Excel Failed to Launch in Safe Mode: 4 Easy Solutions

Method 1 – Using Keyboard Shortcut

Steps:

Select the Excel file.
Press CTRL+ENTER.
After pressing ENTER, do not release CTRL until a confirmation dialog box appears.

Selecting the Excel file

Click Yes.

confirmation dialog box to open excel file in safe mode

See the top of the Excel file turned white. It means this file is now in safe mode.

Excel file opened in safe mode

Method 2 – Implementing Command-Line to Launch Excel in Safe Mode

Steps:

Click on the Search bar in the Windows toolbar.
Type run.
Find the Run in the Best match section.
Press Windows+R and the Run prompt will open.

In the Open text box, type excel /safe.

Note: The space, after the word “excel” is mandatory. After the space, type slash(/). Leaving out the space will result in an error.

Click OK.

It will be opening a new Excel file in safe mode.

Method 3 – Creating a Shortcut to Always Launch Excel in Safe Mode

Steps:

Create a shortcut for the Excel file.
Select the Excel file and right-click on it.
Click on Create Shortcut.

Find the shortcut of the file to select and right-click on it.
Click on Properties.

A Shortcut Properties window will appear.
Make sure you are on the Shortcut tab.
Add “ /safe” at the end of the Target box text.

The space, before the slash(/), is mandatory. Leaving out the space will result in an error.

Click OK.

If you open the Excel file from this shortcut, it will always run in safe mode.

Method 4 – Running Excel as Administrator from Windows Start Menu

Steps:

Search Excel on the Windows Start Menu.
Right-click on the Excel app.
Click on Run as administrator.

A dialog box will appear asking if you want to select “Yes” or “No”. Click on the “Yes”. It will open your Excel file in safe mode.

How to Launch Excel When It Stops Responding

Steps:

Search the Registry Editor on the Windows Start Menu.
Click the Registry Editor app.

The Registry Editor window will open up immediately.
Click on the down arrow on the left side of HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
Find SOFTWARE.
Click on the down arrow beside it.

At this moment, a SOFTWARE section will open up.
Find Microsoft and expand it by clicking the down arrow beside it.

Find Office under Microsoft and expand it.
Find 16.0 under Office and expand it.
Expand Common under 16.0.

Note: We have selected 16.0 as I am using the Microsoft Office 365 version. You can select the file according to your office version which is 11.0 for Office 2003, 12.0 for Office 2007, 14.0 for Office 2010, 15.0 for Office 2013, 16.0 for any of the office versions of 2016, 2019, or 365.