Error in opening file

Question

I encountered an error "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. How to resolve this?

Answer 1

Hi,

What changes did you make to your computer or subscription before the issue occurred?

Can you open another Office app, such as Word or PowerPoint?

In the search bar, type Control Panel > Programs and Features > Microsoft 365/Office > Right-click > Change, then select Online Repair. Restart your computer and check.

If the issue persists, open another Office app, such as Word, open Word > File > Sign out of your account, then sign back in using the correct Microsoft account to refresh the license.

Answer 2

Try these steps in order:

1. Start Excel in safe mode
   • Press Windows + R.
   • Run excel /safe.
   • If Excel opens normally, the issue is likely caused by an add-in.
2. Disable add-ins
   • In Excel, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
   • At the bottom, in Manage, select COM Add-Ins, then select Go.
   • Clear one add-in, select OK, and restart Excel.
   • If the issue continues, repeat and test the next add-in.
   • Then repeat the same process for Excel Add-Ins.
   • If Excel works after disabling one add-in, that add-in is the cause.
3. Update Excel
   • Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
   • If the problem is related to a known issue, installing the latest version can resolve it.
4. Repair Office
   • Close all Office apps.
   • Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
   • Select the Office product, then select Change.
   • Run Quick Repair first.
   • If that does not fix it, run Online Repair.
   • Online Repair reinstalls Office, so it can take 15–30 minutes.
   • Restart the PC after the repair finishes.
5. If Excel hangs when opening or saving files on older builds
   • A known issue that caused Excel to prompt for file access and then hang was fixed in version 16.34.
   • Update to 16.34 or later.

If Excel still fails after safe mode, add-in isolation, updating, and Office repair, the Office installation is likely corrupted and Online Repair is the strongest next step.

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