Start Excel in Safe Mode to determine whether an add-in is causing the crash, then perform an Online Repair if Excel still cannot start normally.
1. Test Excel in Safe Mode
- Press Windows key + R.
- Enter:
excel /safe
- Select OK.
Safe Mode bypasses Excel add-ins, most COM add-ins, startup folders, and certain customized settings. ^1^
If Excel opens in Safe Mode
Disable the COM add-ins:
- In Excel, select File > Options > Add-ins.
- At the bottom, set Manage to COM Add-ins, then select Go.
- Clear every check box and select OK.
- Close Excel and reopen it normally.
- If Excel now works, enable the add-ins one at a time, restarting Excel after each one. The crash returning identifies the conflicting add-in. ^2^
2. If Safe Mode also crashes, repair Office
Online Repair is more thorough than Quick Repair. It repairs the entire Microsoft 365 or Office installation, even when only Excel is affected. ^3^
Windows 11
- Close all Office applications.
- Right-click Start and select Installed apps.
- Find Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office.
- Select the three dots > Modify.
- For a Click-to-Run installation, choose Online Repair > Repair.
- Follow the prompts, restart Windows when finished, and test Excel.
Windows 10
- Close all Office applications.
- Right-click Start and select Apps and Features.
- Select Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Office, then select Modify.
- Choose Online Repair > Repair.
- Complete the repair, restart Windows, and test Excel.
If the installer shows an MSI-based repair screen instead, select Repair > Continue. Online Repair may require an internet connection and may prompt you to sign back into Office afterward.
3. Update Office if Excel opens afterward
In Excel, select File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. If Excel remains unusable but another Office application opens, use the same path from that application. Microsoft recommends installing Office updates when troubleshooting startup crashes. ^4^
If Excel still crashes after Online Repair and updating, note whether Word or other Office applications also fail, and record the Windows and Office versions. That distinction is needed to determine whether the remaining problem is Excel-specific or affects the complete Office installation.
References
- Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC
- Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working
- Repair an Office application
- I get a "stopped working" error when I start Office applications on my PC