The application Microsoft Excel can t be opened

Spreadsheet programs come in various flavors, but one of the most common and widely used is Microsoft Excel. Data entry, financing, records management, and budgeting are just some of the many uses of this tool. You can study trends, organize currently available data, and generate graphs and tables with the assistance of Microsoft Excel. These are some of the program’s most incredible features.

When working with Excel, you have the option of developing your unique templates or selecting from a variety of mathematical formulae. Additionally, you and your coworkers can interact in real-time using the program. You can download it as a standalone application, so there is no need to put the whole Office suite on your Macbook. The application provides a user interface comparable to the Windows version, making it simple to use spreadsheets while using a Mac.

But what can you do if the Excel application does not want to open? Nobody wants their hard work to go in vain. 

It is possible that you will get an error if any one of the following issues is present:

• Excel’s default settings have been changed.
• Excel is being hampered by other applications operating in the background.
• There is a problem with the application files.
• The profile for one user account has been tampered with.

It is easy to perform troubleshooting on the application on Mac. We have compiled a list of potential fixes for the issue where Microsoft Excel would not open on a Mac.

Free ways to repair Excel Not working on Your Mac Computer

I hope this will work with all Apple’s Silicon M1-series, M1 Pro (MacBook Pro), M1 Max (MacBook Pro & Mac Studio), M1 ultra (Mac Studio), M2 chip of 2022 (MacBook Pro & MacBook Air) Or Intel chip Mac computer.

#1. Restart the Microsoft Excel Program 

You can begin with the most obvious answer and try stopping the program using the force button. You may try relaunching it to check if the functionality has been restored or not. The process of restarting the application is relatively easy. 

Take the following actions.

• Find the brand logo in the upper left corner of the screen and click on it.
• From the menu, select the option to “Force Quit.”
• From the list of applications, choose Microsoft Excel and then click the Force Quit button.
• Relaunch the application and check to see whether it will open correctly on the Mac this time.

Generally, if the issue is minor, Excel will start working like before. If the issue is not solved, you can try some of the other methods mentioned below in the article. 

#2. Uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Excel

If none of the other solutions works, we suggest removing and reinstalling the Microsoft Excel application on your Mac. Try this method if you already have a backup of your data on the cloud or the device itself. Otherwise, you could lose your data. This will provide the application with a clean slate to work with on your PC. Take the following steps to reinstall the Excel application on your device.

Step 1: Click on Finder.

Step 2: From the left-hand menu, select the Applications option.

Step 3: Select Microsoft Excel from the list of available programs.

Step 4: The fourth step is to select the item and then drag it towards the trash can.

Step 5: You must enter your Touch ID or password to confirm your activity.

Step 6: Once you’ve opened the Recycle Bin, click the Empty button. If there are other files on your computer that you do not want deleted, right-click on Microsoft Excel and select the Delete Immediately option from the menu.

Step 7: Once again, enter your Touch ID or password to confirm your selection.

Step 8:

• Navigate to the App Store.
• Locate and download the Microsoft Excel app.
• Sign in using the credentials associated with your Microsoft account.

#3. Remove preferences for MS Excel.

Excel generates a preference file that stores any adjustments you make, such as shortcuts for the keyboard. You can repair the problem where Microsoft Excel will not open on your Mac by temporarily moving the preference file. This will demonstrate whether or not using the software without making any customizations would be beneficial.

Take the following actions.

1. Open the Finder application.
2. To proceed, select the Go option on the Menu bar in the top-left corner of the screen.
3. Choose the option to Go to Folder from the menu that drops down.
4. There will be a search bar shown on your screen.
5. In the search field, type /Library and then press the Return key.
6. Choose the first result that appears in the search.
7. From the list, select the Containers folder to open it.
8. After accessing the folder, type com in the search box in the screen’s upper-right corner.Microsoft.Excel.plist.
9. Please ensure the file is selected, and then drag it to the trash can.
10. Microsoft Excel needs to be restarted afterward.

#4. Run Disk Utility 

Using the Disk Utility application to check for storage issues is an intelligent alternative to the other methods we have mentioned. Launch issues can be caused by haphazard installs of applications or the movement of huge files, both of which can slow down the performance. Please follow these instructions to correct any storage faults preventing Microsoft Excel from opening correctly on your device.

• To access Launchpad, choose it from the Dock.
• Look for the Disk Utility program.
• To launch the application, choose the icon that looks like a disc and click on it.
• To access First Aid, choose it from the Disk Utility menu.
• To begin using First Aid, select the Run option.
• To confirm your selection, click the Continue button.

After the Disk Utility utility has finished running and has repaired your disc, you may try launching the Microsoft Excel application.

#5. Make another user account. 

The application might not be opening for a particular user on the device. You can attempt to fix this issue by making a brand-new account on your device and then opening the Excel application on it. This is the procedure for doing it.

1.  Navigate to the Settings menu on your Mac.
2.  Select Users & Groups from the drop-down menu. Within the Users and Groups section, your name will appear next to the title Admin.
3.  Choose the Lock symbol in the screen’s upper-left corner to create another new user.
4. Enter the password for your Mac, then click the Unlock button.

#6. Upgrade the Microsoft Excel application

Microsoft’s software and services receive frequent and automatic upgrades. If the application does not launch on your Mac, you should check to see if an updated version is available. The program notifies updates in most cases, but you can try updating the app manually to fix the problem.

Here are the steps to update the Excel app on your Macbook to fix launch issues:

1. Launch the App Store, and select the App Store icon on top of the Dock.
2. You can also activate Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space, then typing “App Store,” and then pressing the Return key to launch the App Store.
3. From the left-hand menu, choose your Updates and click on it.
4. To update the screen that displays updates, press the Command and R keys simultaneously.
5. If there is an update available for Microsoft Excel, you should download it and install it.
6. After that, give it a shot by starting it up on your Mac.

#7. Use Safe Mode 

By starting up your Mac in safe mode, you will be able to find if the Microsoft Excel application is being affected by interference from any third-party software. While your Mac is set up in Safe Mode, all third-party applications will be disabled, and only system applications will be available.

If you are utilizing a Mac that contains an M1 chip, proceed with the following procedures.

• Simply locate the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen, click it, and then choose Shut Down from the menu that appears.
• After your Mac has completed its shutdown procedure, you may access the Mac HD and Choices startup options by pressing and holding the Power button.
• Choose the Macintosh HD option.
• While holding the Shift key, click the Continue in Safe Mode button on your keyboard.
• After your Mac has finished starting up in Safe Mode, you should attempt to run Microsoft Excel.

#8. Use the “Repair disk Permission” option.  

If you are using Mac OS X 10.2 or a later version, the Repair Disk Permissions option allows you to troubleshoot permissions-related issues. To take advantage of the option to Repair Disk Permissions, carry out the following steps:

• Select Utilities from the menu Go.
• Launch the software known as the Disk Utility.
• To access your primary hard disc drive, click the button below.
• To access first aid, click the tab.
• Simply choose the Repair Disk Permissions option.
• Launch Excel and check to see whether the problem still exists.

Conclusion 

Excel from Microsoft Office is unquestionably the best piece of data processing software available.

However, there are occasions when all of a sudden, Excel won’t open for one or more of several different causes. You can give the solutions in this tutorial a shot if you’re having problems opening Excel documents or Excel spreadsheets.

We strongly suggest you upgrade both Excel and Office Software to the most recent versions, as this will ensure you have a seamless experience using both. You should make frequent backups of your critical files to prevent data loss.

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