Office Settings & Configuration

Fix Alt+Tab Showing a Hidden Personal Workbook in Excel

Natalie Taylor Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is seeing an extra Excel window in the Windows Alt+Tab menu for a hidden Personal workbook, even when no other workbooks are visibly open.

Fix Alt+Tab Showing a Hidden Personal Workbook in Excel

Product: Microsoft Excel (Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021)
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Switching between applications using the Alt+Tab shortcut while running Microsoft Excel.
Observed behavior: An extra, unintended window for a hidden Personal workbook (such as PERSONAL.XLSB) appears in the Alt+Tab interface, cluttering the view.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, ensure you have saved any open Excel workbooks and verify if the issue persists when launching Excel in Safe Mode.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify and Re-hide the Personal Macro Workbook

Sometimes the Personal workbook (PERSONAL.XLSB) becomes unhidden or partially registered by the window manager. Re-hiding it properly can resolve the Alt+Tab ghost window.

If Excel registers the Personal Macro Workbook as an active window, it may push it to the Windows Alt+Tab switcher. Forcing Excel to hide it again updates its visibility state in the operating system.

Open Excel and check hidden windows

Launch Microsoft Excel. Navigate to the 'View' tab on the main ribbon interface.

Unhide the Personal workbook

Click on 'Unhide' in the Window group. If 'PERSONAL.XLSB' is listed, select it and click 'OK' to make it visible.

Re-hide the workbook

With the Personal workbook active, click 'Hide' on the View tab to properly conceal it again.

Save changes

Close Excel completely. If prompted to save changes to the Personal Macro Workbook, select 'Save'. Reopen Excel to check if the Alt+Tab issue is resolved.

Verify and Re-hide the Personal Macro Workbook

Tip: Doing this resets the workbook's window state, which often removes it from the Windows Alt+Tab menu.

Solution 2

Consult the Microsoft Q&A Office Management Community

Since this is a known window-handling behavior in Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021, seeking direct Microsoft support is recommended if standard workarounds fail.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office to Avoid Unwanted Window Clutter

Tired of encountering window management bugs like the hidden Personal workbook Alt+Tab issue? WPS Office is a free, lightweight alternative that uses an efficient tabbed interface, keeping your workspace clean and organized without ghost windows.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installer for Windows.
2. Install the software: Run the setup file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
3. Open your files: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your existing Microsoft Excel files seamlessly without interface clutter.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats (.xlsx, .xlsb, .csv).Intuitive tabbed workspace design prevents Alt+Tab clutter in Windows.Free and lightweight, avoiding complex enterprise LTSC bugs.Familiar user interface for seamless and instant migration.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does PERSONAL.XLSB open every time I start Excel?

The Personal Macro Workbook (PERSONAL.XLSB) is designed to launch in the background every time you start Excel so that your saved custom macros are globally available across all workbooks.

Can I delete the Personal workbook to fix this issue?

You can delete or move the PERSONAL.XLSB file from your XLSTART folder, but doing so will permanently remove all the global custom macros you have previously saved.

Does this Alt+Tab issue affect all Excel versions?

This specific 'ghost window' behavior is most frequently reported in Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 and certain older updates of Microsoft 365, often related to how the Windows OS handles background Excel processes.

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