings if comfortable with the risk, and consider consulting the antivirus vendor for guidance.

Check environmental factors If the issue persists, test the same file under “cleaner” conditions:

File location: Copy the workbook to a local drive (e.g., Desktop or Documents) and work from there instead of a network share, SharePoint, redirected folders, Remote Desktop/Citrix, or other network/virtualized locations.
Memory: Large or complex workbooks with many formats and shapes require sufficient RAM. Verify the device meets Office system requirements.
Printers and video drivers: Excel is printer-intensive. Switch the default printer to something like “Microsoft XPS Document Writer” and test again. Also ensure video drivers are current.

If hangs continue after these steps, the cause is likely a combination of workbook complexity and environment. At that point, contact Microsoft Support for guided troubleshooting, providing details about when the hang occurs (exact action, file location, add-ins in use, and antivirus).

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