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To open Excel in Safe Mode on Windows 11 or Windows 10, press Windows+R, type Excel /safe—including the space before /safe—and select OK. You can also hold Ctrl while opening an Excel shortcut, then confirm the Safe Mode prompt. Safe Mode helps diagnose startup problems by bypassing some Excel startup components.
Open Excel in Safe Mode with the Run command
- Press Windows+R to open Run. Alternatively, open Start > All apps > Windows System > Run.
- Type
Excel /safe. Include the space betweenExceland/safe. - Select OK. Excel should start in Office Safe Mode.
Microsoft documents this command for Windows PCs in its instructions for opening Office apps in Safe Mode. If Excel does not open, move on to the troubleshooting steps below; Safe Mode does not resolve every kind of launch failure.
Start Safe Mode from an Excel shortcut
- Locate an Excel shortcut, such as one on the desktop or in the Start menu.
- Hold down Ctrl while double-clicking the shortcut.
- When Excel asks whether to start in Safe Mode, confirm the prompt.
This shortcut method is also documented by Microsoft Support.
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Excel Safe Mode bypasses some startup behavior and settings, including alternative startup locations, changed toolbars, Excel startup folders, Excel add-ins, and most COM add-ins. It is useful as a comparison: if Excel opens in Safe Mode but has problems during a normal launch, a bypassed add-in or another startup component may be involved. It does not by itself identify the cause.
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Check add-ins if Excel opens in Safe Mode
Test in normal mode and change one add-in at a time. For COM add-ins, Microsoft’s Excel troubleshooting guidance gives this procedure:
- Close Excel, then open it normally.
- Go to File > Options > Add-ins.
- In the Manage list, select COM Add-ins, then select Go.
- Clear the selected add-ins and restart Excel normally.
- If the problem is gone, return to the COM Add-ins list, enable one add-in, and restart Excel. Repeat one at a time until the problem returns; the last change identifies an add-in associated with the issue.
If disabling COM add-ins does not help, check Excel add-ins as well, following Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance.
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If Excel will not start in Safe Mode
Continue with Microsoft’s broader troubleshooting steps rather than repeatedly trying Safe Mode. The guidance includes installing the latest Office updates. Safe Mode is a diagnostic startup option, not a general repair.
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Exit Excel Safe Mode
Close Excel, then start it again normally from its usual shortcut or the Start menu. No separate Safe Mode setting needs to be turned off.
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