Microsoft Excel¶

Common Issues & Fixes¶

Workbook Is Slow / Freezing¶

1. Check for volatile formulas used excessively — INDIRECT, OFFSET, NOW, TODAY, and RAND recalculate on every change. Replace with static references where possible.
2. Switch calculation to manual while editing large sheets: Formulas → Calculation Options → Manual. Press F9 to recalculate when needed.
3. Remove unnecessary conditional formatting: Home → Conditional Formatting → Manage Rules — delete rules applied to entire columns.
4. Check for excessive named ranges or hidden sheets with large data sets.

Formula Errors¶

Numbers Stored as Text¶

Numbers imported from CSV or other sources sometimes behave as text, breaking SUM and other formulas.

1. Select the affected column.
2. Data → Text to Columns → Finish (no changes needed — this forces re-evaluation).
3. Or use a helper column: =VALUE(A1) and paste-as-values back.

Pivot Table Not Refreshing¶

• Right-click the pivot table → Refresh.
• If new rows were added to the source data outside the original range, update the source: PivotTable Analyze → Change Data Source.
• To refresh all pivot tables on open: PivotTable Analyze → Options → Data → Refresh data when opening the file.

Protected Sheet — Forgot the Password¶

There is no built-in recovery for sheet passwords. Options: - If the file was previously unprotected and saved, restore from a backup or version history (SharePoint/OneDrive version history). - Third-party tools exist but are outside scope — raise with your IT administrator.

Excel Crashes When Opening a Specific File¶

1. Open in Safe Mode to rule out add-ins: excel.exe /safe
2. Try opening via File → Open → Open and Repair.
3. If the file is from an external source, it may be in Protected View — click Enable Editing if you trust the source.

Keyboard Shortcuts¶