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How to Fix Office 2021 Lagging on the Editing Screen
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where Microsoft Office applications become significantly slow and laggy while in the editing view.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 2021
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Typing, formatting, or navigating within a document, spreadsheet, or presentation after upgrading from Office 2013 to Office 2021.
- Observed behavior
- Windows and the Office application editing screens become slow and unresponsive, whereas the File tab and minimized views continue to function normally.
Ensure your computer is connected to the internet to perform an online repair, and save any open documents before restarting your Office applications.
Run an Online Repair for Microsoft Office
Using the built-in Windows repair tool can resolve corrupted installation files or configuration issues causing the software to lag.
Upgrading from an older version of Office like 2013 can sometimes leave behind conflicting background files. The Online Repair tool reinstalls core components to restore normal performance.
Click the Start menu, type 'Apps & features' (or 'Installed apps' in Windows 11), and press Enter to open the system settings.
Scroll through the list of installed applications and click on your Microsoft Office 2021 installation.
Click 'Modify' or 'Advanced options'. When prompted, select 'Online Repair' (instead of Quick Repair) and click 'Repair' to begin the process.
Launch Office Applications in Safe Mode
Safe Mode temporarily disables third-party add-ins, helping you determine if an extension is causing the performance drop.
Check for Windows OS Updates
System lag can occur if your Windows OS lacks critical performance updates required for newer software like Office 2021.
Switch to WPS Office for a Lag-Free Editing Experience
If Microsoft Office 2021 continues to lag on your hardware, WPS Office is an excellent lightweight alternative. It is highly optimized to consume minimal system resources, providing a fast and smooth editing environment even on older computers.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download the lightweight installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions.
- 2. Open Existing Documents: Launch WPS Office and open your existing .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files natively without any conversion.
- 3. Edit Smoothly: Enjoy a fast, responsive editing interface without the system lag associated with heavier software suites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Office 2021 running slower than Office 2013 on my PC?
Office 2021 demands more system resources and features newer graphical elements than Office 2013. If your hardware is older, or if background add-ins are incompatible with the new version, you may experience lag on the editing screen.
Will repairing Office 2021 delete my files and documents?
No, running an Online Repair or Quick Repair only replaces corrupted application installation files. Your personal documents, spreadsheets, and presentations will remain completely untouched.
Can hardware graphics acceleration cause lag in Office?
Yes. Sometimes display driver conflicts cause rendering delays in the editing view. You can resolve this by updating your graphics card drivers, or by adjusting visual settings within the Windows performance options.
