Complaint Regarding Excel File Performance in OneDrive

Question

Subject: Complaint Regarding Excel File Performance in OneDrive

Dear Team,

We are facing an issue with some Excel files stored in OneDrive. When we open certain Excel files, it takes around 2–5 minutes for the data to load and display. Even after opening the file, making or saving edits takes considerable time.

I verified the same Excel files by opening them through Google Drive/Google Sheets, and they are working properly without any delay.

Kindly check the OneDrive/Excel synchronization or performance issue and resolve it at the earliest.

Please let us know if you need any additional details or specific file links for investigation.

Regards, [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]

Answer 1

Hello ITSUPPORT-SMARTKIDS,

Thank you for providing the details regarding the performance of your Excel files stored in OneDrive.

To help me better understand where the delay may be occurring, could you please confirm whether you are opening the affected files in the Excel desktop application or Excel for the web?

If you are currently using Excel for the web, please download one of the affected files to your computer’s Desktop and open it locally using the Excel desktop application. Please let me know whether the file still takes two to five minutes to open and whether editing or saving remains slow.

I also noticed that you mentioned the issue occurs with "some Excel files". Could you please confirm whether the performance issue depends on the specific file, rather than affecting every Excel file stored in OneDrive? If only certain files are affected, please let me know the approximate file size of one of those workbooks.

It would also be helpful if you could check the following:

• When another user opens the same affected file, do they experience the same delay?
• Does the issue occur on only one computer or on multiple computers?
• Do other users experience the delay only with the same affected files, or with any Excel file stored in OneDrive?
• If you create a new blank workbook, save it to the same OneDrive location, and then reopen and edit it, does it also respond slowly?

These comparisons will help me determine whether the behavior is related to specific workbook content, the affected device, the Excel application, or the OneDrive location.

Please share the results when convenient. The additional information will give me a clearer picture of the issue and allow me to provide more appropriate troubleshooting guidance.

Kind regards,

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Answer 2

This behavior is commonly caused by workbook complexity, network/cloud access latency, or OneDrive/Office sync interactions rather than a general Excel failure.

Use this troubleshooting path:

1. Test the same workbook from a local drive.
   • Download or copy the affected file to the local desktop.
   • Open it in Excel desktop.
   • If it opens faster locally, the delay is likely related to OneDrive, SharePoint, or network access rather than the workbook alone.
2. Check whether the workbook is too heavy for Excel Online or cloud-backed opening.
   • A workbook that takes longer than 30 seconds to open in Excel Online can trigger performance issues.
   • A common cause is excess or duplicate formatting, especially too many cell styles.
   • In Excel, review Home > Styles to see whether the workbook has an unusually large number of styles.
3. Clean excess formatting.
   • In Excel, go to File > Options > Add-ins.
   • At the bottom, set Manage to COM Add-ins, then select Go.
   • Enable Inquire.
   • Open the Inquire tab and select Clean Excess Cell Formatting.
   • This is the documented fix when excessive formatting causes long open times.
4. Review workbook design issues that slow open/save.
   • Large numbers of controls, hyperlinks, or links to other workbooks can slow opening.
   • Slow recalculation during open/save can also cause delays.
   • If calculation is contributing, review calculation settings and consider whether the workbook is recalculating on open or save.
5. Check whether the issue is related to network file access.
   • Office documents can open slowly over WAN connections.
   • Verify Office and SMB components are up to date.
   • If the files are opened from an SMB-backed location, server-side SMB leasing settings can affect performance. This should be tested carefully because disabling leasing can negatively affect other applications.
6. If the delay occurs when opening files from a network location, Windows shell data caching can help.
   • There is a documented workaround that adds the EnableShellDataCaching registry value under the Office Open Find key.
   • Warning: registry changes are risky. Back up the registry first and apply this only if the issue specifically matches slow opening from a network location.
7. If the issue is specific to OneDrive files appearing local with AutoSave disabled:
   • This was a known issue for files opened during March 30, 2024 to April 3, 2024 on affected Office builds.
   • Close all Office apps, including Outlook and OneNote, and open the file again.
8. If the problem continues for SharePoint or OneDrive for Business files:
   • Check for invalid file names or file types.
   • Delete the Office document cache.
   • Repair the Office application.
   • Also verify the library setting for Opening Documents in the Browser if the issue is tied to SharePoint libraries.

Expected outcome:

• If local opening is fast, focus on OneDrive/network/sync path.
• If local opening is also slow, focus on workbook cleanup, especially excess formatting, links, controls, and recalculation.

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