MS excel not working

Question

I am using MS office 365 and suddenly my Excel stopped working and showing error. what can i do to fix it

Answer 1

Run Online Repair from Windows Settings rather than relying on the Repair Now button in the Excel error dialog.

1. Repair Microsoft 365

Close Excel and all other Office applications first.

• Windows 11: Right-click Start → Installed apps.
• Windows 10: Right-click Start → Apps and Features.
• Find Microsoft 365.
• On Windows 11, select the three dots → Modify. On Windows 10, select Microsoft 365 → Modify.
• For the usual Click-to-Run installation, select Online Repair → Repair.
• Follow the prompts, restart Windows when finished, and test Excel.

Online Repair repairs the entire Office suite, not only Excel. It is more comprehensive than Quick Repair, which only detects and replaces corrupted files.^1^

2. If the error remains, test Excel without add-ins

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter:

excel /safe

3. Select OK.

If Excel opens successfully in Safe Mode:

1. Go to File → Options → Add-ins.
2. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins from the Manage list, then select Go.
3. Clear every checkbox and select OK.
4. Close Excel and open it normally.
5. If Excel now works, re-enable the add-ins one at a time, restarting Excel after each one, until the faulty add-in is identified.^2^

If Excel also fails in Safe Mode, that makes an add-in less likely; proceed to the next step.

3. Run Microsoft’s Excel troubleshooter

On Windows 10 or later, run the Excel check troubleshooter through the Get Help application. It is designed for Excel startup, crash, and hang problems and must be run on the affected PC.^3^

If Online Repair and the troubleshooter both fail, use the Microsoft 365 uninstall troubleshooter from the same support page, restart the PC when prompted, and then reinstall Microsoft 365. Ensure access to the Microsoft 365 account used for the installation before uninstalling.

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References

1. Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support
2. Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working
3. Microsoft 365 troubleshooters | Microsoft Support

Answer 2

Hi tarun ramchandani,

Microsoft Excel stopping unexpectedly can have several causes, and the exact error message will help narrow this down.

Could you share the full wording or error code displayed, preferably as a screenshot with any personal information removed? Please also confirm whether Excel fails immediately when launched or only when opening a particular workbook.

In the meantime, please restart the computer and install any pending Windows and Microsoft 365 updates. You can then test Excel with a new blank workbook. If a blank workbook opens normally, the issue may be limited to the original file rather than the Excel application itself.

If the repair, Safe Mode, and troubleshooter steps already suggested do not resolve the issue, please let me know the results of each test and your Windows version. You can also follow Microsoft’s official guidance for Excel freezing, crashing, or stopping working.

Thank you so much for your understanding.     

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