MICROSOFT EXCEL

Murugesan K 0 Reputation points
2026-11-12T07:50:21.1633333+00:00

Hi Team,

I am facing an issue while opening Microsoft Excel. An error message appears stating that Excel has encountered a problem and needs to be closed. It also prompts me to repair the application.

Kindly check and resolve this issue at the earliest, as I am unable to work on my Excel files.

Please assist.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-12T07:51:08.3+00:00

    Start Excel in Safe Mode; if it opens successfully, disable its add-ins, but if it still fails, run an Office Online Repair.

    1. Test Excel in Safe Mode

    1. Close Excel.
    2. Press Windows key + R.
    3. Enter: 
         excel.exe /safe
    4. Select OK.

    Safe Mode bypasses Excel and COM add-ins, startup folders, and certain custom settings. ^1^

    If Excel opens in Safe Mode

    Disable the COM add-ins:

    1. Go to File → Options → Add-ins.
    2. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins under Manage, then select Go.
    3. Clear every check box and select OK.
    4. Close Excel and start 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.

    If necessary, repeat this test with Excel Add-ins selected in the Manage list.

    2. If Safe Mode also fails, run Online Repair

    Close every Office application before starting the repair.

    • Windows 11: Right-click Start → Installed apps.
    • Windows 10: Right-click Start → Apps and Features.
    • Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
    • Select the three dots → Modify.
    • For the usual Click-to-Run installation, select Online Repair → Repair.
    • If an MSI-based repair window appears instead, select Repair → Continue.
    • Complete the process, restart Windows, and test Excel again.

    Online Repair is the more complete option; Quick Repair only detects and replaces corrupted files. Repairing Excel this way repairs the entire Office suite unless Excel was installed as a standalone application. ^2^

    3. If Excel still will not open

    If Excel becomes accessible at any point, install Office updates from:

    File → Account → Update Options → Update Now

    If Safe Mode and Online Repair both fail, uninstall Microsoft 365 or Office, restart Windows, and reinstall it from the Microsoft account or organization portal associated with the licence. If this is a work-managed computer, ask the Microsoft 365 administrator or IT team to perform the reinstall because administrative permissions may be required.

    References

    1. Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working
    2. Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Estrella721 47,875 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T08:27:38.49+00:00

    Many users are currently reporting the same issue. Can you check whether your license or subscription is listed as Active in your Microsoft account: https://account.microsoft.com/services?

    If it is, I recommend proceeding with the second step suggested by the AI: performing an Online Repair of Office.

    If the issue persists, please answer the following questions to help determine what may be causing the problem:

    1. What changes did you make to your computer or subscription before the issue started?
    2. Is this issue only occurring when you open Excel, or does it also affect Word and PowerPoint?

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
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