Fix Excel 365 Freezes When Changing Fonts, Bold, or Underline
Question details
Users experience Excel 365 freezing or hanging when applying basic font formatting such as bold, italics, underline, or font color.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel 365
- Device & OS
- Windows 10
- Scenario
- Modifying cell text styles and formatting in an Excel spreadsheet.
- Observed behavior
- Excel becomes unresponsive and hangs when font formatting is applied, whereas other Office applications like Word and PowerPoint continue to function normally.
Ensure you save any open workbooks to prevent data loss and close all other background applications before starting the troubleshooting process.
Update Microsoft 365 to the Latest Build
Installing the latest Office updates can resolve known software bugs that cause Excel to hang during formatting.
Launch Microsoft Excel, click on 'File' in the top left corner, and select 'Account' from the bottom left menu.
Click on the 'Update Options' button next to Office Updates, then select 'Update Now' from the drop-down menu.
Wait for the updates to download and install, then restart Excel and test if the font formatting still causes a freeze.
Repair the Office Installation
Running the built-in Office repair tool can fix corrupted application files causing Excel to become unresponsive.
Reinstall Microsoft 365
If updates and repairs fail to resolve the issue, a clean reinstallation from the official account portal may be necessary.
Edit Spreadsheets Seamlessly with WPS Office
If Excel continues to freeze during basic formatting tasks, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for editing spreadsheets without performance issues.
- 1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your Windows device.
- 2. Open Your Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and click 'Open' to load your existing Excel files instantly.
- 3. Format Without Freezing: Apply bold, italics, underlines, and font colors smoothly without experiencing crashes or freezes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel freeze when changing fonts but Word works fine?
Excel and Word handle rendering and hardware acceleration differently. A specific bug in an Excel update build or a conflict with your graphics driver can cause isolated freezing in Excel while other Office apps remain unaffected.
Will running an Office repair delete my Excel files?
No, repairing or reinstalling Microsoft 365 only affects the application files. Your personal workbooks, spreadsheets, and data are saved separately and will remain completely untouched.
What should I do if the Office repair tool accidentally removes my installation?
Occasionally, a failed Online Repair might uninstall the suite. You will need to sign in to your Microsoft account portal online and re-download the Microsoft 365 installer to reinstall the applications.
