How to fix Excel from locking up

If Excel keeps locking up when you open a file, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Disconnect Network Drives: If you have any network drives that are offline or slow, disconnecting them may help. You can do this by right-clicking on "My Computer," selecting "Disconnect Network Drive," and then disconnecting any problematic drives.
2. Repair Office: You can try repairing your Office installation. The steps vary depending on your version of Windows:
   • For Windows 10: Go to Control Panel > Uninstall a program > Microsoft 365 > Change > Online Repair.
   • For Windows 8: Go to Control Panel > Uninstall a program > Microsoft 365 > Change > Online Repair.
   • For Windows 7: Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features > Microsoft 365 > Change > Online Repair.
3. Check for Disabled Files: Sometimes, files that caused errors in the past may be disabled. You can check the list of disabled files in Excel and re-enable them if necessary. This can be done through the options menu in Excel.
4. Start Excel in Safe Mode: You can start Excel in safe mode to see if the issue persists. To do this, hold down the CTRL key while starting Excel, or use the command line with excel.exe /safe.
5. Remove Files from Startup Folders: If there are files in the XLStart folder or any alternative startup folders, they may cause Excel to lock up. You can remove these files by navigating to the appropriate folders and deleting or moving the files.

By following these steps, you should be able to address the issue of Excel locking up when opening files.

References:

• Microsoft Office stops responding when you try to open or save a file
• "An error occurred when sending commands to the program" in Excel

Hi Michele,

Thank you for sharing your question. It's super annoying when you need to get stuff done fast. I am here to help.

This usually happens because your software's old, your files are messed up, add-ins are fighting each other, the cache is too full, there's a problem with the printer driver, or your antivirus is getting in the way.

A good way to start is by running Excel in Safe Mode. Press Win + R, type excel.exe /safe, and hit Enter. This turns off add-ins, startup folders, and custom toolbars to help you figure out if one of them is the problem.

If Safe Mode fixes the freezing, disable all add-ins. Go to File → Options → Add-ins, pick COM Add-ins, click Go, uncheck everything, restart Excel, and then turn the add-ins back on one at a time to find the one causing trouble.

Getting rid of cached Office files can also fix things. Open Run, type %localappdata%\Microsoft\Office\16.0\OfficeFileCache, delete what's inside, restart Excel, and try opening the file again.

You can also fix the issue by Repairing your Office install. Go to Settings → Apps, choose Microsoft Office, select Modify, and run the Online Repair.

I hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Noel