On Mac: Excel Pivot tables now crash when refreshing or using Expand Field or Collapse Field

Question

On Mac: Excel Pivot tables now crash when refreshing or using Expand Field or Collapse Field

Richard Tench 40

Starting with the new update (version 16.114.3), Mac Excel crashes when a pivot table is selected and any of the following pivot table commands are executed: Refresh, Expand Field, Collapse Field, or Options. Also when creating a new pivot table.

Mac version is macOS 27.0.1 "Golden Gate".

Mac users, please let me know if you can create a new pivot table with Excel version 16.114.3, and what version of macOS are you running?

Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T08:42:31.0833333+00:00

I now have the same issue with version 16.11.3 this morning with ANY Excel spreadsheet containing a Pivot Table. These all worked perfectly less than 24 hours ago! I'm using the very latest macOS 27.2 "Golden Gate" (it also crashed on macOS 27.0.1).

The problem does not occur when I create a new Pivot Table in a new workbook.
Richard Tench 40 Reputation points

2026-11-03T08:43:43.56+00:00

I'm in chat with Microsoft, they have several customers with the same problem. I'm going to install an older version and will report back
Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T08:56:40.7966667+00:00

Given that I don’t have the auto-update option chosen I really can’t see how this problem was seemingly absent yesterday yet appears today with all Pivot Tables. The only thing that has changed on my system is the date?
Richard Tench 40 Reputation points

2026-11-03T09:52:27.7133333+00:00

I am the same, in that the problem only started for me yesterday, yet the version that solves the problem goes back several weeks at least. The problem is gone for me, now that installed the older version but I’m in bed now so will post tomorrow with the correct version to go back to.
Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T12:43:29.89+00:00

Re-installing Excel 16.113.3 (26092714) has fixed the PT crash but this is very poor of Microsoft as it demonstrates poor or lack of testing before release.
Richard Tench 40 Reputation points

2026-11-04T02:20:32.08+00:00

In my case the Microsoft support tech told me lots of people have the same problem. He helped me install Excel 16.113.4, and it fixed the problem. However the method to reinstall was not easy, lot's of guessing about what needed to be trashed before the install. Somehow I managed to keep my preferences, which was nice. Oh, and of course, once you're back on the older release, it's really important to set Autoupdate to not automatically update. And to not turn it back on until Microsoft figures out the bug.

I expect that this issue doesn't hit everyone, especially when you take into account the problem hit Martin and I weeks after our systems were updated, despite using pivot tables daily (in my case).

Answer accepted by question author

Youssef B 90

I had exactly the same issue since November 3: Excel crashed as soon as I touched an existing pivot table (refresh, filter, expand/collapse). My crash report showed the same signature as others here: EXC_BAD_ACCESS / KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x10 on thread 0.

Deleting preferences and reinstalling Excel did not help. What fixed it was clearing the experimental features:

Quit Excel completely (Cmd+Q).
Reopen the Excel app itself, WITHOUT opening any workbook (not even a blank one). This is important: the option only works when no workbook is open.
In the menu bar, go to Help > Clear Application Data.
Clear the experimental features.
Quit Excel (Cmd+Q) and reopen it.

After that, all my existing workbooks with pivot tables refresh and work normally again, with no crash.

This suggests the crash comes from an experimental feature that was enabled with the 16.114 update, which may explain why not every user is affected. Hope this helps until Microsoft releases a fix.

Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-04T10:15:24.72+00:00

Following the steps shown above by Youssef on the latest version of Excel (16.114) removes the problem of Pivot Tables crashing the application. Many thanks for this (temporary) fix.
Adrian Tischler 10 Reputation points

2026-11-05T00:16:14.65+00:00

Great work Youssef, take a bow

2 additional answers

Your answer

Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T08:42:31.0833333+00:00

I now have the same issue with version 16.11.3 this morning with ANY Excel spreadsheet containing a Pivot Table. These all worked perfectly less than 24 hours ago! I'm using the very latest macOS 27.2 "Golden Gate" (it also crashed on macOS 27.0.1).

The problem does not occur when I create a new Pivot Table in a new workbook.
Richard Tench 40 Reputation points

2026-11-03T08:43:43.56+00:00

I'm in chat with Microsoft, they have several customers with the same problem. I'm going to install an older version and will report back
Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T08:56:40.7966667+00:00

Given that I don’t have the auto-update option chosen I really can’t see how this problem was seemingly absent yesterday yet appears today with all Pivot Tables. The only thing that has changed on my system is the date?
Richard Tench 40 Reputation points

2026-11-03T09:52:27.7133333+00:00

I am the same, in that the problem only started for me yesterday, yet the version that solves the problem goes back several weeks at least. The problem is gone for me, now that installed the older version but I’m in bed now so will post tomorrow with the correct version to go back to.
Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-03T12:43:29.89+00:00

Re-installing Excel 16.113.3 (26092714) has fixed the PT crash but this is very poor of Microsoft as it demonstrates poor or lack of testing before release.
Richard Tench 40 Reputation points

2026-11-04T02:20:32.08+00:00

In my case the Microsoft support tech told me lots of people have the same problem. He helped me install Excel 16.113.4, and it fixed the problem. However the method to reinstall was not easy, lot's of guessing about what needed to be trashed before the install. Somehow I managed to keep my preferences, which was nice. Oh, and of course, once you're back on the older release, it's really important to set Autoupdate to not automatically update. And to not turn it back on until Microsoft figures out the bug.

I expect that this issue doesn't hit everyone, especially when you take into account the problem hit Martin and I weeks after our systems were updated, despite using pivot tables daily (in my case).
Martin Hart 20 Reputation points

2026-11-04T10:15:24.72+00:00

Following the steps shown above by Youssef on the latest version of Excel (16.114) removes the problem of Pivot Tables crashing the application. Many thanks for this (temporary) fix.
Adrian Tischler 10 Reputation points

2026-11-05T00:16:14.65+00:00

Great work Youssef, take a bow

Answer 1

Hi, Richard Tench

This looks like a regression in the 16.114 builds of Excel for Mac. It's also showing up on 16.114.1 and on macOS Sequoia and Tahoe, so the problem isn't your Mac or your files.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

First, turn off automatic updates so Excel doesn't install the broken build again. Open Excel, go to Help > Check for Updates, and in Microsoft AutoUpdate uncheck "Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date".

Next, roll Excel back to a 16.113 build. Version 16.113.3 has been confirmed to fix the crash. Quit Excel and drag Microsoft Excel from your Applications folder to the Trash. Your workbooks and preferences won't be affected. Then scroll down to the Release history table on this page and download the Excel install package for 16.113.3: Update history for Office for Mac

Run the installer, open Excel, and sign in if asked. Don't turn automatic updates back on until a fixed version comes out.

If you'd rather not go back to an older version, it is suggested that switching to the Beta Channel (16.116, build 26102843) also gets rid of the crash. In Microsoft AutoUpdate, open the advanced settings and change the update channel to Beta Channel, then update. Keep in mind that beta builds can have their own small bugs.

It also helps to report the crash in Excel under Help > Feedback. The more reports Microsoft gets, the sooner they can fix it.

Answer 2

Peter McBride 22

Excel 16.114.4 fixes the issue.

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