Excel wont "save"

Rick Shaffer 0 Reputation points
2026-09-22T20:58:30.91+00:00

I can not save anything to an existing excel file. it says up-date system. Why do I pay for the service if i can not up-date. I am running MacOS BigSur 11.7.11. I pay $ yearly fees to keep operational and it shows next payment is coming in November. Also state that older versions will continue to work but I am dead in the water. What is the corrective action that needs to happen to get me working again? So frustrating...

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | MacOS
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. EmilyS726 270.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-22T21:36:05.8733333+00:00

    If your macOS is below 12, Office products will now enter reduced functionality mode. In other words, the OS is too old to receive the licensing update the Office now requires. Sorry.

    This is an update that occured on July 13th and Microsoft shared it here: https://support.microsoft.com/office/update-microsoft-365-or-office-on-your-macos-or-ios-device-f418ae5d-bb5f-4078-b3d9-9340f5dd084e?apid=ets

    If your device cannot update its OS to at least 12, your options will be: Use the web version or an alternative like LibreOffice. And you want to cancel your subscriptions (don't renew it).

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-09-22T20:58:45.2233333+00:00

    On macOS Big Sur 11.7.11, the corrective action is to update macOS first, then update Office to a supported version.

    Starting July 13, 2026, Office apps on unsupported macOS versions can enter reduced functionality mode: files can open and print, but cannot be edited, saved, or created. Microsoft states this affects Microsoft 365 subscribers and some non-subscription Office versions on macOS. For most users, updating the OS and then updating Office resolves it.

    What to do:

    1. In an Office app, check which license/version is active:
      • Open Word.
      • Select Word > About Word.
      • If it shows Microsoft 365, it is using the subscription build.
    2. Update macOS from Big Sur to a supported macOS version.
      • Big Sur is older, and the documented fix for reduced functionality is to update the operating system first.
    3. After macOS is updated, update Office:
      • Open any Office app such as Excel or Word.
      • Select Help > Check for Updates.
      • Install the latest available Office updates.
    4. Test saving again in Excel.

    If saving still fails after the OS and Office are updated, try these Excel recovery steps to avoid losing work:

    1. Use File > Save As and save with a new file name.
    2. Save to an alternative drive/location.
    3. Move the worksheets to a new workbook:
      • Press Shift+F11 to add a filler sheet.
      • Select the first sheet, hold Shift, and select the last sheet to group them except the filler.
      • Right-select the grouped sheets and select Move or copy.
      • In To Book, select (New Book), then select OK.
    4. Save as a different file type, such as .xlsx or .xlsm.

    Also check whether the save location allows saving. Excel requires read, write, modify, and delete permissions to the folder. If saving to an external or network drive, a connection problem can also cause save failures.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.