Microsoft Excel is a part of the MS Office Suite but it can also be downloaded on any device as a standalone app. So, if you want to work on spreadsheets, you can install the Microsoft Excel app rather than installing the entire Office Suite.

Image source: Malavida

Are you having some trouble accessing the Excel app on macOS? Excel not opening on Mac? If the Microsoft Excel app refuses to open on your Mac, here are a bunch of workarounds that you can try to resolve this issue. You can use the below-listed solutions to get the Excel app up and running again on Mac within no time.

Let’s get started.

How To Fix Microsoft Excel not Opening on Mac

Solution 1: Force Quit the Application 

Whenever an app becomes unresponsive or crashes unexpectedly, force quit is the first thing to try. Here’s what you need to do.

Tap on the Apple icon placed on the top menu bar and select “Force Quit”. You will now see a list of active applications in the Force Quit window.

Select “Microsoft Excel” and then tap the “Force Quit” button.

Relaunch the Excel app and check if the issue was resolved.

Solution 2: Update the Excel App

Compatibility issues can also be another common cause where the app might fail to load on your device. If you are using an outdated version of the Excel app, then you may face several bugs or glitches while accessing the application. To update the latest version of the MS Excel app on Mac, follow these steps:

Look for the App Store icon placed on your Mac’s dock. Tap on it to launch the App Store.

Switch to the “Updates” section from the left menu pane.

Check for any available app updates. You can also press the Command + R key combination to refresh this page. If any update is available, install the latest version of Excel on your Mac. Launch the app and check if you’re still facing any issues.

Also read: Excel Stuck At Opening File 0% Fix

Solution 3: Delete the Preference Files

Removing the Preference files created by the Excel app can also help you resolve the issue. If you are stuck with the Excel not opening on Mac issue, then you can try this workaround.

Launch the Finder app on Mac. Tap on Go> Go to folder. Type “~/Library” in the search box and hit the Return key. Select the first folder location that comes up on the screen.

In the Library folder, select “Containers”.

In the Container folder, type the following in the search box to search for MS Excel Preference files:

com.microsoft.Excel.plist

Once you find this file, drag and drop it into the Trash bin.

Relaunch the Excel app on your Mac and check if the issue was resolved.

Solution 4: Use the Disk Utility Tool

A corrupt file or storage error can also trigger the Excel not opening on Mac issue. To resolve storage errors on macOS, you can use the Disk Utility tool. To run the Disk Utility checkup on Mac, here’s what you need to do:

Open the Launchpad, type “Disk Utility” and hit Enter. In the Disk Utility window, tap on the “First Aid” option.

Image source: Apple Support

Tap on “Run” to proceed. Hit the “Continue” button.

Follow the on-screen instructions to run the Disk Utility tool on your Mac so that macOS can automatically scan and fix storage errors.

Also read: How To Recover Permanently Deleted Excel Files?

Solution 5: Uninstall and Reinstall the App

Launch the Finder app on your Mac. Switch to the “Applications” section from the left menu pane.

In the Applications folder, look for “Microsoft Excel” in the list. Once you find it, drag and drop it into the Trash Bin.

Right-click on the Trash Bin icon placed on the Dock and select “Empty Bin”.

Launch the App Store and then re-download the MS Excel app on your device.

Also read: How To Clear Clipboard In Microsoft Excel

Solution 6: Update macOS

Using an outdated version of macOS can also fail Excel to launch on your device. To update macOS to the latest version, follow these steps:

Tap the Apple icon placed on the top menu bar and select “About this Mac”.

Select “Software Update”.

If any update is available, Apple will notify you. Hit the “Upgrade Now” button to install the latest version of macOS Monterey on your Mac.

Also read: How To Password Protect Excel File

Conclusion

Here were a few simple resolutions to fix the “Excel not opening on Mac” issue. If the Excel app refuses to load on macOS, you can use any of the above-listed methods to solve this problem. You can easily troubleshoot this issue and get the Excel app up and running within no time.

Good luck fellas!

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