How to stop Excel from automatically checking Workbook performance?

Anonymous
2023-03-06T17:17:06+00:00

Performance check??

The Excel sheet is the way I want it to look and don't want to change it for better performance. I just want Excel to stop prompting me.

Every time I open an Excel sheet, it wants me to do a performance check because of:

"Excess formatting and unneeded metadata cause large, slow workbooks. Check for improvements to performance"

So I find myself X-clicking away this message every time. Because there is no 'excess' of formatting. The Excel sheet simply is a nicely layouted workbook and we want it to be looking this way. We don't need Excel trying to outsmart us and giving this suggestion every time you open the workbook to remove information.

It is only very confusing for not-very-experienced users who also make use of my Excel sheet.

How and where can I set Excel in a way that is stops asking this unwanted question?

  • The question mostly pops-up in the Web version of Office 365.
  • I tried unchecking boxes in the performance check tool, in the desktop version, but to no result.

Would be lovely if someone has a workaround or knows which box needs to be un-checked.

And it would be awesome if a MS engineer helps giving priority to this problem, so that it can be switched of universally.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author
Andreas Killer 144.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2025-01-25T10:37:57+00:00

This thread shows that there are a significant number of people complaining about this. Unfortunately, this is only a user forum, we understand your problem, but we cannot do anything to fix it. Only the Excel developers can do this if they are instructed to do so.

As previously stated, this is simply a statistical problem, Microsoft must first recognize that this is a problem. Unfortunately, this is not so easy considering that more than 200,000 people work at Microsoft.

There is a feedback portal where you can cast your vote. There is already a feed on this topic, unfortunately with very few votes. I'm sure if we get as many votes as this post has been viewed, then Microsoft will react.

Anyone reading this, please follow these steps:

Click on this link:
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/89bb523d-b197-ef11-95f6-0022484d7a88

  1. Sign in
  2. Click the Vote button

@HanzieV:

If you mark this reply as answer, it will be the first to appear when someone views this thread. I hope we can encourage as many people as possible to draw Microsoft's attention to this problem. Unfortunately, this is all we can do for you.

Andreas.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-10-10T08:36:32+00:00

    NO

    But I think it's fair to say that everyone on this thread apart from the members of the Microsoft team are in complete agreement that this "feature" should have an off switch. Actually ideally an on switch, so that users could opt in to using it rather than having to opt out. Or it needs to be controllable at the spreadsheet level so that the designer of the spreadsheet can have complete assurance that their end users won't be given this option and therefore the power to break and undo countless hours of development work.

    Various reasons have been cited as to why it's not that simple. So the simplest solution would be to just give up on the feature. No-one asked for it. If they did they would have asked for it to be optional. It is just causing frustration.

    Hope you're enjoying my sermon guys, now back to singing practice everyone :-)

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-10-03T15:46:15+00:00

    I get the message to Check Performance for virtually every spreadsheet I have. There needs to be a toggle for this.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-09-17T17:25:14+00:00

    That is an unacceptable solution.

    I have Copied the Excel file to test the Optimizer and it wants me to Remove the formatting of the sheet that was designed for ease of use and visibility for the end user. Saying that it was EMPTY Formatting. Of course it was! It was designed that way.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-09-02T10:33:57+00:00

    Dear Kelly,

    Thanx for your response Kelly! Btw, could you please confirm this did not work for you in Excel Online or Excel Windows Client build 16.0.17830.20138 (or later)?

     

    This solution is only available in the Excel Windows Client build 16.0.17830.20138 (or later).

    Sincerely,

    Sukie | Microsoft Community Moderator

    I have version 16.0.17830.20166 and this stupid bar still comes up every time I open a work book - despite hitting the X to close the bar every time.
    Please give us a toggle OFF under advanced options fast.

    Who came up with this absolutely stupid idea - especially without an option to disable? Destroying our workbooks is really not userfriendly.
    Don't touch Excel - we are advanced users and we don't need such thing.

    Didn't you learn from the issue with the app sidebar? Million of people were complaining, because you "forgot" a disable option....
    Or the new work book link? Which is **** too, so we have to research how to get the classic Edit work book links back (via ribbon possible at least).
    If you add features, ok, but leave it to us, if we want to use them or not.

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