Excel Performance Problems

Fix Excel 365 Freezing After Copying, Pasting, or Filtering

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing severe performance issues in Excel 365, where the application freezes or grays out when performing basic operations.

Product: Microsoft Excel 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Copying, pasting, or filtering data in spreadsheets.
Observed behavior: The application becomes gray, slow, or completely unresponsive. Standard fixes like restarting the device or reinstalling Microsoft 365 do not resolve the issue.

Before you start

Ensure you have saved any open workbooks to prevent data loss, and verify that your Windows operating system has installed the latest updates.

Solution 1Recommended

Open Excel in Safe Mode

Running Excel in Safe Mode bypasses add-ins and startup files that often cause performance issues and freezing.

Safe mode is the most effective way to determine if a third-party add-in or a corrupted startup configuration is causing Excel to become unresponsive during basic tasks.

Open the Run dialog

Press the Windows key + R simultaneously on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.

Launch Excel in Safe Mode

Type 'excel /safe' into the text box and press Enter or click OK.

Test basic operations

Once Excel opens, try copying, pasting, or filtering data. If the application works smoothly, you will need to manually disable your Excel add-ins to identify the culprit.

Solution 2

Perform a Windows Clean Boot

A clean boot starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs to determine if a background application is interfering with Excel.

Solution 3

Create a New Windows User Profile

A corrupted user profile can cause Microsoft 365 applications to behave erratically and become unresponsive.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for a Stable and Seamless Experience

If Microsoft Excel continues to freeze and disrupt your workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly stable environment for all your spreadsheet tasks without the performance bottlenecks.

1. Download and install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
2. Open your files: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx workbooks directly.
3. Work seamlessly: Enjoy smooth copying, pasting, and filtering without experiencing the crashes associated with heavy software.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv).Lightweight architecture that prevents lagging and freezing during heavy operations like filtering or pasting.Familiar user interface for a zero-learning-curve transition.Completely free alternative to costly Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel 365 freeze specifically when pasting data?

This often happens due to incompatible clipboard formats, interference from third-party clipboard managers, or problematic add-ins trying to process the pasted data.

Can conditional formatting cause Excel to become unresponsive?

Yes, excessive or overlapping conditional formatting rules—especially those applied to entire columns rather than specific ranges—can cause severe lag and freezing when filtering or pasting new data.

Will repairing Microsoft 365 fix the freezing issue?

While an online repair can fix corrupted installation files, if the issue stems from a corrupted user profile or an incompatible Windows background service, you may need a clean boot or a new user profile as recommended.

How do I disable add-ins if Safe Mode fixes the issue?

Go to File > Options > Add-ins. Select 'COM Add-ins' from the Manage dropdown menu at the bottom, click Go, and uncheck all add-ins to disable them. You can then enable them one by one to find the faulty one.

Excel & Data Problems