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Fix Excel Workbooks Opening Slowly After Office Version 2405 Update
Question details
Users are experiencing extremely slow load times and monitor flashing when opening Excel workbooks after installing Office Version 2405.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening existing Excel workbooks after updating Microsoft Office to the latest build.
- Observed behavior
- Workbooks that previously opened quickly now take hours to load, and multiple monitors may flash during the process. Troubleshooting steps like removing add-ins, repairing, and reinstalling Office do not resolve the issue.
Ensure you save your current work and close all open Microsoft Office applications before attempting to revert your installation to a previous build.
Revert Microsoft Office to a Previous Build
Since standard repairs do not resolve this update bug, downgrading to a stable release before Version 2405 is the most effective temporary workaround.
Microsoft Office updates occasionally introduce unexpected performance issues. Reverting to build 16.0.17531.20152 will bypass the bug in Version 2405 and restore normal workbook loading speeds until Microsoft releases an official patch.
Open Excel (or any Office app), navigate to File > Account, click on 'Update Options', and select 'Disable Updates' from the dropdown menu to prevent Office from reinstalling the buggy version.
Click the Windows Start button, type 'cmd', right-click on 'Command Prompt' in the search results, and select 'Run as administrator'.
In the Command Prompt window, type the command 'cd %programfiles%\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun' and press Enter to change the directory.
Type the command 'OfficeC2RClient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.17531.20152' and press Enter. A dialog box will appear showing that Office is downloading updates, which is actually downgrading your software.
Try WPS Office to Avoid Update Bugs and Performance Issues
If Microsoft Excel updates are slowing down your workflow and taking hours to load files, WPS Office offers a stable, lightweight, and completely free alternative. It bypasses Microsoft's Click-to-Run update bugs while keeping your spreadsheets running smoothly.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Click the download button to get the free, lightweight installer and easily install it on your device.
- 2. Open Your Excel Files: Launch WPS Spreadsheet, click 'Open', and select your existing .xlsx workbooks. They will load instantly.
- 3. Continue Working Seamlessly: Edit, format, and save your spreadsheets with high performance, bypassing any Microsoft Office update slowdowns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Excel workbooks suddenly opening so slowly?
This severe slowdown is a known issue tied specifically to Microsoft Office Version 2405 (build 16.0.17628.20110). A bug in this specific update degrades performance, causing files that previously opened instantly to take hours to load while making monitors flash.
Will repairing or reinstalling Office fix the Version 2405 slow loading bug?
No. Standard troubleshooting methods, including running an online repair, completely reinstalling Office, or disabling add-ins, do not fix this specific bug. Downgrading to an earlier build is the only proven workaround.
How do I stop Office from automatically updating back to Version 2405?
Before reverting your version, you must open an Office application, go to File > Account > Update Options, and click 'Disable Updates'. If you skip this step, Office will quietly reinstall the buggy 2405 version in the background.
Is it safe to revert to an older version of Microsoft Office?
Yes, downgrading to the immediate previous version (such as 16.0.17531.20152) is a standard, Microsoft-supported workaround. It safely restores your software to the stable state it was in before the new bug was introduced.
