Excel will not display on my computer

Joyce MARIE Anderson 0 Reputation points
2026-09-18T22:00:08.4766667+00:00

I have Excel loaded on my computer, but my spreadsheets will not open. How can I get them to open?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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  1. BryceSor 5,510 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-18T22:10:28.53+00:00

    Hi Joyce MARIE Anderson,

    Which version of Office are you using?

    Is the Excel file owned by you and are there any error messages coming up when you try to open it?

    Is the Excel file stored on your computer or on personal OneDrive or a Business drive?

    If no messages are coming up directly, can you open Event Viewer and check, there please.

    Can you open a new Excel or any Excel's file at all? or are you talking about Excel itself, does Word open?

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-18T22:00:24.5733333+00:00

    Try these fixes in order:

    1. Check whether the workbook is hidden.
      • Open Excel.
      • Go to View > Unhide.
      • If a workbook appears in the list, select it and choose OK.
    2. Refresh the Excel window.
      • Select the Minimize button in the top-right corner of Excel.
      • From the taskbar, reopen or maximize Excel.
      • This can make hidden data appear.
    3. Reset the file association for the spreadsheet file.
      • Find one of the files that will not open correctly and copy it to the desktop.
      • Right-click the file and select Properties.
      • On the General tab, check the file type and the Opens with app.
      • Select Change > More apps.
      • Choose Excel and select Always use this app.
      • Select OK.
    4. Repair Office.
      • In Windows, open Settings > Apps.
      • Select the Office installation.
      • Choose Modify.
      • Run Online Repair.
      • If the issue is specifically file association related, a Quick Repair is also documented as a fix.
    5. Turn off Excel add-ins one at a time.
      • In Excel, go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
      • At the bottom, in Manage, select COM Add-Ins > Go.
      • Clear one add-in, select OK, then restart Excel and test the file.
      • Repeat for each add-in.
      • If needed, repeat the same process with Excel Add-Ins.
      • If the file opens after one add-in is disabled, that add-in is the cause.
    6. If none of the above works, open Excel first, then open the file from File > Open.

    Important: one Microsoft troubleshooting path includes registry-related steps. Those steps should be followed carefully because incorrect registry changes can cause serious problems.

    If the problem continues after these steps, contact Microsoft Support.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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