Fix Excel Freezes or Closes When Opening Print Preview
Question details
The user experiences Excel freezing, hanging, or crashing specifically when attempting to access the Print Preview function.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows 11
- Scenario
- Attempting to preview a spreadsheet layout before printing.
- Observed behavior
- Excel becomes unresponsive, displays a continuous 'Connecting' message, or abruptly closes without generating the print preview. Standard troubleshooting like Safe Mode or reinstalling does not work.
Before making system changes or renaming printers, ensure your current workbook is saved to prevent data loss. Check if the freezing issue happens with all Excel files or just a specific spreadsheet.
Rename Your Target Printer to Appear First
Excel sometimes hangs while enumerating network or system printers. Forcing your preferred printer to the top of the alphabetical list can bypass this delay.
In certain Windows 11 and Office builds, Excel struggles with the Application.ActivePrinter query when opening Print Preview. Renaming the printer so it is listed first alphabetically stops Excel from freezing while searching for accessible printers.
Click the Windows Start menu, open 'Settings', and navigate to 'Bluetooth & devices' > 'Printers & scanners'.
Click on your target printer (e.g., Microsoft Print to PDF) and select 'Printer properties'.
In the General tab, add a number or symbol at the beginning of the printer name (for example, change it to '1. Microsoft Print to PDF') and click OK.
Close Microsoft Excel entirely, reopen your spreadsheet, and test the Print Preview function.
Update Windows and Printer Drivers
Outdated or incompatible printer drivers can cause communication conflicts with Excel's print spooler on Windows 11.
Revert to an Earlier Office Update
If the issue started immediately after a recent Microsoft 365 update, rolling back to the previous stable build can resolve the freezing.
Use WPS Office for Reliable Printing and Spreadsheets
If Microsoft Excel continues to freeze or crash during print preview on Windows 11, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, lightweight, and completely free alternative that handles printing, formatting, and file management without the heavy resource load or driver conflicts of Microsoft Office.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office for free on your Windows 11 PC.
- 2. Open Your Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and click 'Open' to browse and load your existing Excel (.xlsx) file.
- 3. Preview and Print: Go to the Menu and select 'Print Preview' to safely preview and print your document without freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Excel say 'Connecting' to printer and then freeze?
This usually happens when Excel struggles to communicate with the default printer or network printers due to a driver conflict, a timeout, or a bug in a recent Office update. Renaming the printer to be first alphabetically or updating drivers often fixes the timeout issue.
Does Safe Mode fix Excel print preview freezing?
In this specific scenario, starting Excel in Safe Mode often does not resolve the issue. The root cause typically lies in how Windows 11 enumerates printers and how the Application.ActivePrinter process works, rather than a faulty Excel add-in.
Can an offline network printer cause Excel to crash when opening print preview?
Yes. If a network printer is unreachable, offline, or experiencing high latency, Excel may hang indefinitely while trying to fetch the printer's page layout properties. Setting a local PDF printer (like Microsoft Print to PDF) as the default can help verify if this is the cause.
