Fix Excel VBA Running Slowly on Apple Silicon M1/M2 Macs
Question details
The user is experiencing significantly slower execution times for Excel VBA macros on a new M2 Pro Mac mini compared to older Intel or other M2 Macs, even after reinstalling Office and testing in Safe Mode.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Running VBA macros on a newly migrated Apple Silicon Mac.
- Observed behavior
- Excel VBA scripts execute sluggishly, and standard troubleshooting like reinstalling the app or using Mac Safe Mode does not resolve the speed degradation.
Ensure your macOS and Microsoft Excel are updated to their latest native Apple Silicon versions, and temporarily close any heavy background applications to free up system memory.
Perform a Clean macOS Profile Test Without Migration Assistant
Using Migration Assistant can sometimes transfer outdated software or hidden background processes that conflict with Excel on Apple Silicon. Testing on a clean user profile helps isolate the issue.
Many performance issues on new Macs stem from legacy system files, caching issues, or incompatible background daemons brought over during the Migration Assistant process. A clean environment ensures Excel is running strictly on the factory defaults of your M2 system.
Open System Settings on your Mac, navigate to 'Users & Groups', and click 'Add Account' to create a new Administrator profile.
Log out of your current session and log into the newly created Administrator account. Do not sign into your Apple ID or run Migration Assistant.
Open Microsoft Excel, load your workbook, and execute the VBA macro to see if the performance returns to expected M2 speeds.
Force Excel to Run Using Rosetta 2
Although native Apple Silicon apps are generally faster, certain legacy VBA components may suffer performance penalties if they haven't been fully optimized for the M-series architecture.
Verify Storage Performance and Background Usage
Base models of M2 Macs (like the 512GB SSD versions) may have slower read/write speeds than expected. High background CPU usage can also bottleneck heavy VBA calculations.
Experience Fast Spreadsheet Processing on Mac with WPS Office
If Excel VBA performance issues persist due to complex macOS migration or Apple Silicon compatibility hurdles, try WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and lightning-fast environment for your spreadsheet data on Mac.
- 1. Download WPS Office for Mac: Visit the official WPS website and download the macOS-compatible version.
- 2. Install the Application: Drag the downloaded WPS Office icon into your Applications folder to complete the installation.
- 3. Open Your Workbooks: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Excel spreadsheets to manage your data without performance lag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel VBA run slower on my new M2 Mac than on my old Intel Mac?
While the M2 chip is faster overall, certain legacy VBA libraries and functions may not be fully optimized for the ARM architecture. If you migrated from an Intel Mac, background processes or conflicting system settings transferred via Migration Assistant could also be severely bottlenecking performance.
Does Mac SSD speed affect Excel macro performance?
Yes. If your VBA script involves heavy read/write operations (like saving files, exporting data, or processing large databases), SSD speed matters. Some base model M2 Macs have slower SSD configurations compared to upgraded versions, which can slightly increase macro execution time.
Will reinstalling Microsoft Office fix slow VBA speeds?
Not necessarily. Reinstalling Office does not remove the underlying user preferences or hidden macOS background processes that might be causing the issue. Testing on a clean administrator profile is a better way to diagnose if the operating system environment is at fault.
