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How to Fix an Excel Workbook That Loads Slowly or Stops Responding
Question details
The user needs to fix Microsoft Excel when it loads very slowly or frequently crashes with a 'Not Responding' message when opening large workbooks.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Opening and working with complex or large spreadsheet files.
- Observed behavior
- Excel takes an excessively long time to open the file and frequently freezes, displaying a 'Not Responding' error, severely impacting productivity.
Before troubleshooting, test opening a completely blank workbook to determine if the performance issue is isolated to a specific file or if it affects the Excel application as a whole.
Start Excel in Safe Mode and Disable Problematic Add-ins
Running Excel in Safe Mode bypasses add-ins and startup programs, helping you identify if a third-party extension is causing the slowdown.
Third-party add-ins are a common cause of Excel performance issues. Launching Excel in Safe Mode allows you to temporarily disable these extensions. If the workbook loads normally in Safe Mode, you can manually isolate and disable the problematic add-in.
Press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard, then click your Microsoft Excel shortcut. Confirm that you want to start in Safe Mode when prompted.
If Excel runs smoothly, go to 'File' in the top ribbon, select 'Options', and then click on 'Add-ins' in the left pane.
At the bottom of the window, select 'COM Add-ins' from the Manage drop-down list and click 'Go'.
Uncheck all the add-ins listed and click 'OK'. Restart Excel normally to see if the performance issue is resolved.
Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration
Hardware graphics acceleration can sometimes conflict with your system's display drivers, leading to freezing or slow loading.
Repair Microsoft Office Installation
If Excel is slow with all workbooks, the Microsoft 365 installation files might be corrupted and require a built-in repair.
Experience Faster Spreadsheet Performance with WPS Office
If Microsoft Excel continues to run slowly or freeze on your device, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly optimized, lightweight productivity suite designed to handle large datasets and complex spreadsheets effortlessly.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free WPS Office suite and install it on your device.
- 2. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and click on 'Spreadsheet' from the home screen.
- 3. Load Your Excel File: Click 'Open', select your slow-loading .xlsx file, and experience smoother, faster performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Excel file constantly say 'Not Responding'?
Excel displays 'Not Responding' when it is busy executing complex calculations, processing large amounts of data, waiting for a response from an external network source, or struggling with an incompatible third-party add-in.
Does file size affect Excel's loading speed?
Yes, very large workbooks with extensive formatting, millions of data rows, numerous formulas, or high-resolution images take significantly longer to load and use more of your computer's RAM.
How can I reduce the size of my Excel workbook to improve performance?
You can improve performance by saving the file in the Excel Binary Workbook format (.xlsb), removing unused cell formatting, deleting unnecessary hidden sheets, and clearing conditional formatting rules from blank rows and columns.
Will opening the file in Excel for the web fix the lagging issue?
Opening the workbook in Excel for the web via OneDrive utilizes Microsoft's cloud servers for processing, which can sometimes bypass local hardware limitations or local software corruption causing the lag.
