Hey everyone! I'm trying to figure out a weird Excel issue that's affecting several users in my workplace, and I'd love to hear if any of you have experienced something similar. Users have reported that Excel freezes up when switching between applications or copying content between workbooks. This freeze can last anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds, and sometimes Excel crashes completely. After recovering from a freeze, there's this glitch where clicking on a cell may select a different cell or even highlight a whole range instead of just the one clicked. We're wondering if this might be related to DPI scaling issues.
Here's some background info: We're using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise) on a mix of machines including some with Windows 10 and others with Windows 11. The versions affected are 16.0.19530.20226 and 16.0.19426.20260. The issue is happening across different hardware setups, so it doesn't seem related to performance. It's also not dependent on workbook size; it happens with both small and large spreadsheets.
The triggering actions usually involve copying content between workbooks, switching to another app like a browser or Outlook, and then trying to focus back on Excel. Resources look fine during these freezes.
Files are opened from various sources: OneDrive, SharePoint, synced folders, and local drives. Many users are on laptops with external monitors, some of which have different display scaling settings (like 150% for the laptop and 100% for the monitor), which could be a factor.
Here's what we've already tried: disabling hardware graphics acceleration, Live Preview, background error checking, setting Excel to power-saving mode in Windows settings, and testing on different machines with different workbooks.
The issue seems to be exclusive to Excel since other apps aren't showing any freezing or input problems. If anyone has faced a similar issue with recent Microsoft 365 updates or has suggestions on further troubleshooting steps, I'd appreciate the help—I'm losing my mind over this!
3 Answers
Not a guru, but I had a similar nightmare with my Microsoft apps. I tried everything to fix it, but nothing worked until I switched to a new MS Apps package. Sometimes, these new installs can work wonders. Plus, they come with support, which is a nice backup in case you need it.
Have you checked if these workbooks are interlinked with other workbooks? Sometimes that can cause hiccups. I've noticed issues like this pop up when multiple workbooks reference each other on the network.
Ugh, that sounds frustrating! Just a thought—are all your Windows 10 machines on extended support and up to date with security patches? Usually helps with stability. Also, does it occur even when you're working with everything stored locally?
Yes, the Windows 10 machines are on extended support and get their updates. And yes, the freezing still happens with local files.
I think it happens regardless of whether they reference other workbooks or not. It seems to be an issue across the board.