How to Fix Excel Running Slowly on a New Windows PC
Question details
Excel 2019 experiences severe performance lag and freezing on a newly assembled computer, even after reinstalling the Microsoft Office suite.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel 2019
- Device & OS
- Windows 10
- Scenario
- Using Excel for spreadsheet tasks on a newly assembled PC that has pre-installed motherboard utility software.
- Observed behavior
- Excel becomes extremely unresponsive and slow to navigate, whereas other Microsoft Office applications function normally.
Before making changes to your system settings, ensure you have saved any open workbooks and completely closed out of all running Office applications.
Uninstall Conflicting Motherboard Utilities
Remove third-party motherboard add-on software like MSI Dragon Center or Nahimic, which are known to cause system conflicts with Excel on newly built PCs.
Many newly built computers include bundled motherboard software for system management and audio enhancement. Certain utilities, specifically MSI Dragon Center and the Nahimic audio program, can hook into system processes and conflict directly with Excel's rendering engine, causing massive slowdowns.
Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard to open the Windows Settings app, then navigate to the 'Apps' section.
In the 'Apps & features' menu, use the search bar to look for 'MSI Dragon Center', 'Nahimic', or other proprietary motherboard add-on software.
Click on the software name, select 'Uninstall', and follow the on-screen prompts to completely remove the application from your computer.
Reboot your Windows 10 computer to ensure all background processes and services related to the uninstalled software are fully terminated. After rebooting, open Excel to verify if the performance is restored.
Try WPS Office for Fast and Seamless Spreadsheet Editing
If Microsoft Excel continues to lag or freeze on your newly built PC, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly optimized, lightweight office suite designed to run smoothly without conflicting with your system utilities.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the download button to get the free installer.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Run the setup file and follow the quick installation prompts to install the suite on your Windows 10 PC.
- 3. Open Your Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Spreadsheets, seamlessly open your existing .xlsx files, and enjoy uninterrupted, lag-free editing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does only Excel run slowly while Word and PowerPoint are fine?
Excel relies heavily on specific hardware acceleration and system resources for rendering complex grids and calculations. Motherboard utilities that manage graphic overlays or audio processing often hook into these same display pipelines, uniquely disrupting Excel's user interface performance without affecting Word or PowerPoint.
Can I reinstall my motherboard software after fixing the Excel issue?
Yes, you can try downloading and installing the most recent version of the software directly from the manufacturer's website. Developers frequently release patches to fix conflicts with widely used applications like Microsoft Office. If the lag returns after updating, you may need to keep the software uninstalled.
Does disabling hardware graphics acceleration in Excel help?
In some cases, yes. By going to Excel's menu via File > Options > Advanced and checking the box for 'Disable hardware graphics acceleration', you can force Excel to bypass the GPU rendering path that may be conflicting with the third-party motherboard software.
