How to Open Excel in Safe Mode in Windows

Have you ever encountered problems opening or using Microsoft Excel? Does the app freeze frequently, slow, or not respond? Are you getting annoying error messages or can’t run certain macros or add-ins? If your answer is yes, then you may need to try opening Excel in safe mode.

Safe mode is a special mode that allows you to run Excel with default settings and without additional add-ins, extensions, or templates. That way, you can isolate and identify the cause of the problem you’re facing. You can also repair or restore corrupted settings, remove problematic add-ins, or recover corrupted files.

There are several ways to open Excel in safe mode in Windows, either manually or automatically. In this article, I will explain the steps clearly and in detail. I will also give you some tips and tricks to optimize your Excel performance.

Method 1: Using Keyboard Shortcuts

The easiest way to open Excel in safe mode is to use keyboard shortcuts. Here’s how:

1. Close all running Excel applications.
2. Press the Windows and R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
3. Type excel /safe in the text box and press Enter or click OK. Make sure there is a space between the excel and /safe.
4. Excel will open in safe mode. You will see the word (Safe Mode) in the Excel window title.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

Another way to open Excel in safe mode is to use Command Prompt. Command Prompt is an application that lets you run text commands to perform different tasks in Windows. Here’s how:

1. Close all running Excel applications.
2. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of the screen and type cmd in the search box. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. You may be asked to enter your password or confirm your choice.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type excel /safe and press Enter. Excel will open in safe mode.

Method 3: Using Desktop Shortcuts

The third way to open Excel in safe mode is to create and use desktop shortcuts. Desktop shortcuts are icons that you can click to open a specific application or file. Here’s how:

1. Close all running Excel applications.
2. Right-click on an empty area on your desktop and select New > Shortcut.
3. In the Create Shortcut dialog box, type excel /safe in the text box and click Next.
4. Name your shortcut as you wish, such as Excel Safe Mode, and click Finish.
5. You’ll see a new shortcut icon on your desktop. Double-click on the icon to open Excel in safe mode.

Method 4: Using Task Manager

The fourth way to open Excel in safe mode is to use Task Manager. Task Manager is an application that displays information about processes, applications, and services that are currently running in Windows. You can also use it to stop or restart the problematic app. Here’s how:

1. Close all running Excel applications.
2. Press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc buttons at the same time to open Task Manager. You can also right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager.
3. In the Task Manager window, click the File tab and select Run new task.
4. In the Create new task dialog box, type excel /safe in the text box and click OK. Excel will open in safe mode.

Method 5: Using Registry Editor

The fifth and final way to open Excel in safe mode is to use Registry Editor. Registry Editor is an application that lets you view and change system settings stored in the Windows registry. The registry is a database that stores information about hardware, software, and user configurations in Windows. Changing the registry can be risky, so make sure you make a backup before doing so. Here’s how:

1. Close all running Excel applications.
2. Press the Windows and R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.
3. Type regedit in the text box and press Enter or click OK. You may be asked to enter your password or confirm your choice.
4. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following folder:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Options

Note: The number 16.0 may differ depending on the version of Excel you are using. You can check it in the Help menu > About Excel.

5. Right-click on the Options folder and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
6. Name the new value NoReReg and press Enter.
7. Double-click on the NoReReg value and change its value data to 1. Click OK.
8. Close Registry Editor and open Excel. Excel will open in safe mode.

Tips and Tricks to Optimize Excel Performance

After you successfully open Excel in safe mode, you can try some of the following tips and tricks to optimize your Excel performance:

• Check if any add-ins are problematic or incompatible with your Excel. You can do this by opening the File menu > Options > Add-Ins. There, you can see a list of active, inactive, or available add-ins. You can try disabling or removing add-ins that you don’t need or that are suspicious.
• Check if there are any corrupted or invalid files interfering with your Excel. You can do this by opening the File menu > Open and looking for a file that has an extension.xlsb,.xlsm,.xltm, or.xlam. These files are binary, macros, templates, or add-ins that may contain unsafe or malfunctioning code. You can try moving or deleting these files from your Excel default location.
• Check if there are any incorrect or inappropriate settings with your Excel. You can do this by opening the File menu > Options and reviewing the different categories of settings, such as General, Advanced, Formulas, Save, Trust Center, and more. You can try to restore the settings to their defaults or change settings that might be causing the problem, such as Enable iterative calculation, Disable hardware graphics acceleration, Disable AutoRecover, or Block macros from running in Office files from the Internet.
• Check if there are any updates available for your Excel or Windows. You can do this by opening the File menu > Account > Update Options > Update Now for Excel or the Start menu > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates for Windows. You can try installing available updates to improve stability.

How to Exit Safe Mode

After you finish using Excel in safe mode, you may want to return to normal mode. There are several ways to exit safe mode, depending on how you open Excel in safe mode. Here’s how:

• If you open Excel in safe mode by using keyboard shortcuts, Command Prompt, or Task Manager, you can simply close Excel and reopen it as usual.
• If you open Excel in safe mode by using a desktop shortcut, you can simply remove the shortcut from your desktop and open Excel from its original location.
• If you open Excel in safe mode by using the Registry Editor, you must change the value of NoReReg back to 0 or delete it from the registry. You can follow the same steps as described in way 5 but with different value data.

Conclusion

Thus my article on how to open Excel in safe mode in Windows. I hope this article can help you solve the problems you face with Excel. Thanks for reading and good luck!