My microsoft excel file is not working.

Run a full Online Repair of Microsoft 365, which repairs the entire Office installation and directly addresses the startup error affecting both Word and Excel.

1. Run Online Repair

Close all Office applications, then:

Windows 11

1. Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365.
3. Select the three dots (…) next to it, then select Modify.
4. Select Online Repair → Repair.
5. Complete the prompts and restart Windows if requested.

Windows 10

1. Right-click Start and select Apps and Features.
2. Select Microsoft 365, then Modify.
3. Select Online Repair → Repair.
4. Complete the prompts and restart Windows if requested.

Choose Online Repair, not Quick Repair or the Repair Now button in the error window. Online Repair is the more thorough option, and repairing Microsoft 365 repairs the entire suite, including Word and Excel.^1^

After Windows restarts, first open Word or Excel without opening a document. If the application remains open, test your files.

2. If Online Repair does not fix it, test Safe Mode

Safe Mode prevents most add-ins and startup customizations from loading.

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter the following command and select OK:

excel /safe

3. Repeat the test for Word:

winword /safe

There must be a space before /safe. The title bar should show Safe Mode.^2^

If an application opens in Safe Mode:

1. Go to File → Options → Add-ins.
2. At the bottom, set Manage to COM Add-ins, then select Go.
3. Clear one add-in at a time and restart the application normally.
4. When Word or Excel opens normally, leave the problematic add-in disabled or obtain an updated version.

If neither application opens in Safe Mode, add-ins are unlikely to be the issue; proceed to reinstall Microsoft 365.^3^

3. Reinstall Microsoft 365 if repair fails

Uninstalling removes the Office applications, but it does not delete ordinary Word or Excel documents. Ensure the Microsoft 365 subscription is associated with the Microsoft account used for installation before proceeding.

1. Use Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 uninstall troubleshooter on the affected PC.
2. Follow its prompts and restart the computer when requested.
3. Reinstall Microsoft 365 from the Microsoft account associated with the subscription.
4. Sign in, allow activation to finish, and test Word and Excel before reinstalling any third-party add-ins.

Microsoft recommends uninstalling and reinstalling when repair does not resolve an application-startup error; the troubleshooter requires Windows 10 or later.^4^

References

1. Repair an Office application | Microsoft Support
2. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC | Microsoft Support
3. I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC | Microsoft Support
4. "Something went wrong" error when you try to start a Microsoft 365 app