[Fixed!] Excel Keeps Crashing When Opening File (11 Possible Solutions)

 


Solution 1 – Start Excel in Safe Mode

 

 Steps:

  • Press and hold down the Ctrl key when starting Excel.
  • Press ‘Windows +R’. Then, type excel.exe/safe. Press Enter.

Excel Keeps Crashing When Opening File (11 Possible Solutions)


Solution 2: Check and Install Latest Updates

Steps:

  • In excel click on File > Account.
  • Select Update Options, and click on Update Now.

Excel Keeps Crashing When Opening File (11 Possible Solutions)


Solution 3 – Examine Possible Issues with Add-ins

 

 Steps:

  • Reboot Excel, then open File > Options.

  • Select Add-ins then select COM Add-ins. Click on Go.

  • Uncheck the add-ins available, then click OK.

Excel Keeps Crashing When Opening File (11 Possible Solutions)

  • Reboot Excel and make sure the problem has been resolved.

Solution 4 – Eliminate Conditional Formatting Rules

 Steps:

  • Go to the Home tab on the Excel sheet causing the problem, select Conditional Formatting, select Clear Rules, and then select Clear Rules from the Entire Sheet.

Excel Keeps Crashing When Opening File (11 Possible Solutions)

  • Repeat the steps in all sheets that are crashing.
  • Go to File and then click on Save. Create a new folder and save this file. This will prevent any changes or overwrites of the original sheet.

Solution 5 – Disable MS Excel Animation

 Steps:

  • Open File > Options.

  • Select the Advanced option. Check the Disable hardware graphics acceleration box. Click OK.

Excel Keeps Crashing When Opening File (11 Possible Solutions)


Solution 6 – Repair MS Office

 Steps:

  • Press ‘Windows+R’, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter.

  • Right-click on Microsoft 365 and select Change.

Excel Keeps Crashing When Opening File (11 Possible Solutions)


Solution 7 – Eliminate Cell Formatting and Styles

Sometimes only one sheet will cause an issue because of Cell Formatting Styles which are similar to conditional formatting rules. You can eliminate different cell formats with Microsoft support.


Solution 8 – Look for any Third-Party Apps that can prevent Excel from Opening

Excel files generated by Third-Party apps may not create stable files. In this situation, you will need to contact the app’s developer for assistance.


Solution 9 – Identity If Antivirus Conflicts with Microsoft Excel

Keep your antivirus updated and make sure it doesn’t conflict with Excel. You can temporarily disable your anti-virus software to see whether that is causing Excel to crash. If that solves the problem, contact your antivirus supplier for further support.


Solution 10 – Eliminate Boot Windows to Identify Cause of the Crash

 Steps:

  • Press Windows+R’, type MSConfig, and press Enter.

Clean Boot Windows to Identify the Cause of the Crash

  • When the System Configuration window appears, select the General option, then select Selective startup.
  • Uncheck Load startup items and click OK.

  • Reboot your computer after closing all open programs.

Solution 11 – Eliminate Protected View of Excel

 

 Steps:

  • Open File > Options.

Remove Protected View of Excel

  • Select Trust Center and then Center Center Settings.

  • Select Protected View, and uncheck the options.

  • Select File Block Settings and uncheck all options. Click on OK.


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Saquib Ahmad Shuvo
Saquib Ahmad Shuvo

Saquib Ahmad Bhuiyan, holding a BSc degree in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, skillfully integrates engineering expertise with a passion for Excel. He provides solutions to complex issues as an Excel & VBA Content Developer for ExcelDemy Forum. He demonstrates an enthusiastic mindset and adeptness in managing critical situations with finesse, showcasing his commitment to excellence. Apart from creating Excel tutorials, he is interested in Data Analysis with MS Excel, Rhinoceros,... Read Full Bio

2 Comments
  1. I have a large excel file with a lot of VBA and conditional formatting. It works fine until I try to copy and paste it from file manager. Then both versions seem to get corrupted and I get the issue where excel opens and then immediately closes again

    I recovered a previous version (courtesy of Dropbox versioning) and that works fine.

    So if you want to move or copy then use save as within excel and not file manager copy/paste

    • Hi Martyn Kenyon,
      Thanks for your suggestion regarding this issue. We hope that it will help others to resolve their problem.
      If you have any further queries or suggestions feel free to share them that us through comments or email to our problem-solving team.

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