Excel file is not opening, is shows

Hemanta Bashyal 0 Reputation points
2026-06-08T09:50:24.56+00:00

My excel file is not opening. it only shows 'starting microsoft excel...'. I am not able to open microsoft excel.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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  1. Estrella721 47,670 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-08T10:29:13.47+00:00

    Hi,

    Is this issue happening only in Microsoft Excel, or does it affect all Office apps?

    What changes were made to your computer before the issue started?

    Also, are you using a Microsoft 365 subscription, or a one-time purchase version such as Office Home 2024?

    In the meantime, please try the following:

    Press Win + R, type excel /safe, and press Enter to start Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode. This mode loads Excel with only the essential components and temporarily disables add-ins, which helps determine whether an add-in is causing the issue.

    If Excel opens correctly in Safe Mode, go to File > Options > Add-ins and disable the add-ins one by one to identify the one causing the problem.

    If you can open other office apps like MS Word:

    • Open any Office app (Word, Excel, etc.), sign out of your account, then sign back in using the correct Microsoft account to refresh the license.

    • Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now to ensure your Office apps are fully updated.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-08T09:50:35.6333333+00:00

    Try these steps in order to fix Excel not opening and hanging on “Starting Microsoft Excel…”:

    1. Repair Office
      • Close all Office apps.
      • In Windows, open Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
      • Find Microsoft 365 (or Office), select it, then choose Modify.
      • Select Online Repair and start the repair.
      • When it finishes, restart the PC and try opening Excel again.
    2. Check for Excel opening to a blank/disabled screen
      • If Excel opens but only shows a blank or grayed-out window when opening files, run an Online Repair as above. This is the recommended fix when Excel opens to a blank screen.
    3. Turn off add-ins (if Excel can at least start)
      • Open Excel (without opening any file if possible).
      • Go to File > Options > Add‑Ins.
      • At the bottom, next to Manage, choose COM Add‑ins > Go.
      • Clear all add‑ins, click OK, then close and reopen Excel.
      • If Excel opens normally, re‑enable add‑ins one by one to find the problematic one.
      • If needed, repeat with Excel Add‑Ins in the Manage list.
    4. Reset file associations (if Excel opens but files don’t)
      • Right‑click an Excel file (.xlsx) > Properties.
      • On the General tab, check Opens with.
      • Click Change…, choose Excel, select Always use this app, then OK.

    If none of these steps work and Excel still does not open, contact Microsoft Support for additional troubleshooting.

    References:

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