How to Fix the “Microsoft Excel is Not Responding” Error?

When starting the Excel application or opening an Excel file, you may receive the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error. This error can also occur while opening a large file with complex formulas and references, or if the Excel file is damaged. Sometimes, you can experience this error while editing or inserting objects (like images) in an Excel file or when saving changes to the spreadsheet.

When this error occurs, the Excel application may get stuck or freeze. In this post, we will discuss the causes of the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error and some effective solutions to resolve the error.

Reasons for the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” Error

Microsoft Excel may freeze, hang, or stop responding due to the following reasons:

• Missing or corrupted MS Excel/MS Office program files.
• Conflicting or faulty add-ins.
• Issues with the Excel workbook.
• Large-sized Excel file.
• Issues with the workbook saved in the XLStart folder.
• Outdated Microsoft Office version.
• Excel is in use by another process.
• Incompatible Excel file format.
• Conflict with other applications or programs.
• Network issues, when the Excel file you are trying to open is saved on a network.

Methods to Fix the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” Error

When the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error appears, you can try closing the application and restart it or restart the system. Also, make sure your Excel is not in use by another process. If these fixes don’t work, then try the following methods.

Method 1 – Check and Update Microsoft Excel

You can try updating your Microsoft Excel application. Updating the application can help fix several bugs or issues that might be causing the error.

Following are the steps to update Microsoft Excel:

• Open your Excel application.
• Go to File and then select Account.
• Under Product information, click Update Options and then click Update Now.

Reopen the application. If the error is not resolved, follow the next methods.

Method 2 – Launch Excel in Safe Mode

The problem behind the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error might also be incompatible or faulty add-ins. To check if the error has occurred due to some faulty add-ins, open the application in safe mode (press Windows + R and type excel /safe in the Run window).

In Safe Mode, Microsoft Excel starts with the basic setup (without any add-ins). If you’re able to open the Excel application without any hiccups in safe mode, this indicates some problematic add-ins are behind the error.

You can then remove the add-ins by following these steps:

• In your Excel application, go to File > Options > Add-ins.

• Under the Add-ins section, click the dropdown button next to Manage and select COM Add-ins. Click on Go.

• You will see a list of available add-ins in the COM Add-ins window.
• Unselect all the options available and click OK.

• Now, restart your system and open your Excel in normal mode.

If the issue persists, then open your Excel in Safe Mode again and disable the Excel Add-ins. To do so, follow the below steps:

• Go to File > Options and then click Add-ins.
• Now select Excel Add-ins from the Manage dropdown and click on Go.
• Unselect all the checkboxes in the list and click on OK.

Method 3 – Check and Remove Files from XLStart Folder

You may encounter the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error if there is some issue with specific workbooks in the XLStart folder. You can check and remove files from the XLStart folder.

Follow the below steps to find the path of the XLStart folder:

• Open Excel in Safe Mode.
• Go to File > Options.
• Click Trust Center and then click Trust Center Settings under Microsoft Office Excel Trust Center.
• Click Trusted Locations and then note the path of the XLStart folder from the list of trusted locations.

Follow the path, open the XLSTART folder, move the files (if any) in the folder to another folder/location, and then start Excel in normal mode. If this fix fails, then follow the next method.

Method 4 – Repair Microsoft Office

Corrupt or damaged Microsoft Office program files can also cause the ‘Excel is not responding’ error. You can resolve this by repairing the Microsoft Office program.

The steps are as follows:

1. Close all running MS Office programs.
2. Go to the Control Panel on your Windows system.
3. Click Programs and then Programs and Features.
4. Select Microsoft Office. In the Microsoft Office window, click Change.
5. Then, select the Repair option and click Continue.

This may take a while. After the repair process is done, open MS Excel and check if the error is resolved.

Method 5 – Check your Excel File Format

The “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error can occur if the Excel file is incompatible with the Excel version. Make sure the format of the file is compatible with the version of Microsoft Excel in which you are trying to open it. Also, check the file contents, like formulas, defined names, styles, etc.

Method 6 – Repair your Excel File

Corruption in Excel file is also one of the reasons for the “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error. If the file is corrupt, then repair it using Excel’s Open and Repair utility. To use this utility, follow the steps below:

Note: This will work if you can open the Excel.

• In your Excel, click File and then select Open.
• Click on Browse to choose the affected workbook.
• In the Open dialog box, click on the corrupted file.
• Click the arrow next to the Open option and then click Open and Repair.
• You will see a dialog box with three options – Repair, Extract Data, and Cancel.

• Click on the Repair option to recover as much of the data as possible.
• After the repair process is complete, click Close.

If the “Open and Repair” tool fails to repair the corrupt Excel file or the Excel is not opening, then you can use Stellar Repair for Excel. It is a reliable Excel repair tool that can repair severely corrupted Excel files without any file size limitation. It can restore all the contents, including formulas, charts, images, etc., from the corrupted Excel file with complete precision. It helps you resolve errors that occur due to corruption in Excel files. The tool can repair multiple Excel files in a batch. The tool is compatible with all Windows OS, including Windows 11.

Conclusion

The “Microsoft Excel is not responding” error can prevent you from opening, accessing, and saving the Excel file. However, by following the above-listed methods, you can resolve the error. If your Excel file is corrupted, you can use a professional Excel repair tool, like Stellar Repair for Excel. It can repair large-sized, corrupt/damaged Excel files with complete integrity. It can repair all the objects, including Visual objects in Excel files. The tool supports all Excel versions. You can download the demo version of Stellar Repair for Excel to evaluate its functionality.

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About The Author

Monika Dadool

Monika Dadool is a Senior Content Writer at Stellar with over 5 years of experience in technical writing. She is a tech enthusiast and expert who specializes in writing about SQL Server, MySQL Server, MariaDB Server, Microsoft Access, Active Directory, email recovery, Microsoft 365, pattern recognition, machine learning, data recovery, file repair, and operating systems like Linux, Windows, and Mac. She also writes about accounting software such as QuickBooks and Sage 50, as well as web-scripting languages like HTML, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Visual Basic, ASP.NET, and AJAX. Monika is passionate about researching and exploring new technologies, and she enjoys developing engaging technical blogs that help organizations and database administrators resolve various issues. When she's not creating content, you can find her on social media, watching web series, reading books, or exploring new food recipes.