Excel starts slowly - what to do?
If Excel starts very slowly, this is mostly due to the installed add-ins. We'll show you how to solve the problem.
Excel starts slowly: brake add-ins
Add-ins extend Excel with certain functions. These extras can be installed by yourself, but often programs already installed under Windows also load add-ins in Excel unnoticed. These are always loaded before Excel starts and thus slow down the process.
- Click on the "File" tab in the top left corner of Excel and select the "Options" item.
- Go to the "Add-Ins" category and click the "Go To" button below.
- Deactivate all add-ins that you do not need here. As a rule, no add-ins are absolutely necessary for occasional users.
- The add-ins are deactivated via the "OK" button. At the next start, Excel should be ready for use much faster.
Excel starts slowly: use Safe Mode
If Excel still starts slowly, you should open the program in safe mode. Only the most necessary functions are loaded here. If Excel is now much faster and there are no noticeable errors, you should consider reinstalling Excel.
- Press the "Windows" and "R" keys simultaneously so that the "Execute" command opens.
- Enter "excel / safe" here and confirm with the "OK" button.
- Excel now starts particularly quickly in safe mode.
In the next practical tip, we will show you how to password-protect an Excel spreadsheet.