Solution 1 – Turn Off Excel Add-ins
Steps:
- Go to File.
- Select Options.
- Click Add-ins.
- Choose either Excel Add-ins or COM Add-ins. Here, Excel Add-ins
- Click Go.
- Uncheck one Add-in at a time and click OK.
- Double-click the Excel file after unchecking each Add-inn to check if the issue is solved.
Read More: [Fixed!] Why Is My Excel Not Opening Files?
Solution 2 – Uncheck the Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) Option
Steps:
- Go to the File tab.
- Select Options.
- Choose Advanced.
- Uncheck Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).
Read More: Excel Files Not Opening in Separate Windows
Solution 3 – Repair Microsoft Office
Steps:
- Go to the Search option.
- Search Control Panel and click it.
- Select Programs and Features in All Control Panel Items.
- Select Microsoft 365.
- Click Change.
- Select Online Repair.
- Select Repair.
Read More: [Fixed!] Excel Attachments Not Opening from Outlook
Solution 4 – Use an Advanced Feature to Disable the Hardware Graphics Acceleration
Steps:
- Go the File tab.
- Click Options.
- Select Advanced.
- Check Disable hardware graphics acceleration in Display
- Click OK.
Solution 5 – Use the Safe Mode
Steps:
- Go to Search.
- Search Run and click it.
- Enter excel/safe in Open.
- Click OK.
Read More: [Fixed!] Excel File Not Opening on Double Click
Solution 6 – Set Excel as the Default App
Steps:
- Go to Search.
- Search Default app settings and click it.
- Click Choose default apps by file type.
- Choose Excel in File extensions.
Read More: Unable to Open Two Excel Files at the Same Time
Solution 7 – Reset Windows to Factory Default
Steps:
- Click Search.
- Search Run and click it.
- Enter excel/regserver in Open.
- Click OK.
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ALl of your changes require I can open excel…. I’ve been using excel for 30 years… I’ve never been able to NOT open it… like right click on the icon and press open? How else can I make the changes you recommend
Hello Maureen,
Thank you for sharing your experience! Most of the fixes mentioned in the article assume that you can at least open Excel or access its settings. If Excel won’t open at all, not even from a right-click > Open, then the usual in-app fixes aren’t possible.
In that case, here are a few things you can try outside of Excel:
1. Open in Safe Mode: Hold down the Ctrl key and then double-click the Excel shortcut. This sometimes bypasses startup issues.
2. Repair Office: Go to Control Panel >> Programs and Features, find Microsoft Office in the list, and choose Change >> Repair.
3. Check Default App Settings: Go to Windows Settings >> Apps >> Default Apps, and make sure Excel is set as the default for .xlsx and .xls files.
4. Try a Different File: Sometimes a specific file is corrupted. Try opening Excel from the Start menu (without a file), then open files from within Excel.
5. Reinstall Office: If nothing else works, uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Office can often resolve deeper problems.
Regards
ExcelDemy