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Fix Cannot Open Customize Keyboard Pane in Excel for Mac
Question details
The user is unable to access or open the Customize Keyboard pane in Excel for Mac, preventing them from modifying keyboard shortcuts.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel for Mac
- Device & OS
- Apple silicon Mac running macOS Ventura
- Scenario
- Attempting to open the Customize Keyboard pane to edit or assign new keyboard shortcuts in the application.
- Observed behavior
- The Customize Keyboard pane fails to open completely. Standard troubleshooting steps, such as reinstalling the Excel application, do not resolve the issue.
Ensure all your current work in Excel is saved, and verify that you have your Microsoft account email and password handy, as you will need them to log back in.
Refresh Your Microsoft Account Session
Signing out of your Microsoft account and signing back in refreshes the background session, which resolves the unavailable keyboard customization options.
On Apple silicon Macs running macOS Ventura, UI glitches in Office apps are sometimes tied to a stale or corrupted authentication token. A simple application reinstall doesn't clear this token, which is why logging out and back in is the most effective fix.
Launch the Excel application on your Mac.
Click on the 'Excel' menu in the top-left corner of the macOS menu bar, select 'Sign Out', and confirm your choice.
Completely quit Excel by pressing Cmd+Q. Make sure to close any other running Microsoft Office apps like Word or PowerPoint as well.
Reopen Excel, click on 'Sign In' when prompted (or via the Excel menu), and enter your Microsoft account credentials.
Navigate to 'Tools' > 'Customize Keyboard' to confirm that the pane now opens successfully.
Update Office and macOS
Applying the latest software updates ensures compatibility between Excel and macOS Ventura on Apple silicon.
Try WPS Office for Mac as a Reliable Alternative
If you are frustrated by recurring bugs or unresponsive menus in Microsoft Excel on your Apple silicon Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly stable environment with full spreadsheet capabilities.
- 1. Visit the WPS Website: Go to the official WPS Office website on your Mac.
- 2. Download the Mac Installer: Click the 'Free Download' button to download the macOS version, which natively supports Apple silicon.
- 3. Install and Launch: Open the downloaded DMG file, drag the WPS Office icon to your Applications folder, and launch it to enjoy a seamless spreadsheet experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does reinstalling Excel not fix the Customize Keyboard pane issue?
Reinstalling the Excel application typically leaves your user profile, preferences, and account authentication tokens intact. If the issue is caused by a corrupted account session, a fresh install will simply load the same corrupted session. Signing out clears this data.
Where is the Customize Keyboard option located in Excel for Mac?
You can find it by looking at the top macOS menu bar while Excel is open. Click on the 'Tools' menu, then scroll down and select 'Customize Keyboard'.
Does this issue only affect Apple silicon Macs?
While the issue was prominently reported on Apple silicon (M-series chips) running macOS Ventura, account session corruption can occasionally cause similar UI lockups on Intel-based Macs as well. The sign-out fix works across both architectures.
Can I customize keyboard shortcuts in WPS Office?
Yes, WPS Office offers comprehensive customization settings. You can easily assign personalized keyboard shortcuts to various commands to improve your productivity.
