Office 2024 stops rendering app window

TomaszKozera-2821 20 Reputation points
2026-03-14T20:19:02.3633333+00:00

When I start working in excel, when I do some action, like: resize column, paste, scroll the sheet the Excel stops rending the window. The whole app seems frozen but it's just rendering - it works underneath:

  • when I select different tabs I see the scrollbars changing size,
  • when I type something and click on 'x' a popup shows up (with no contents) - likely save prompt
  • when I type something and click on save button, when I reopen it, the data is there and was saved.

I tried:

  • adding regkey to disable hardware acceleration
  • installation repair
  • Win + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset graphics driver
  • restarting PC

Nothing helps. It happens with multiple files but not with empty files. The task manager usage is normal on all accounts.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

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  1. Huy-K 13,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-15T01:16:40.7133333+00:00

    Dear @TomaszKozera-2821,

    I apologize for any inconvenience you may encounter when using our services/ products. Based on your description, kindly try these following steps:

    Test Excel in Safe Mode

    Disable COM Add-ins

    • Go to File > Options > Add-ins
    • At the bottom, Manage: COM Add-ins > Go
    • Uncheck all > OK
    • Restart Excel and retest
    • Then re-enable add-ins one-by-one until the issue returns to identify the culprit.

    Clear Excel Startup folders (XLSTART) + Alternate startup path

    Check and temporarily move files out of:

    • %AppData%\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART
    • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\XLSTART (or the x86 equivalent)

    Also check:

    • File > Options > Advanced > General > “At startup, open all files in:”
    • Temporarily clear that path or move files out and retest.

    Reset Excel’s user profile/settings

    • Win + R > run regedit
    • Rename these keys (Excel to Excelold):
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel
    • Reopen Excel and retest.

    Here is a reference: Excel not responding, hangs, freezes or stops working - Microsoft Support

    I sincerely hope you understand that the initial steps I suggested may not have completely fixed the issue, as there may still be underlying causes that have not yet been identified. I am here to work closely with you, troubleshoot effectively, and explore every possible solution to ensure the best possible outcome.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. TomaszKozera-2821 20 Reputation points
    2026-03-18T17:39:37.9166667+00:00

    Either it fixed by itself or it fixed when I updated video drivers. I keep them relatively up to date, so I think mine were 3 weeks outdated tops.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
  3. TomaszKozera-2821 20 Reputation points
    2026-09-19T11:54:58.7766667+00:00

    The issue has resurfaced. Updating video drives doesn't fix it.

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