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Fix Skype for Business Crashing When Excel or Office Apps Close
Question details
Users experience Skype for Business shutting down unexpectedly when saving or closing Microsoft Office applications like Excel.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365, Skype for Business, Excel
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Working with large spreadsheets in Excel or using Office 365 applications alongside Skype for Business.
- Observed behavior
- Excel may freeze during heavy work, and closing or saving Office apps causes Skype for Business to crash or shut down.
Ensure you have your Microsoft account credentials handy and save any unsaved work in other applications before performing software updates or repairs.
Update Office and Run Excel in Safe Mode
Installing the latest updates and disabling faulty add-ins via Safe Mode can resolve background conflicts between Office and Skype.
Often, conflicting third-party COM add-ins or outdated software versions cause Skype to crash when it detects that Excel is closing.
Open Excel, go to File > Account, click 'Update Options' under Product Information, and select 'Update Now'. Allow the updates to download and install, then restart Excel.
Press Windows + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog. Type 'excel /safe' (without quotes, note the space) and click OK.
If Skype does not crash when closing Excel from Safe Mode, an add-in is the cause. Go to File > Options > Add-ins, manage your COM Add-ins, and disable them one by one to isolate the culprit.
Run an Office Online Repair
A built-in Online Repair can fix corrupted system files causing Office applications to crash interacting software.
Reset or Reinstall Skype for Business
Resetting the app can clear cached data or bugs causing Skype to crash when background Office processes close.
Try WPS Office for a Stable, Crash-Free Experience
If Microsoft Office continues to freeze or conflict with other applications like Skype, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, stable, and highly compatible workspace for all your document needs without the heavy resource usage that causes system crashes.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download the free installation package for your PC.
- 2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the quick setup wizard to install WPS Office.
- 3. Open Your Files Directly: Open WPS Office and simply open or drag and drop your existing Microsoft Office documents into the workspace to continue your work seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Skype for Business crash when I close Excel?
This usually happens due to conflicting COM add-ins, outdated Office or Skype versions, or corrupted Office installation files that fail to release background processes properly upon closing.
How do I know if an Excel add-in is causing the crash?
You can test this by running Excel in Safe Mode (press Windows + R and type 'excel /safe'). If Skype doesn't crash when closing Excel in Safe Mode, a third-party add-in is likely the culprit and should be disabled.
Will repairing Office delete my documents?
No, running an Online Repair for Microsoft Office only replaces missing or corrupted application files. Your personal files, spreadsheets, and documents remain entirely safe and untouched on your hard drive.
What should I do if resetting Skype and Office doesn't work?
You can try creating a new Windows user profile to determine if the issue is tied to a corrupted system profile. If the issue persists, consider reinstalling both applications or trying a lighter alternative office suite like WPS Office.
