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Fix Microsoft Excel Not Opening on Mac M1 and macOS Sequoia
Question details
The user is unable to open Microsoft Excel on a MacBook Air with an Apple M1 processor running macOS Sequoia, despite reinstalling the application. Other Office applications are working fine.
- Product
- Microsoft Excel
- Device & OS
- macOS Sequoia (Apple M1)
- Scenario
- Attempting to launch the Microsoft Excel application or open a spreadsheet file on a Mac.
- Observed behavior
- Excel does not respond or launch when double-clicking a file or selecting Open With Excel, while Word and PowerPoint open normally.
Ensure you have completely force-quit the Excel application by pressing Command + Option + Esc. You should also temporarily disable any third-party antivirus software that might be blocking Office applications from launching.
Start Mac in Safe Mode
Booting your Mac in Safe Mode clears system caches and helps identify if background processes or third-party add-ins are preventing Excel from launching.
Safe Mode prevents some software, such as startup items and certain add-ins, from loading. If Excel works in Safe Mode, the issue is likely caused by conflicting software running in the background.
Click the Apple menu and select Shut Down. Wait for your Mac to turn off completely.
Press and hold the power button on your Mac until you see the 'Loading startup options' screen.
Select your main startup disk, press and hold the Shift key, and click 'Continue in Safe Mode'.
Once logged in, try opening Microsoft Excel. If it opens successfully, restart your Mac normally to see if clearing the cache resolved the problem permanently.
Remove Excel Preference Files
Corrupted configuration or preference files can cause Excel to crash immediately upon launch. Deleting them forces Excel to create fresh configuration files.
Update Microsoft 365 and macOS
Compatibility issues often arise after a major OS upgrade like macOS Sequoia. Updating Microsoft AutoUpdate and Office apps can bridge compatibility gaps.
Try WPS Office for Mac When Excel Won't Open
If Microsoft Excel continues to crash or fails to launch on your M1 Mac, WPS Office provides a reliable, lightweight, and completely free alternative. You can seamlessly open, edit, and save your Excel spreadsheets without interruption.
- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the Mac version of the suite.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Open the downloaded package and follow the on-screen instructions to install it on your Mac.
- 3. Open your spreadsheets: Right-click your unresponsive Excel file, select 'Open With', and choose WPS Office to instantly view and edit your data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Excel the only Microsoft app not opening on my Mac?
This usually happens when Excel's specific preference files (com.microsoft.Excel) have become corrupted or a third-party Excel add-in is incompatible with macOS Sequoia. Since Word and PowerPoint use their own separate configuration files and add-ins, they remain unaffected.
Will reinstalling Microsoft 365 delete my Excel files?
No. Uninstalling or reinstalling Microsoft 365 applications only removes the software files. Your personal spreadsheets, documents, and data saved on your local hard drive or in cloud storage (like OneDrive) are completely safe.
How do I find my Excel version if the application won't launch?
You can determine your Office version by opening another working app in the suite, such as Word. Click 'Word' in the top menu bar, select 'About Microsoft Word', and view the version number. Excel will generally be on the same version number since they are updated together via Microsoft AutoUpdate.
