How to stop Excel from crashing

Question

How to stop Excel from crashing

Joni 0

I am using the Office 19 version of Excel. Nearly every time I use the program, a pop-up window states that Excel has encountered a problem and must close. There are 3 buttons on the pop-up: "repair", "help", and "close". When I press the "repair" button, nothing happens as far as I can tell, and the program closes after a couple of seconds. The "help" button brought me here. If anyone has encountered this, and/or knows what is causing it and how to fix it, I would appreciate the help.

Thank you,

Abdul Karim 0 Reputation points

2026-06-27T21:15:03.9766667+00:00

That behavior is often caused by a corrupted Excel installation, a faulty add-in, damaged user settings, or a problem with the Office installation. Try these steps in order, testing Excel after each one:

Start Excel in Safe Mode

Press Windows + R.

Type:

excel /safe

Press Enter.

If Excel works normally in Safe Mode, an add-in is likely causing the crash.

Disable Add-ins

Open Excel (preferably in Safe Mode).

Go to File → Options → Add-ins.

At the bottom, select COM Add-ins and click Go.

Uncheck all add-ins and restart Excel.

Re-enable them one at a time to find the culprit.

Run Office Repair

Close all Office apps.

Open Control Panel → Programs and Features.

Select Microsoft Office 2019.

Click Change.

Try Quick Repair first. If the issue remains, run Online Repair (this takes longer but fixes more problems).

Update Office

Open any Office app.

Go to File → Account → Update Options → Update Now.

Reset Excel Settings

Close Excel.

Press Windows + R, type:

regedit

Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel

Rename the Excel key to Excel_old.

Restart Excel. (This resets Excel's settings but does not delete your workbooks.)

Check if it happens with all files

Does Excel crash:

immediately after opening?

only when opening a specific workbook?

or only when creating a new workbook?

A few questions to narrow it down:

Which version of Windows are you using (10 or 11)?

Does Excel crash immediately when it opens, or only after opening a file?

Do Word and PowerPoint work normally?

Is your Office 2019 installation activated and genuine?
joan mylittlestudio 0 Reputation points

2026-06-27T21:58:47.7766667+00:00

Thank you, Abdul! I will give this a try.

2 answers

Your answer

Abdul Karim 0 Reputation points

2026-06-27T21:15:03.9766667+00:00

That behavior is often caused by a corrupted Excel installation, a faulty add-in, damaged user settings, or a problem with the Office installation. Try these steps in order, testing Excel after each one:

Start Excel in Safe Mode

Press Windows + R.

Type:

excel /safe

Press Enter.

If Excel works normally in Safe Mode, an add-in is likely causing the crash.

Disable Add-ins

Open Excel (preferably in Safe Mode).

Go to File → Options → Add-ins.

At the bottom, select COM Add-ins and click Go.

Uncheck all add-ins and restart Excel.

Re-enable them one at a time to find the culprit.

Run Office Repair

Close all Office apps.

Open Control Panel → Programs and Features.

Select Microsoft Office 2019.

Click Change.

Try Quick Repair first. If the issue remains, run Online Repair (this takes longer but fixes more problems).

Update Office

Open any Office app.

Go to File → Account → Update Options → Update Now.

Reset Excel Settings

Close Excel.

Press Windows + R, type:

regedit

Navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel

Rename the Excel key to Excel_old.

Restart Excel. (This resets Excel's settings but does not delete your workbooks.)

Check if it happens with all files

Does Excel crash:

immediately after opening?

only when opening a specific workbook?

or only when creating a new workbook?

A few questions to narrow it down:

Which version of Windows are you using (10 or 11)?

Does Excel crash immediately when it opens, or only after opening a file?

Do Word and PowerPoint work normally?

Is your Office 2019 installation activated and genuine?
joan mylittlestudio 0 Reputation points

2026-06-27T21:58:47.7766667+00:00

Thank you, Abdul! I will give this a try.

Answer 1

Norah-L 7,325 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Good day Joni!

From what you shared, I understand Excel 2019 on your Windows keeps showing a message saying it has encountered a problem and must close, and the built-in Repair button in that pop-up does not seem to do anything before Excel closes.

This type of issue can happen for several reasons, such as a corrupted Office installation, outdated Office/Windows components, a conflicting Excel add-in, or problems with Excel’s startup or custom settings.

In addition to the Online Repair method already suggested, you may also try the following:

Run Excel in safe mode

Press Windows + R to open Run dialog box and type excel /safe > press OK to run.

If Excel opens normally, the problem might be due to an add-in.

Then and go to File > Options > Add-ins > select Excel Add-ins > Go > uncheck all listed add-ins and click OK

Repair Excel from Control Panel (this has the same effect as the method suggested by AI, but works across most Windows versions):

Close all Office apps, including Excel.
Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
Locate Microsoft Office in the list.
Right‑select it and choose Change (or Repair, depending on your version).
Run Quick Repair first. If the issue persists, proceed with Online Repair.
Follow the on-screen instructions, then restart your PC.

If the issue persists, consider uninstalling Office from Control Panel > Programs and Features, restarting your PC, and then downloading and reinstalling Office from your official Microsoft account.

Hope this helps. Please let me know how it goes!

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Joni 0 Reputation points

2026-05-21T22:29:43.8633333+00:00

Hi, Nora-L.

Thank you very much for your reply.

I used the suggested fix provided by AI, but I am not able to access Excel (or any of the other Office programs) to check if the fix worked. This is because I not only have to sign into Excel, but have to pay for it as well. This version of Office, 2019 Professional, came with my laptop and I paid for the programs as part of my laptop purchase. I will keep investigating, but if you have any suggestions, I would be grateful for them.

Thank you,

Joni
Norah-L 7,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-23T04:13:51.21+00:00

Hi Joni

Thanks for explaining the situation. It looks like Excel may be also asking you to sign in or purchase, which could make it difficult to confirm whether the previous fix worked.

Just to clarify, when you try to open Excel, are you seeing a message like “Unlicensed Product” or being asked to subscribe to Microsoft 365?

If possible, could you share a screenshot of what you’re seeing? That would help clarify what’s happening and guide you more accurately. Please make sure to remove or hide any personal information for your privacy and security.

Best regards.
Norah-L 7,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-24T02:32:20.22+00:00

Good day Joni,

Have you had the chance to check my follow-up yet?

Please keep me posted when you can.
Joni 0 Reputation points

2026-05-27T04:05:14.1066667+00:00

Hi, Nora.

I apologize for the delayed reply. Below is the message I get when attempting to open Excel. I get the same message when trying to open Publisher, Word, Outlook, and Power Point. I wasn't able to get a screenshot. Thank you so much for working with me on this. I truly appreciate it. My business files are currently not accessible, and I am falling way behind.

Microsoft (: Sign in to get started with Excel V Use your work, school, or personal Microsoft account information V Create and collaborate with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook V Save and share documents across devices with OneDrive cloud storage W X P N O Sign in or create account I have a product key Close Excel
Norah-L 7,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-28T07:23:00.61+00:00
Good day Joni

Thank you for posting back to let me know!

From the information you shared, Excel and the other Office apps are currently showing a “Sign in to get started...” screen which may be related to how the app is trying to verify the license or account.

As a first step, please go to Services & subscriptions and sign in with the Microsoft account you’re currently using. Once signed in, check whether an Office 2019 product is listed under that account.

If you see it listed, try uninstalling the current Office installation from your PC, then reinstall Office directly from that page.

If you don’t see it listed, since this version came preinstalled with your laptop, you can try reinstalling Office by:

Signing in to Services & subscriptions with any other Microsoft account you may have used when setting up the device.

Or checking your device manufacturer’s recovery options (some laptops allow you to restore preinstalled apps, including Office).

Let me know how it goes!
Joni 0 Reputation points

2026-05-28T10:22:40.67+00:00

Thank you so much! I will try these things when I'm back in the office in a few days.
Norah-L 7,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-31T06:40:36.32+00:00

Joni, feel free to reply whenever it works best for you!
Joni 0 Reputation points

2026-05-31T22:49:51+00:00
Hi, Nora. Here are the results of your most recent list of things to try:

Office 2019 is not listed in Services and Subscriptions

I have no other Microsoft sign-in information for myself, and I didn't set up the computer. It was set up by the owner of a local computer service/retail business. He said I would just have to purchase Office 365.

I am not able to restore preinstalled apps via system settings. I looked at the manufacturer's help site and found that some laptop models can have apps restored from the cloud, but mine is not one of them since I have Windows 11. From what I saw, I could restore apps if I had Windows 10.

I hope this all makes sense.

Thank you!
Norah-L 7,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-01T08:31:10.91+00:00

Hi Joni

Since Office 2019 is not showing under your Services & subscriptions, and you don’t have access to the account that was originally used to set it up, the apps may not be able to recognize a valid license. This is likely why you’re seeing the sign‑in screen.

In this case, you may consider contacting the original shop or provider who set up the laptop to confirm which Microsoft account was used during setup, and whether a product key was included with your purchase. Without access to the original account or license details, it can be difficult to restore the existing activation.
joan mylittlestudio 0 Reputation points

2026-06-27T21:01:17.6433333+00:00

Thank you very much, Nora. The company that set up my computer said that they no longer have access to the product key and account information. I was told I need to purchase Microsoft 365. I will do that so as not to waste any more of your time or mine. I truly appreciate all the help you have given me throughout this puzzle.
Norah-L 7,325 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-28T07:58:11.5133333+00:00

joan mylittlestudio, thank you for your patience throughout the troubleshooting process, and I wish you all the best.

Warm regards.

Answer 2

Use a full Online Repair of Office instead of the built-in “Repair” button in the Excel error dialog. The in-app “Repair” behaves like a Quick Repair and often does not fix recurring crashes.

Follow these steps:

Close all Office apps (Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.).
Open Windows Settings.
Go to Apps → Installed apps.
Find Microsoft 365 or Office in the list.
Select the entry (for example, via the three dots) and choose Modify.
Select Online Repair (not Quick Repair) and confirm.
Let the repair complete; it can take 15–30 minutes. Do not cancel it.
Restart the PC after the repair finishes.
Open Excel first and verify whether it runs without the crash dialog.

If Excel still crashes after an Online Repair, install the latest Office updates and then repeat the Online Repair once more.

References: