Excel Not Responding Error/Issue

We all have come to situations when our Excel file freezes or stops working or we get an error message displaying that excel is not responding. This may happen for various reasons. How do we troubleshoot from this issue is a concern.

So Today’s topic is what to do when excel stops responding or freezes itself. There are various reasons excel stops responding so there are various solutions to it. We will discuss solutions in examples of how to resolve Excel Not Responding Error. But before that let me give a glimpse of how excel freezes with few examples.

Why Excel Not Responding Error Comes?

There are many ways to fix the excel not responding Error. Let us address the common issues first.

#1 – Changing the Default Printer

This is one of the easiest solutions to fix from excel not responding Error. Whenever we reopen excel it checks for default printers because excel is concentrated on printers. So whenever this issue arises we can change the default printer. How to do this is explained in the steps below:

• Press Windows button + R to open run command and type control panel to open control panel.
• In the Control Panel, go to devices and printers. There we will find an option for Microsoft Document XPS Writer.
• Right click on it and set it as the default printer.
• This can resolve the issue of Excel Not Responding.

#2 – Update Excel

One of the other reasons why we get excel not responding error is maybe because our excel version is not up to date. To fix this Excel not responding error we can check for current updates available. How to check for updates are explained below:

• In the file tab beside the home tab, we go to Accounts.
• In Accounts, we can see product information and if excel is not updated we can find update now in update options.
• Update excel and this may fix excel not responding error.

#3 – Re-install or Repair Excel

From Control Panel from uninstall a program, click on uninstall and windows pop up an option for excel to be repaired or uninstalled.

#4 – Re-Install Anti Virus

Some times anti-virus software also can cause excel to freeze or not respond. Reinstalling Antivirus also helps to fix the excel not responding error.

Examples and Solutions to Fix Excel Not Responding Error

Here in the below-given examples, we will show you how to fix this Excel not responding error message permanently

Example #1 – How this Error Occur and How to Fix it?

Step 1 – Open an excel file. And write a number 1 in cell A1 and 2 in cell A2 as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 2 – Now in cell B1 write an excel formula =Sum(A: A)

Step 3 – Now press enter and see excel calculates the value.

Step 4 – Now copy the formula to the last cell of G column and see excel freezes itself in the calculation. Even if we click anywhere it does not work.

We get the above screen as a result. Excel has stopped responding. Why because we have selected the whole 1048576 rows for the calculation which didn’t have any values in it. But after some time excel will have done the calculation.

Step 5 – Now try to add a simple another formula in any cell. Like in cell C3.

When we press enter, we have the following result.

Why do we get the same excel not responding result? Because once we press enter excel again automatically recalculates all the formulas in excel. We need to turn it to manual calculation.

Step 1 – Go to File beside the home tab.

Step 2 – Click on Options in the last section.

Step 3 – In Excel Options go to formulas,

Step 4 – In calculation Options, we can see that the default option is Automatic,

Step 5 – Check It to Manual and uncheck recalculate before saving to stop excel from recalculating a workbook before saving.

In the above example, we learned how to fix excel not responding Error when excel starts automatically calculating before saving an excel file. This was one example to troubleshoot this scenario.

Example #2 – How to Remove Excel Add-in to Fix Excel Not Responding Error.

Sometimes when we enable some excel add-ins it can also cause excel to freeze or not respond. But once we have already enabled the add-in and cannot open the excel workbook how to open excel and disable it?

We will learn the same in this example. In this example, we will start to excel in safe mode.

Step #1: Press Windows button + R to open run window,

In Open Bar type,

Step #2: When we press OK it opens excel in safe mode for us. Now go to File Tab besides the Home Tab.

Step #3 – Click on Options in the last section.

Step #4 – In Excel Options, we can see Add-in in the second last option.

Step #5 – Click on It and in the add-in window, click on Go Beside Manage Add-Ins.

Step #6 – Another Wizard Box opens up where we have selected our add-ins.

Step #7 – De-select any add-in selected and click on Ok.

Now try reopening the excel file, this may fix excel not responding issue.

In the above example, we learned the method of removing the add-in from excel when we face the situation of Excel Not Responding.

Example #3 – Remove Conditional Formatting to Fix Excel Not Responding Error

In the above examples, we have seen that when the whole excel file stops responding or freezes due to large data or large referencing formula. But there may a situation arise that we have problems of Excel Not responding in only one of the worksheets in excel.

First, let us discuss how this could happen why only in one worksheet of excel? When we use conditional formatting and change the default formatting of a larger amount of data it can also cause excel to stop respond or freeze. Because conditional formatting works on some conditions provided by the user which is formulas in general.

Select The total data by CTRL + A but the most advisable method to select total data in a worksheet is clicking on the button shown below.

Now go to conditional formatting in the home tab under the styles section.

Click on conditional formatting, we will see an option of clear rules.

When we click on clear rules it gives us two options of clear rules from selected cells or from the entire sheet.

Click on clear rules from the Entire sheet.

The above method will remove any conditional formatting done in the worksheet which may troubleshoot the issue of excel not responding.

Summary of Excel Not Responding Error

We have learned above we face the issue of excel not responding. It may be because of either we have a large set of data, or a large number of formulas referencing to a large number of cells.

Excel can also freeze because of auto-calculating all the formulas before saving which we have addressed above with an example. We have also learned how excel add-ins disabling can help in troubleshooting the issue. Also if we change the format of the large sets of data based on certain conditions it can also cause in Excel to freeze.

Things to Remember in Excel Not Responding

• If we need to disable something to come out of excel not responding issue, open excel in safe mode.
• Always install excel version (32 Bit, 64 Bit) as per configuration of the computer.
• Try to move large data in different worksheets rather than keeping them in a single worksheet.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Excel not Responding. Here we will discuss why do our excel file freeze or stops responding and top tips solutions in to resolve Excel Not Responding error. You may learn more about excel from the following articles –

• How to AutoSave in Excel?
• Insert Line Breaks in Excel
• Use Heat Map in Excel
• What is Null in Excel?

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