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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Excel: Start in Office Safe Mode

Troubleshooting guideSources checked: 2026-09-055 stepsFaultNote editorial team

What to do first

Use Excel safe mode to suppress startup elements and examine the difference from normal.

This is a general troubleshooting guide, not an announcement of a current outage.

Affected products and symptoms

Product
Microsoft Excel for Windows
Versions and conditions
Excel for Microsoft 365 / 2024 / 2021 / 2019 / 2016
Error codes and identifiers
excel /safe

Symptoms

  • Stop at startup
  • Can't open only on normal startup

Causes and conditions

Possible options include COM/Excel add-in, XLStart, and settings.

Before you start

  • Duplicate a question book
  • Record add-in list

Precautions

  • Do not enable macros or external content merely to test the workbook
  • Do not overwrite the original workbook

Tools and official pages used in this guide

Microsoft Excel for Windows troubleshooting sequence: start safely; Try blank workbook; open copy; Separate add-ins; Return to normal startup
Procedure overview created by FaultNote. Read the precautions and full instructions before changing settings. Read the full steps

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 01

    start safely

    #

    Press Win+R, run excel /safe, and check the title bar.

    Close all open Excel windows before running. Use this to confirm that you are in safe mode after booting, and to compare the effects of add-ins that are loaded only during normal boot.

    Close all open Excel files and press Win+R and type excel /safe. Make sure that [Safe Mode] is displayed in the title bar after startup, and then create a blank workbook.

    Command or path
    excel /safe
  2. 02

    Try blank workbook

    #

    Enter it and save it locally under a different name.

    Enter numbers or short strings in the cells of the new workbook and save it with a different name from the original business file. If the problem occurs even when the workbook is empty, the cause is not limited to that workbook, so repairing the Office side is also a candidate.

  3. 03

    open copy

    #

    Open a copy of the question book and determine if it is file specific.

    The workbook in question uses a separately named copy and does not enable unknown macros or external content. If the blank workbook is fine but you can't open the copy, follow the Open and Repair steps for instructions on how to repair the file.

  4. 04

    Separate add-ins

    #

    Disable them one by one by going to [File] → [Options] → [Add-ins].

    Select [COM Add-in] under [Manage] at the bottom and remove the check from [Settings]. Excel add-ins are a separate management item. Make a note of the list before the change, make changes one by one, and compare by doing the same operation as restarting Excel.

  5. 05

    Return to normal startup

    #

    Quit completely, start normally, and put back any unrelated add-ins.

    Do not re-enable all add-ins at once until you check the improved status by normal startup. Consult the provider for items that are potential causes, and return unrelated items to their original state based on the list you have saved.

    Official links for this step

Check the result

  • You can save empty workbooks
  • Can judge the difference from normal

If the problem continues

  • If safe mode also fails, proceed to repair Office.
  • If it's a specific book, open it and use repair.

Scope of this guide

Troubleshooting guide — General diagnostic and recovery procedures based on official support. It does not describe a specific current incident.

Frequently asked questions

Is it okay to start with Ctrl?

You can also launch the shortcut by holding down Ctrl.

Can I overwrite it?

First save it to a copy and check the limit effect.

Official sources and dates

Source publication or resolution date: Not specified. Sources checked: 2026-09-05. The check date is not the date the problem first occurred. Interface labels can vary between versions and display languages.

Related troubleshooting guides

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