Excel Performance Problems

Fix Excel Macro-Enabled Workbooks Saving Slowly to Network Shares

Huda Qurayshi Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

Macro-enabled Excel workbooks take significantly longer to save to network shares compared to non-macro files.

Fix Excel Macro-Enabled Workbooks Saving Slowly to Network Shares

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Saving macro-enabled (XLSM) workbooks to a network share while security software like CrowdStrike is active on the system.
Observed behavior: The saving process is approximately ten times slower for XLSM files, whereas standard workbooks (XLSX) save normally. Rolling back Office versions does not resolve the issue.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative access or can directly contact your IT security team, as resolving this issue may require reviewing and modifying endpoint security software policies.

Solution 1Recommended

Collaborate with IT to Adjust Endpoint Security Policies

Work with your IT administrator to adjust cloud machine-learning detection policies for Office macros in security software like CrowdStrike.

Security software, particularly CrowdStrike, may intensively analyze Office macros when writing files to a network disk. This cloud-based machine-learning detection can cause severe delays during the save process.

Rolling back Microsoft Office to previous versions generally will not fix this behavior, as the scan is triggered by the security software's interaction with the macro-enabled file.

Contact your IT or Security Administrator

Reach out to your organization's IT department and explain the specific delay when saving XLSM files to network shares.

Review security events and policies

Ask the administrator to review recent CrowdStrike or Microsoft 365 security events, policies, and exclusions related to macro-enabled workbooks.

Request a temporary policy adjustment

Test with an approved temporary policy adjustment or exclusion for the specific network share to see if the saving performance improves.

Collaborate with IT to Adjust Endpoint Security Policies

Coordinate with Security Teams: Never attempt to disable antivirus or security software entirely. Always coordinate any exclusions with your security team to ensure your endpoint remains protected.

Solution 2

Temporarily Toggle the File Format (XLSM to XLSX)

A temporary workaround to clear internal states that may be causing the security software to hang during the save process.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Fast and Secure Spreadsheet Management

If Microsoft Excel continues to struggle with slow network saves due to complex macro security scanning issues, consider trying WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and efficient environment for your spreadsheet needs.

1. Download and install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and run the installer.
2. Open WPS Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheets, which features a familiar interface designed for advanced spreadsheet users.
3. Save effortlessly: Open your existing workbook and save it to your local drive or network share without heavy performance penalties.

Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xls, .csv).Lightweight installation that ensures faster load times and smoother saving performance.Familiar user interface requiring zero learning curve for Excel users.Robust local and cloud saving features without heavy system overhead.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do only macro-enabled workbooks (XLSM) save slowly?

Endpoint security software often flags macro-enabled files for deeper inspection because macros can contain malicious code. When you save an XLSM file to a network share, the security tool analyzes the macros in real-time before completing the write operation, causing significant delays.

Will uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Office fix the slow saving?

No, rolling back or reinstalling Microsoft Office typically does not resolve this issue. The root cause is the interaction between the file being written and third-party endpoint protection systems, such as CrowdStrike.

Is it safe to exclude network drives from security scans to improve save times?

It is generally not recommended to completely exclude broad network drives from security scans, as this creates a vulnerability. Instead, work with your IT department to create specific, targeted exclusions for known safe directories or adjust the machine-learning detection sensitivity.

Excel & Data Problems