Sorry, EXCEL encountered an error that prevented it from working properly, so EXCEL needs to be closed. Want us to fix it right away?

Mills Leonora 0 Reputation points
2026-08-24T01:14:46.5133333+00:00

I'm sorry, but EXCEL encountered an error that prevented it from working properly, so you need to close EXCEL. Want us to fix it right away?

Open Exce and this will pop up, how to solve it.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For education | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-24T01:15:00.26+00:00

    Try these steps in order on Windows:

    1. Update Office
      • Open any Office app.
      • Go to File > Account.
      • Under Product Information, select Update Options > Update Now.
    2. Start Excel in Safe Mode
      • Press Windows + R.
      • Type excel /safe and press Enter.
      • If Excel opens in Safe Mode, the issue is likely caused by an add-in.
    3. Disable add-ins if Safe Mode works
      • In Excel, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
      • In the Manage list, select Excel Add-ins or COM Add-ins, then select Go.
      • Clear one add-in at a time, select OK, and restart Excel normally.
      • If Excel starts after disabling one add-in, that add-in is the cause.
    4. Repair Office
      • Close all Office apps.
      • Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
      • Find Microsoft 365 or Office.
      • Select the three dots > Modify.
      • Run Online Repair.
      • Restart the PC after the repair finishes.
    5. If Safe Mode does not work
      • The issue is not likely caused by add-ins.
      • Use Repair Office or uninstall and reinstall Office.

    A common cause of this error is a corrupted Office installation or a problematic add-in.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Alina Le 4,920 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-24T01:36:07.4133333+00:00

    Hello @Mills Leonora

    As you described, when you open the Excel app you see this message:

    "I'm sorry, but Excel encountered an error that prevented it from working properly, so you need to close Excel. Do you want us to fix it right away?"

    Could you confirm whether it also mentioned more details about the error code or message? That information would help in addressing the issue more effectively.

    Also, did it ask you to repair Excel immediately, or only to close it?

    • If it only asked you to close, try quitting Excel completely, restarting your computer, and then opening Excel again to see if the problem reappears.
    • If it asked you to repair now, you can try the repair option, wait for it to finish, and then reopen Excel to check if it works normally.

    In addition, you can try these steps to continue working with Excel:

    1/ Use the Excel web browser version temporarily.

    https://excel.cloud.microsoft/

    2/ Open Excel in safe mode to see if the issue persists.

    • Press Windows + R
    • Type: winword /safe (for Word) or excel /safe (for Excel)

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    If it works in Safe Mode, add‑ins may be causing the issue

    3/ Repair Office apps 

    • Save your work and close all Office programs
    • Press the *"Windows Key + I" *to open "Settings. 
    • Go to "Apps"> "Installed apps". 
    • Type Microsoft 365 or Office in the search bar. 
    • Click the "three dots (...)" next to the name and select "Modify". 
    • In the window that appears, select Online Repair. 
    • Click "Repair", then click Repair again to confirm. 

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    For your reference:

    Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support

    If the problem continues, please come back and share more details about what you’ve tried so far, and I’ll be glad to help you further.

    Have a nice week!

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