excel wont open

Question

When I try to open a file in excel it tells me to sign in. I type my email and then it says I have no internet connection. Obviously, I do. I am here! HELP!

Answer 1

Hi Larry,

It seems like the AADClient isn't working, which facilitates the sign-in into Windows.

Can you try this: In Windows Search, type in PowerShell, right-click on it, and then choose Run as administrator. Run:

Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin* | Reset-AppxPackage

Also in an elevated CMD the following:

RunDll32.exe InetCpl.cpl,ResetIEtoDefaults

Good luck!

Answer 2

The Excel sign-in prompt saying there is no internet connection, even though the internet works, is typically caused by a problem with the Office/Windows sign-in components rather than the network itself.

Try these steps in order:

1. Restart Microsoft account services (Windows)
   1. Press Windows key + R.
   2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
   3. In the list, find Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant.
      • Right-click it and select Restart.
   4. Find Microsoft Cloud Identity Service.
      • Right-click it and select Restart.
   5. Close the Services window and try opening Excel and signing in again.
2. Check for Windows update that fixes sign-in issues
   1. Open Settings → Windows Update.
   2. Check for updates and specifically look for any out-of-band update that addresses Microsoft account sign-in issues (for example, an update similar to KB5085516 in the referenced case).
   3. Install all pending updates.
   4. Restart the PC and try Excel again.
3. Repair Office (if sign-in still fails)
   1. Close all Office apps.
   2. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
   3. Find Microsoft 365 (or Office) in the list.
   4. Select the three dots → Modify.
   5. Choose Online Repair and confirm.
   6. Let the repair complete and then restart the PC.
   7. Open Excel and try to sign in again.

If the problem persists after these steps, contact Microsoft Support for additional troubleshooting, as the issue may be deeper in Windows authentication.

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References:

• MS365 products not signing in as even when internet connection is available - Microsoft Q&A
• Cannot sign in to Office apps - error 0x800704cf - Windows authentication broken - Microsoft Q&A
• 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