Hello, I am getting an error when opening my Excel files on my Windows laptop. The error message says: "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

awais ali 0 Reputation points
2026-08-16T13:08:09.83+00:00

Hello, I am getting an error when opening my Excel files on my Windows laptop. The error message says: "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?" I clicked on "Repair Now" but nothing happens and Excel closes immediately. Please help me fix this issue permanently. Thank you.

Use code with caution.

⚙️ یہ لکھنے کے بعد اگلا قدم:

  1. دونوں خانوں کو اوپر دیے گئے ٹیکسٹ سے بھرنے کے بعد، نیچے "Submit" یا "Post" کا بٹن اکیٹو ہو جائے گا۔
  2. اس پر کلک کر کے اپنا سوال کمیونٹی پر پوسٹ کر دیں، مائیکروسافٹ کے ماہرین چند گھنٹوں میں آپ کو ونڈوز کی ایک نئی اپ ڈیٹ یا فکس فائل لنک فراہم کر دیں گے۔

کیا آپ نے یہ ٹیکسٹ کاپی کر کے وہاں پیسٹ کر دیا ہے اور آپ کا فارم کامیابی سے سبمٹ ہو گیا ہے؟

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For education | Windows
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  1. Demi Nguyen 1,505 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-16T13:38:47.0833333+00:00

    I noticed that you posted your question in English, so I’ll continue communicating in English for clarity. However, if you would prefer to switch to Urdu, please feel free to let me know and I’ll be happy to accommodate. 

    Hello awais ali,

    Could you please help me clarify the scope of the problem?

    • Does the error occur with all Excel files or only with one specific file?
    • Are the affected files stored locally on the computer, or are they opened from OneDrive, SharePoint, or a network location?
    • Do other Office applications, such as Word or PowerPoint, open normally?
    • Did the issue begin after a recent Windows update, Office update, or installation of a new add-in?
    • What are the current Windows and Office versions/builds?

    In the meantime, since the Repair Now option in the error message did not complete successfully, please perform an "Online Repair" of Office. Online Repair is more thorough and can replace damaged or missing Office components.

    Please follow the instructions in the article below and select Online Repair when prompted: Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support

    Once the repair has been completed, restart the computer and test Excel again.

    If the issue continues, please start Excel in Safe Mode:

    • Close Excel completely.
    • Press Windows + R.
    • Type excel /safe, making sure there is a space between “excel” and “/safe.”

    User's image

    • Press Enter. In the Excel Safe Mode window, select Open and try opening one of the affected files.

    Safe Mode starts Excel without loading most Excel and COM add-ins. If the affected file opens successfully in Safe Mode, an add-in is likely interfering with Excel.

    In that case, please temporarily disable the COM add-ins:

    • Open Excel normally.
    • Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
    • At the bottom of the window, next to Manage, select COM Add-ins.
    • Select Go.

    User's image

    • Clear all selected add-ins, and then select OK.
    • Restart Excel and test the affected file again.

    If Excel works after the add-ins are disabled, you can re-enable them one at a time and test Excel after each change. This will help identify which add-in is causing the issue.

    Please make sure that you are running the latest available version of Office. After installing all available updates, restart the computer and check whether the issue still occurs.

    I hope these steps will help restore Excel to normal operation. Please update me with the results of the Online Repair and Safe Mode test, as well as the answers to the questions above, and I will be happy to assist you further.

    Kind regards,

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-16T13:08:25.6066667+00:00

    For this Excel startup error on Windows, use this order of fixes:

    1. Update Office first
      • Open any Office app if one will open.
      • Go to File > Account.
      • Under Product Information, select Update Options > Update Now.
      • If Update Now is missing, select Update Options > Enable Updates, then Update Now.
      • For Office 2013 on Windows 10, this specific error was fixed in product update 15.0.4763.
    2. Restart Windows and try Excel again
      • Wait a few minutes.
      • Restart the laptop.
      • Sign back in and open Excel again.
    3. Run an Office repair from Windows Settings
      • In Windows, right-click Start.
      • In Windows 10, select Apps and Features. In Windows 11, select Installed apps.
      • Select Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365.
      • Select Modify.
      • If prompted for repair type:
        • For Click-to-Run, choose Online Repair > Repair. This is the more complete repair.
        • Quick Repair is faster, but it only detects and replaces corrupted files.
        • For MSI-based installs, choose Repair > Continue.
      • Follow the on-screen steps, then restart the PC.
    4. If Office shows “Office is busy” or still will not open
      • Wait a few minutes and try again.
      • Restart the computer.
      • If the problem continues, use the Microsoft uninstall troubleshooter to completely remove Office, then reinstall Office.
      • Important: the troubleshooter runs on Windows 10 or higher and currently can’t uninstall Office 2024.
    5. If the problem happens only with certain Excel files
      • In Excel, go to File > Open > Browse.
      • Select the workbook.
      • Select the arrow next to Open.
      • Choose Open and Repair.

    Best permanent fix: use Online Repair if clicking Repair Now inside the Excel error does nothing. That repair reinstalls the Office suite components and is the most thorough supported fix in this scenario.

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