- You can quickly repair MS Excel by going to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps > finding Microsoft Office > clicking Modify > selecting Quick Repair.
- Launch Excel in Safe Mode. Press Windows + R > type excel /safe > press OK.
- Try disabling add-ins. Open Excel, go to File > Options > Add-ins > uncheck the boxes to disable them.
Preliminary Fixes
- Force restart Microsoft Excel : When Microsoft Excel is stuck at starting on Windows 11, a force restart can often resolve the issue. To do so, open the Task Manager > locate the Microsoft Excel process > click End Task.
- Check if the file is corrupt : Corrupted files can cause Excel to hang or crash during startup. To check if the file is the problem, try opening other Excel files to see if they load correctly. If they do, the issue is likely with the specific file.
- Update Microsoft Excel : An outdated Microsoft Excel build can lead to issues like being stuck at starting and not opening on Windows 11. To update MS Excel, open the application > navigate to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
Fix 1: Use Quick Repair For Microsoft Office
Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys to open Settings .
Step 2: Select Apps and click on Installed Apps from the right-hand side.
Step 3: Scroll to Microsoft Office .
Step 4: Select the three-dot menu beside it and click Modify .
Step 5: Select the radio button for Quick Repair and let Windows fix the problem.
When Windows completes running the repair tool, open Microsoft Excel without any issue.
Fix 2: Use Online Repair With Microsoft Office
If the trick above didn’t work, try the Online Repair Tool. Before you follow the steps below, ensure an active internet connection (refer to the second section).
Step 1: Head to Microsoft Office in the Installed Apps menu on Windows (check the steps above).
Step 2: Open the More menu > select Modify .
Step 3: Click Online Repair > hit Repair .
The option fixes all issues but takes a little longer and requires an internet connection until it detects, diagnoses, and fixes the issue.
Fix 3: Open Microsoft Excel in Safe Mode
Safe Mode starts Excel without any add-ins, templates, or other customizations, which helps troubleshoot issues related to these elements that cause it to get stuck at the starting screen.
Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run menu.
Step 2: Type excel/safe and hit OK to open the app in safe mode.
If Excel opens successfully in Safe Mode, the problem is likely due to an add-in or custom setting. You can disable or adjust them accordingly.
Fix 4: Disable Third-Party Add-ins
Step 1: Launch Microsoft Excel on your computer.
Step 2: Select File at the top right.
Step 3: Select Options .
Step 4: Click Add-ins from the left sidebar and select Go at the bottom.
Step 5: Uncheck the boxes to disable Add-ins and click OK .
