Office for Mac Issues

Fix Excel for Mac Crashing During Microsoft Account Sign-In

Ayan Masood Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user experiences sudden application crashes specifically in Microsoft Excel for Mac when attempting to sign in to their Microsoft account.

How to Fix Excel for Mac Crashing During Microsoft Account Sign-In

Product: Microsoft Excel for Mac
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Attempting to authenticate and sign in to a Microsoft account within the Excel application.
Observed behavior: Excel crashes immediately upon sign-in attempts, whereas other Microsoft apps like Word, OneDrive, and OneNote continue to work and sign in correctly.

Before you start

Ensure your Mac is connected to a stable internet network and verify that you have closed all Microsoft Office applications completely before attempting to modify any system preference folders.

Solution 1Recommended

Reset Excel for Mac User Preferences

Clearing the potentially corrupted preferences folder often resolves application-specific crashes that occur during the authentication process.

Microsoft Office creates specific container folders in your macOS Library to store user content and preferences. If the data inside Excel's container becomes corrupted, it can cause isolated crashes that do not affect Word or OneNote. Moving this folder forces Excel to generate a fresh, clean settings file upon the next launch.

Quit Office Applications

Ensure all Microsoft Office apps, including Excel, Word, and OneNote, are completely closed.

Access the Library Folder

Open Finder, click on 'Go' in the top menu bar, and select 'Go to Folder'.

Locate User Content

Type ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/ into the search box and press Enter.

Move the Folder

Find the 'Microsoft' folder within this directory and drag it to your Mac's desktop.

Restart and Test

Restart your Mac, open Microsoft Excel, and attempt to sign in to your account again.

Data Safety: Moving this folder to the desktop acts as a backup. It will not delete your saved spreadsheets, but it may reset certain custom templates or UI preferences.

Solution 2

Update Office and Use macOS Safe Mode

Updating your software and utilizing Safe Mode helps eliminate interference from background processes and known software bugs.

Solution 3

Run Disk Utility First Aid

Check for and repair underlying macOS file system errors that might cause application instability during sign-in.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Stable Mac Experience

If Excel continues to crash on your Mac due to persistent sign-in errors, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly stable alternative that seamlessly opens and edits all your Microsoft Excel files without frustrating account roadblocks.

1. Download for Mac: Visit the WPS Office website and download the macOS version.
2. Install the Suite: Drag the WPS Office icon to your Applications folder to complete the quick installation.
3. Open Your Files: Double-click any existing .xlsx file to instantly open and edit it in WPS Spreadsheet.

Highly stable performance on macOS without mandatory sign-in interruptions.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel formats, including .xlsx, .xls, and .csv.Lightweight installation that saves disk space and opens large datasets instantly.All-in-one suite featuring Spreadsheet, Writer, and Presentation tools in a single window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is only Excel crashing while Word and OneNote work fine on my Mac?

This typically happens when Excel's specific preference files or caches become corrupted. Because Microsoft Office on Mac maintains some isolated settings for each app inside group containers, a corrupted Excel configuration will not affect the operation of Word or OneNote.

Will moving the Microsoft folder to the desktop delete my saved Excel files?

No. Moving the '~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/' folder only resets custom user templates, add-ins, and UI preferences. Your actual Excel spreadsheets and documents saved locally on your Mac or in cloud storage remain completely safe.

How do I check my current Excel and macOS versions to report to support?

To check your macOS version, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select 'About This Mac'. To check your Excel version, open your Applications folder, right-click on the Microsoft Excel app, and select 'Get Info' to view the version number.

Office App Problems