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How to Fix Symbols Replacing Arial Text in Excel Online
Question details
Users need to restore normal text display in Excel Online when Arial-formatted text unexpectedly turns into unrecognizable symbols.
- Product
- Excel Online
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Viewing or editing a shared Excel workbook hosted on SharePoint via a web browser.
- Observed behavior
- Text formatted with the Arial font is replaced by incorrect symbols in the browser view, but the file displays perfectly when downloaded locally.
Before making system or browser changes, download a local copy of your workbook from SharePoint. This verifies that the file is not permanently corrupted and ensures your data is safe.
Clear Windows Temporary Files and Restart
Microsoft Support recommends clearing the system's temporary files to resolve underlying caching and font rendering conflicts.
This official troubleshooting method forces your operating system to clear out temporary data that may be interfering with the browser's ability to render the Arial font correctly in Excel Online.
Save your work and close all active web browsers and Microsoft Office applications.
Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard simultaneously to open the Run window.
Type %temp% in the text field and press Enter to open the Windows temporary folder.
Select all files in this folder (Ctrl + A) and press Delete. If prompted that certain files are in use, choose to skip them.
Restart your computer, then reopen your web browser and navigate back to your SharePoint workbook to see if the issue is resolved.
Manually Reapply the Arial Font
A quick workaround to restore correct text display without needing to restart your computer.
Use Incognito Mode or a Different Browser
Rule out corrupted browser cache or extension conflicts that might be causing the Excel Online rendering problem.
Avoid Browser Rendering Issues with WPS Office
If Excel Online continues to struggle with font rendering bugs on SharePoint, WPS Office is an excellent free alternative. It offers powerful local spreadsheet editing capabilities, avoiding browser-dependent display glitches while remaining highly compatible with your files.
- 1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office for free.
- 2. Save your file locally: Download your affected Excel workbook from SharePoint to your computer's local storage.
- 3. Edit without glitches: Open the workbook in WPS Spreadsheet to view, format, and edit your data with perfect Arial font rendering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the downloaded workbook display correctly while Excel Online shows symbols?
Excel Online relies on your web browser's rendering engine and server-side web fonts. If there is a cache conflict, a missing font package, or a glitch in SharePoint's Excel service, the web app may fail to load Arial correctly. The local desktop application uses the fonts directly installed on your computer, bypassing web rendering issues entirely.
Will changing my default website font permanently fix the issue?
Changing the font from Arial to another standard font like Calibri may bypass this specific Excel Online bug. However, if your company's design or branding guidelines strictly require Arial, the best approach is implementing the temporary file clearing steps or waiting for Microsoft to deploy a widespread fix to Excel Online.
Is it safe to delete all files in the Windows %temp% folder?
Yes. The %temp% folder stores temporary data created by programs that is no longer needed. Deleting these files is safe and frequently resolves application conflicts while freeing up storage space. Files that are currently in use by active applications cannot be deleted and will prompt you to skip them.
